What medical and folk remedies for insomnia are better and more effective?

There are few lucky ones whose sleep remains "heroic" regardless of the circumstances. From time to time it is normal to have difficulty falling asleep if they are single and do not adversely affect health and performance. Before using medications for insomnia, you need to understand the causes and try to establish a sleep without potent drugs.

Why there is insomnia

Insomnia is considered such a violation, which leads to inferiority and a reduction in sleep time for a long period. At the same time, there are no absolute indicators characterizing the sufficiency or lack of night rest. The norm for all is different, and the often audible duration of 8 hours may be redundant for one and too small for another. A person gets enough sleep for the time that his body needs to rest and recover.

Insomnia( insomnia) is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. Bad sleep. This concept includes problems with falling asleep, repeated waking up during the night and early in the morning, too sensitive, shallow sleep.
2. Systematic violations. Talk about insomnia can be if symptoms are observed at least 3 times a week for a month.
3. Fixing the problem. The patient realizes that his condition is abnormal, worried about difficulties with sleep, makes efforts to get rid of them.
4. Consequences. Lack of sleep causes nervous exhaustion in the patient, affects working capacity, social and family life.

The main causes of insomnia:

• stress, emotional overexcitation;
• unsatisfactory sleep hygiene, hindrances and uncomfortable sleeping conditions;
• disturbance of the rhythm of sleep and wakefulness due to work, time zone change;
• taking certain drugs with irritant nervous system side effect;
• consumption of caffeinated products, alcoholic beverages, narcotic drugs;
• neurological and somatic diseases associated with pain syndrome, airway obstruction, head trauma, hormonal imbalance, snoring, hiccups, etc.;
• mental pathology.

Insomnia is aggravated by factors such as the patient's excessive concern about lack of sleep and the consequences that inevitably will cause chronic sleep shortages. Experiencing their health, a person begins to "pick" the day to compensate for the lack of night rest, which makes it even more difficult for the Morpheus to come in the evening. Dwelling on the process of falling asleep, the patient seeks to speed it up with a "drink" for the night and other pseudo-effective methods. As a result, individual episodes of insomnia acquire the character of a persistent disturbance.

Sleep hygiene as a method of controlling insomnia

People who lead a healthy lifestyle and who follow a regimen rarely suffer from sleep problems. They literally "fail", barely leaning their head against the pillow, and in the morning they get up vigorously and full of energy. The best remedy for insomnia is a strict schedule, a balanced diet, physical activity, a comfortable sleeping place and easy fatigue. In medicine, there is even a whole direction that studies the optimal conditions for an overnight rest - sleep hygiene.

Specialists have developed a number of rules that allow to normalize the process of falling asleep:

1. Lie down and get up every day at the same time.
2. Do not doze off during the day.
3. Do not fall asleep at the weekend.
4. Refuse from smoking, alcohol, stimulants.
5. All medications, except sedatives, should not be taken late at night.
6. In the evening, do not drink coffee and tea.
7. Limit fluid intake before bedtime.
8. Do not overeat for dinner, prefer non-vegetable vegetable and milk dishes.
9. Do not go to bed with a pronounced hunger, you can have a snack, drink a glass of yogurt.
10. Avoid evening emotional outbursts, conflicts.
11. Mental work, requiring maximum concentration, move to the first half of the day.
12. Eliminate intensive exercise before bedtime. In the afternoon, do not overexert yourself, take a walk in the fresh air, do gymnastics.
13. 15 - 20 minutes lie in a warm bath.
14. Bedroom - not a place for reading, internet surfing, computer games, TV.At least an hour before sleep - turn off the equipment, put books and magazines.
15. To organize a comfortable microclimate. The bedroom should not be hot, cold, stuffy. The optimum temperature is 18 - 20 degrees, always airing before going to bed at any time of the year.
16. Put a comfortable bed: wide enough, moderately rigid, providing good orthopedic support.
17. Go to bed in complete darkness and silence. Isolate the room from noise, turn off the light, do not use the nightlights, remove the luminous appliances, curtain the windows with thick curtains. Darkness is the main condition for producing melatonin, a hormone regulating the daily rhythms of sleep and activity.
18. To invent a ritual - a certain sequence of actions that will be clearly associated with going to bed.
19. If within half an hour it was not possible to fall asleep, there is no point in lying and counting rams. It is necessary to leave the bed, do some quiet business, waiting until drowsiness appears.

Summarizing, all these rules can be reduced to one: complete physical and emotional peace, plus the absence of external stimuli.

How to establish a sleep without medication

Compliance with the regime is an important condition for the normalization of sleep. When comfortable conditions are created, it is sufficient for a healthy person to use the simplest means of insomnia to facilitate falling asleep. In such cases, a spoonful of honey or a glass of milk will calm the nervous system and prepare the body for a night rest.

