I've blogged about my sleep philosophy before. I don't think anyone would argue with me that developing good habits is the best strategy. But having a regular routine is more of a goal than a remedy. Sometimes we just get off-schedule, and even if we're meaning well, an attempt to "go to bed earlier" can result in lying awake for 3-4 hours.Getting up earlier as an attempt at discipline doesn't always work because you end up being groggy and building up a sleep-debt, while still having the same trouble falling asleep at night.
In a recent post, I mentioned natural remedies. A few days ago I purchased a new sleep-inducing herbal tea. It's called "Nighty Night Tea" by Traditional Medicinals.
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In the instructions it says, "To encourage nighttime relaxation, drink 2-3 cups late in the day and 1/2 hour before bedtime." (reference http://www.herbsmd.com/detail/Nighty-Night-Tea-7432.htm) All I did was brew a cup and drink it while doing my final e-mail check before bed. I'm not sure how long it took me to fall asleep, but it was under an hour for sure, and I woke up feeling rested.
The two dominant herbs in the tea are passionflower and chamomile. I've tried straight chamomile tea before, with little results. The funny thing about passionflower that I've just learned is that it also has a reputation as an aphrodisiac. Not too sure about that one. :)
I've slept "through the night" (with minor interruptions) twice now, in spite of various aches and pains. In the past, I could spend several hours in bed, yet get up feeling like I'd never slept.
The nice thing about tea is that it's non-addictive and you can just use it as an aid a few times, and then your body should be able to adjust to the new routine so that you won't need a sleep aid.
As with all types of medicines, make sure you check the ingredients/side-effects and read the instructions carefully!
Yes, drinking tea is relaxing, indeed. :) I like drinking tea as well, though I normally don't get to sleep quickly after a cup of tea. Meanwhile, my hubby always drinks milk to make him fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteEek? Passionflower is an aphrodisiac? Wow..I should give it a try. :p LOL!!! :D
Keep me posted. I don't ever have trouble going to sleep...well very, very rarely. But I have had trouble in the past few weeks of waking up about 3 (holdover from teaching night classes, maybe?) and not being able to go back to sleep. It helps me get caught up on my blogging, but now I have to go to work when all I want to do it crawl back into bed.
ReplyDelete:( I wonder if the tea would work in the middle of the night.....
I spoke too soon...it stopped working after I wrote this post! However, it seems to help with relaxation, even if it doesn't induce sleep right away. I'll have to adjust the other variables.
ReplyDeleteI try to avoid taking dairy before bed, for various reasons.
I think tea could definitely help in the middle of the night. Drinking a warm beverage is always soothing, it seems.