In part one of this post we looked at the herbal and acupuncture remedies for insomnia. We now look at some of the other alternative therapies for insomnia.
Relaxation and Meditation
A lot of sleeplessness stems from stress, anxiety and so on. So working to reduce stress and control anxiety is important for addressing sleeplessness. Meditation is effective to help calm and center the mind, effectively enhancing relaxation by methods such as progressive muscle relaxation, and so on.
The regular practice of meditation and yoga is known to help increase the production of melatonin in the body, which helps with muscle relaxation.
Biofeedback is also found to be an effective remedy for sleeplessness.
In addition, relaxation techniques such as visualization (imagining a relaxing scene by involving all the sense can induce relaxation) relaxation response (technique based on transcendental meditation), mindfulness (focusing the mind effectively on the present) can help singly or in combination.
Exercise
Quite simple brisk exercises can tire the body and relax the mind, which are both conducive to a good night’s sleep. A number of studies have shown how exercise can help to reduce stress and improve restful sleep. Ancient disciplines such as Tai Chi and Yoga are also known to specifically help improve sleep.
Dietary changes
As with everything else, making changes in one’s diet can also help to improve sleep. Cutting out caffeinated drinks such as sodas and reducing intake of coffee by not having it during bed time, reducing intake of sweets and so on help to reduce wakefulness.
Foods that contain certain amino acids are known to help in making a person sleep. Many find that whole grain crackers taken before sleep can help to induce sleep.
Magnesium supplements can help promote sleep. And equally, eating foods rich in magnesium such as green leafy veggies, brewer’s yeast, almonds, cashews, whole grains and so on can help to promote better sleep.