Do not trust such "proven" advice, like taking alcohol to improve sleep. Indeed, depending on the dose of hot drinks cause a desire to sleep: from mild drowsiness to instant "cutting".However, instead of recovering, the body is forced to neutralize alcohol and combat intoxication. Despite the apparent strength, alcoholic sleep is superficial and unproductive, awakening can come after a couple of hours, and attempts to fall asleep again will be unsuccessful. The result is a broken state and a breakdown in the morning.

Less salt and more physical exercises

Prevents the onset of sleep with a large amount of salt in the food. When insomnia should adhere to a salt-free diet, limit the sweet, flour, fat, and also exclude products that stimulate the nervous system. This is strong tea, coffee, spices, chocolate.

It is better to carry out physical exercises during sleeping difficulties for the morning hours. An intensive load excites the body, with exercises in the evening you should prefer quiet exercises: yoga, stretching, walking. Then - take a relaxing bath: water temperature 37 - 38 degrees, duration - no more than 20 minutes and not every day.

The next remedy for insomnia at home is folk methods. Before applying this or that recipe, you should make sure that there are no contraindications and allergic reactions. If the folk medicine is powerless, the only way out is to turn to official medicine.

Folk methods of getting rid of insomnia

Honey for a good sleep

Honey is the most delicious and harmless sleeping pills for those who do not have allergies to beekeeping products. Medicines based on it have a sedative effect and cause drowsiness for half an hour after ingestion:

1. In a glass of warm water, dissolve a spoonful of honey and drink before going to bed.
2. Make a mixture of 200 g of honey and 3 tsp.apple cider vinegar. Eat every evening 2 tsp.medicines.
3. Spoon a sage honey in a glass of cucumber brine, drink at night. Simultaneously, on the gastrocnemius muscles, put a compress of gruel shredded horseradish with honey. Such a tool promotes the flow of blood from the brain and causes drowsiness.
4. Grind lemon, 2 tbsp.l.walnuts, add 2 spoons of buckwheat honey. The resulting mass take at night 1 tbsp.l.

Herbal teas and tolls for insomnia

For sleeping problems, it is recommended to discard black and green tea, but calming herbal teas are welcome:

• brew an hour before meals 2 tsp.oregano on a glass of boiling water, after 20 minutes drink half of the liquid, leave the second part for the next meal;
• tea from St. John's wort take three times a day for 1/3 cup: for 250 ml of boiling water, take 3 tbsp.l.herbs, insist 2 hours;
• 2 tbsp.l. Ivan-tea brew in a thermos with two glasses of hot water, insist 6 hours, then drink 100 ml in 3 - 4 doses.

Effective folk remedies for insomnia are obtained from medical dues:

1. Peppermint, motherwort( 30 grams each), hop cones and ground valerian root( 20 grams), 10 grams of raw material pour a glass of water, put on a water bath for a quarter of an hour. After cooling, strain the liquid and add the boiling water to the original volume. Treatment regimen: three times a day for 100 ml.
2. Take valerian root, hawthorn flowers, motherwort grass, mint and mistletoe white - 10 g of each component.1 tbsp.l.mixture pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist half an hour. Take in the morning and at night for 1 glass.
3. Combine 5 grams of calendula, thyme and motherwort.10 grams of collection boil in a glass of water for 15 minutes, then infuse for another 60 minutes. Drink at night for ½ cup.
4. In equal parts collect inflorescences of chamomile, mint leaves, valerian root, add the fruits of fennel and cumin.10 g of collection put on a water bath, fill a glass of boiling water. After half an hour to remove the broth, cool a little, drain, squeeze the grass, then fill the volume with boiled water. In the morning drink 1 - 2 cups, in the evening enough 200 ml.
5. Insist a mixture of medicinal veranica, violet, melissa, lavender flowers and barberry berries in equal proportions in hot water. For 1 cup of boiling water, take 1 tbsp.l.collection. Drink before going to bed for 1 - 2 cups.

Tinctures of valerian and hawthorn

A universal soothing remedy that promotes a good sleep - a mixture of alcoholic tinctures of valerian and hawthorn. You need to buy ready-made preparations in the pharmacy and mix them in equal proportions.30 drops dissolve in water and take at night every day. In addition to sedative action, this recipe strengthens the heart, eliminates the symptoms of nervous disorders and can be used as a remedy for insomnia for the elderly.

Valerian root, melissa grass and mint are also added to the bath, they are stuffed with pads - sachets, which are placed at the head of the bed. Of the aromatherapy the essential oils of mint, lavender - they are applied to whiskey, drip into the bath are best.

Treatment of insomnia with folk remedies is effective in the event that it is caused by increased excitability of the nervous system, stress, chronic fatigue, feelings. More serious reasons, related to mental, somatic and neurological diseases, require compulsory recourse to a specialist.

Medication for insomnia

Sleep disorders are handled by a doctor-somnologist. In his competence - to identify the causes and treatment of insomnia caused by physical pathologies. To begin with, you need to visit a psychotherapist: insomnia of a psychogenic nature - in his conduct. If the specialist did not find any problems in his profile, then the patient goes into the hands of a somnologist.

