Sleep Aid Melatonin
Posted by: admin on: August 4, 2011
Although people in times gone by wouldn’t have known it by this name, they regularly used foods and drinks containing melatonin to aid those having problems sleeping. It helps you sleep by causing drowsiness via a chemical reaction and also by lowering your body temperature. It is produced naturally in the body. First the brain makes serotonin and this is converted when you are asleep into melatonin.
The good news is that it is really easy to increase the quantity of melatonin you are consuming by eating various foods. Don’t try to buy it over the counter especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is illegal to sell the hormone melatonin in many countries and there are usually good reasons for that. People who suffer from a variety of illnesses such as depression and autoimmune diseases could suffer an adverse reaction. So stick to natural sources.
Walnuts are an excellent source of melatonin. When you eat them, the levels in your blood show a marked increase. Oatmeal and bananas are also natural sources. You could combine a banana and some oatmeal in some almond milk to make a delicious smoothie which should help you to get a good night’s sleep.
As well as increasing the melatonin in your diet, there are some other things you can do to help you sleep. Have a look at your diet. Too much sugar creates unnatural highs of energy making us jittery and prone to insomnia. So cut the sugars out of your diet and stick to low GI foods.
Sometimes the old fashioned remedies are the best. Try drinking a glass of warm milk with a spoon of honey. Honey is a known remedy to aid restful sleeping. Although people say you should drink hot chocolate or cocoa, these products contain caffeine so you may want to give them a miss if you have already had plenty of coffee during the day.
Book a couple of aromatherapy sessions as well. These natural massages will help you to relax and that should aid a good night’s sleep. Your aromatherapist may also suggest using Lavender. The scent is known to relax you. You can try candles (remembering to extinguish before bed) or have a bath using Lavender bath salts. You can also try burning a couple of essential oils such as Valerian or Lemon. You simply add a couple of drops of the essential oils to a carrier oil and burn on a special aromatherapy burner. Just be sure it has gone out before you do drift off to sleep. Hopefully soon you will no longer need a sleep aid, melatonin or otherwise!
From Beauty Salon, post Sleep Aid Melatonin
