The other day my wife and I were cruising through Costco and she came upon a box of those Breathe Right strips.  She jokingly  said I should try them because I’m a snorer.   Well to please the wife I bought the product and took it home.  So, later that night while getting ready for bed I took out the bandaid looking thing and after several attempts I finally got it secured across my nose.  I have to say that I noticed that I could breath better right away.  So feeling good about what might happen I was off to bed.  The next morning when I woke up the first thing I asked my wife was “Did I stop snoring!”.  She just smiled at me and sadly stated that there wasn’t a change.  Bummer.  The funny part was that even though I didn’t stop snoring when I woke up I felt really rested.  I hadn’t felt that good in years.  It made me wonder if I wasn’t getting enough oxygen while I slept at night.  Maybe I have a mild case of sleep apnea.  Either way I’m going to make this wonderful sleep aid product a new part of my life.

After a lot of research and trial and error I have found that the following are by far the most effective herbal sleep aid products to cure your lack of sleep.Hops Flower Powder – Used traditionally as a sedative, for relaxation and reduction of anxiety.

Valerian Root Powder – Helps relax the central nervous system, promote feelings of calm, decrease levels of anxiety and stress, and enhances sleep.

Passion Flower – Known for its calming and sleep inducing properties it can also help relieve pain and muscle spasms.

Chamomile – A mild sedative that can help with anxiety and digestion.

5-Hydroxytryptophan – Increases R.E.M. sleep significantly while simultaneously increasing deep sleep stages 3 and 4 without increasing total sleep time. By shifting the balance of the sleep cycle, 5-Hydroxytryptophan makes sleep more restful and rejuvenating instead of waking feeling tired and worn out.

Lemon Balm - Lemon Balm has a highly relaxing property and is great for inducing sleep.

Also, when these ingredients are used in conjunction with each other they have an even greater effect. When taking an herbal sleep aid it is good to note that these remedies are made to know you out like other over the counter and prescription drugs but more to relax you and allow you to enter a state of sleep naturally and keep you there longer so that you wake up feeling refreshed. Give them a try and I guarentee they will cure your lack of sleep.

Deep breathing is a great way to relax the body.  It has been used in martial arts and yoga for a long and if done correctly can help you get a good night’s sleep. Try the following techniques.

• Lie on your back.
• Slowly relax your body. You can use the progressive relaxation technique we described above.
• Begin to inhale slowly through your nose if possible. Fill the lower part of your chest first, then the middle and top part of your chest and lungs. Be sure to do this slowly, over 8–10 seconds.
• Hold your breath for a second or two.
• Then quietly and easily relax and let the air out.
• Wait a few seconds and repeat this cycle.
• If you find yourself getting dizzy, then you are overdoing it. Slow down.
• You can also imagine yourself in a peaceful situation such as on a warm, gentle ocean. Imagine that you rise on the gentle swells of the water as you inhale and sink down into the waves as you exhale.
• You can continue this breathing technique for as long as you like until you fall asleep.

If stress is the reason that you aren’t sleeping try this technique I found at the University of Maryland Medical Center and see if it relaxes you enough to fall asleep.

• Lie on your back, close your eyes
• Feel your feet. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and sink into the bed. Start with your toes and progress to your ankles
• Feel your knees. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel you upper legs and thighs. Feel their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel your abdomen and chest. Sense your breathing. Consciously will them to relax. Deepen your breathing slightly and feel your abdomen and chest sink into the bed
• Feel your buttocks. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel your hands. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel your upper arms. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel your shoulders. Sense their weight. Consciously relax them and feel them sink into the bed
• Feel your neck. Sense its weight. Consciously relax it and feel it sink into the bed
• Feel your head and skull. Sense its weight. Consciously relax it and feel it sink into the bed
• Feel your mouth and jaw. Consciously relax them. Pay particular attention to your jaw muscles and unclench them if you need to. Feel your mouth and jaw relax and sink into the bed
• Feel your eyes. Sense if there is tension in your eyes. Sense if you are forcibly closing your eyelids. Consciously relax your eyelids and feel the tension slide off the eyes
• Feel your face and cheeks. Consciously relax them and feel the tension slide off into the bed
• Mentally scan your body. If you find any place that is still tense, then consciously relax that place and let it sink into the bed