Before taking it is necessary to give up smoking and stimulants, heavy food. It is desirable to record sleep disorders and the events preceding them. A sleep diary will help the doctor identify the factors that trigger the problem. You will also need information about existing diseases, medications, lifestyle. If necessary, the consultation of a neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist. The most complete picture of insomnia is polysomnography - a laboratory study of the functions of the body during sleep.

It is forbidden to take sleeping pills on your own. Many of them are addictive, and an overdose can lead to the opposite effect and even to life-threatening conditions. The doctor after the examination determines what remedy helps against insomnia in a particular case, and concurrently prescribes therapy for the underlying disease that has caused chronic insomnia. If possible, preference is given to herbal preparations.

Sleeping remedies for insomnia with a natural composition

Drugs made from plant components act gently and have a minimum of side effects:

1. Ortho-Taurine - contains amber and folic acid, B-group vitamins, magnesium, taurine. When insomnia for a month take 2 capsules 40 minutes before bed or 2 - 4 capsules per day divided into 2 receptions: at night and in the afternoon. It calms, normalizes pressure, sleep, heart rhythm, lowers the level of sugar and cholesterol.
2. Neurosteabil - includes extracts of ivan tea, motherwort, hops, oregano, pion, is enriched with vitamins B, E, C, A, D and biotin, as well as potassium and magnesium.1 tablet three times a day stabilizes the nervous system, eliminates sleep disturbances.
3. Novo-Passit is a sedative from plant components: valerian, lemon balm, elderberry, St. John's wort, hawthorn. Beneficial effect on the central nervous system, restores sleep. Dosing regimen: 1 tablet before meals, three times a day. It is not recommended for children under 12 years.
4. Persen - phytopreparation based on valerian, mint and lemon balm. To eliminate sleep disorders, dosage is 2 to 3 tablets an hour before sleep for 6 to 8 weeks. Contraindicated before 18 years, pregnant and lactating mothers.

These drugs are over-the-counter, do not cause withdrawal syndrome and have virtually no contraindications.

Synthetic hypnotics

The most effective insomnia tablets are part of a group of synthetic drugs. Since this is not dietary supplements, but medicines, it is strictly forbidden to take them without a prescription. Of the most popular can be identified:

1. Donormil - a sedative and hypnotic long-acting drug. Increases the duration and depth of sleep to 8 hours. It is forbidden for children under 15 years old, patients with glaucoma, urinary retention, apnea. Caution is given to patients after 65 years of age. Course of admission: 0.5 - 1 tablet half an hour before bedtime, not more than 5 days. The cost of the drug is 350 - 400 rubles.
2. Melatonin - contains a substance similar to the sleep hormone secreted by the epiphysis. Normalizes the sleep-wake cycle, calms the nervous system, promotes quick and high-quality falling asleep. Contraindicated in renal failure, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, epilepsy, pregnancy. It is taken for ½ - 1 tablet 40 minutes prior to departure to bed. The cost of the medicine is between 300 and 400 rubles.
3. Melaxen is an adaptogen regulating human biorhythms. Accelerates falling asleep, prevents nocturnal awakenings, facilitates morning ascent. A more expensive analogue of Melatonin, costs from 550 rubles.
4. Imovan - affects the psyche, relaxes the nerves and muscles in order to activate the function of fast sleep. It is not indicated for patients with apnea, hepatic and respiratory insufficiency, children. It is taken 1 tablet before bedtime, short-term with situational insomnia. With chronic insomnia, the course is administered individually. The cost of the drug and its synonyms - from 250 rubles.

Drugs of this group are subject to prescription, may have side effects in the form of morning drowsiness, a hangover with nausea and headache, possibly increased depressive symptoms, the formation of the effect of withdrawal.

In the case of sleep disorders related to mental disorders and CNS diseases, the doctor may prescribe a special category of drugs - tranquilizers. Tablets based on benzodiazepine and barbiturates help cope with depression, nightmares, neuroses and restore sleep with ineffective psychotherapy. These drugs have serious side effects and are prescribed only in severe situations.

Reviews about medications for insomnia

Insomnia is a problem familiar to many. Often, patients do not treat her with a doctor, but prefer to cope on their own using reviews on drugs to improve sleep:

Review No. 1

"My mom always has a bottle of tincture. She mixes valerian and hawthorn, and takes it every day.

When I once started a terrible insomnia during the session, I used my mother's prescription. All the time I do not take it, but I drink 4 times a year - it calms me well and sleeps just fine. "

of Milan, СПБ

Review No.2

"I work in shifts, the dream because of this lost specifically. In the daytime I go about with my nose, at night - in one eye. Drank and herbs, and valerian, and Novopassites all sorts - nothing helped. I'm saving Melaxen.

It is expensive, but it works efficiently. I fall asleep with him perfectly, even if I took a nap during the day after the night shift. "

Nicholas, Moscow