Natural Sleep Aids for a Healthy Lifestyle

Getting enough quality sleep on a regular basis is important. If you are sleep-deprived on an ongoing basis, it can lead to serious problems. A lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk for accidents and injuries, for example. In fact, drowsy driving is often compared to drunk driving because being drowsy behind the wheel can slow your reaction time in a manner similar to what happens when you’ve had too many adult beverages.

If being at greater risk for accidents isn’t enough to convince you that you need to get enough sleep every night, consider the following effects that a lack of sleep can have on your health and quality of life:

• Impaired learning and thinking: Too little sleep can impair your ability to learn and think because it affects your attention span, concentration, and reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Increased risk for health problems: If you don’t get enough sleep regularly, you will have a better chance of experiencing potentially life-threatening health problems, which include heart disease or failure, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure.
• Decreased interest in sex: Men and women who suffer from sleep deprivation often have less interest in sex and lower libidos. Sleepiness, greater amounts of tension and a lack of energy are commonly believed to be the reasons behind their reduced interest in sex.

Getting Help Naturally

If you’re having difficulty sleeping, making a few simple lifestyle changes might help. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals in the hours immediately before you go to bed is a good place to start. Getting some exercise during the day, well before you head to bed, is also a good idea that can help you fall and stay asleep every night.

What should you do if you’ve made considerable lifestyle changes and still can’t fall asleep with ease? You may want to try some natural sleep aids that are widely believed to facilitate sleep.

Here are some of the natural sleep aids you might want to try out:

• Melatonin: Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in your body that tells your brain when it’s time to go to sleep, with melatonin levels increasing in the evening and dropping off in the morning. Taking melatonin supplements can help people who experience disruptions in their melatonin cycle, individuals suffering from sleep disorders and shift workers who must sleep during the daytime.
• Valerian Root: Valerian root is a common natural treatment for anxiety, depression, and menopause. While further studies are necessary to irrefutably prove that valerian root can also be used to help people fall asleep, the herb is widely used to promote sleep in the United States and Europe.
• Magnesium: Studies show that a lack of magnesium can cause insomnia or troubled sleep. Magnesium supplements can help settle your mind and body, which can make it significantly easier to for you to fall and stay asleep.

Upgrade Your Bedroom

While Ben’s doesn’t sell natural sleep aids, we do sell some of the most comfortable mattresses and bedroom accessories you’ll find anywhere. Being comfortable in bed and having a bedroom that’s conducive to sleep is critical for you to get the amount of quality sleep you need every night. Shop with Ben’s online or at one of our Atlanta-area retail locations to find the mattress and bedroom accessories that will help you fall and stay asleep now.