One of the best ways to figure out why you aren’t sleeping is to start writing in a sleep diary. Often times lack of sleep can be associated to any number of environmental factors. If you document everything that happened to you on the days you get good sleep and bad sleep you may start to notice a pattern for the bad days and be able to make adjustments to alleviate your problems. Listed below are the types of things you should be recording.

• The time you went to bed and woke up
• Total hours you slept
• The quality level of your sleep
• How many times did you wake up during the night and if you woke up what did you do during those times
• How much caffeine and alcohol did you consume throughout the day
• What types of food and drink did you consume and at what times during the day
• How was your mood during the day and what was your stress level like
• What kinds of drugs or medications did you take and at what time

I’ve had a few emails come in the last couple of days asking me if I’ve ever tried the sleep number bed system and if so what I thought about it. Yes, I am in fact one of the many people who bought into the T.V. ads. Now I’m not saying these beds aren’t nice but to be honest with you I could have probably found another bed at a fraction of the cost that provided me with the same level of comfort that the sleep numbers bed does. But if you have the money and don’t want to spend the extra time finding the right bed then I would definitely recommend it.

If you haven’t done so already please sign up here for my free sleep tips and information newsletter. The next issue should be out soon and you don’t want to miss out on all the great information. Also, if any of you would like to be a guest writer and you have some great information to share please email me at newsletter@getsleepinfo.org and maybe you might see yourself in future editions of my newletter.

One of my favorite herbal medicines to help me get to sleep has to be Lemon Balm Extract. Lemon Balm has been shown in studies to help reduce anxiety and stress without any adverse side effects. Also when used with other medicinal herbs like Valerian, Hops and Chamomile it has been shown to help the user get a good night’s sleep while enhancing their mood and calmness the following morning. Lemon Balm in addition to being a good sedative also alleviates stomach gas and cramps and has a general antispasmodic effect on the stomach and intestines. It also relaxes the blood vessels, which helps to reduce blood pressure. One caution that I should mention is that if you have a thyroid problem and are taking pills for it you should not take Lemon Balm as it is possible that it could effect the absortion of your thyroid medications.

As most of you know from my newsletter I’m very preachy when it comes to not taking prescription sleep products. In fact I’d rather never sleep again than take one. The reason for this is I had a very strange incident when I was on Ambien. Awhile back my doctor had prescribed it for me saying that Ambien was the last pill I would ever need. Well he was right because it might have killed me. I had been taking Ambien for a few nights and on about the fourth dose I some how got in my car in the middle of the night and drove down the street. In the passenger seat next to me was a bag of Dorritos and a litter of Coke. Where I was going or what I was doing I still have no idea. I’m lucky that I didn’t hurt anyone or myself. When I finally realized what was happening I drove back home to find my wife scared out of her mind. I guess she heard the garage door opening but I was gone before she could come get me. From that point on I vowed never to take prescription sleep products ever again. This is also why I’m such a big supporter of natural alternatives. In the coming weeks I hope to spotlight some of these natural remedies.

If you are having trouble sleeping give yourself a light snack that is high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates boost levels of the brain’s sleep chemical serotonin without overloading the digestive system. Here are a few good suggestions for things you might want to snack on: whole wheat breads (muffins, bagels or waffles), popcorn, angel food cake, pretzels and pasta. Some fruits like strawberries and oranges can also do the trick.

One myth that I have to debunk is that eating turkey can help you get to sleep. In recent studies it was shown that although turkey does contain the sleep enhancing chemical tryptophan, there isn’t enough present to actually make a difference.