Acute insomnia is mostly caused by stress, like an important life event or big test, and it will generally resolve itself once the stressor passes. 

Chronic insomnia is a more serious condition, where sleep troubles occur at least three times a week for more than three months. It usually requires therapy or medication alongside these lifestyle changes. 

Disturbed sleep is more than an inconvenience that leaves you dragging the next day: it can affect your emotional and physical health. It negatively affects your memory, concentration, and mood, and it boosts your risk for depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Here are some natural remedies, relaxation techniques, exercises, sleep hygiene, and behaviors that can improve the symptoms of insomnia.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a natural hormone that the brain produces to regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Liquid or capsule dietary supplements of melatonin can help people with insomnia fall asleep more quickly. Melatonin can also help improve the quality of sleep. It may be most useful for shift workers, people experiencing jet lag, or people with sleep disorders.

Anyone thinking about taking melatonin should speak to their doctor about the best dosage to take, how long to take it for, and whether it is safe for them to take.

Practice sleep hygiene

Good sleep hygiene can help those with insomnia. 

This includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, limiting daytime sleep, and not drinking caffeine close to bedtime. It can also be important to create a routine before you go to sleep. You can take the hour before going to bed to take a hot bath.

In addition, you should avoid excessive screen time — especially before bed — as this has also been linked to insomnia. 

Drink up

No, not alcohol, which can interfere with sleep. Warm milk, chamomile tea and tart cherry juice for patients with sleep trouble.

Warm milk has long been believed to be associated with chemicals that simulate the effects of tryptophan on the brain. This is a chemical building block for the substance serotonin, which is involved in the sleep-wake transition.

Chamomile tea can also be helpful. It’s believed to have flavonoids that may interact with benzodiazepine receptors in the brain that are also involved with the sleep-wake transition.

Plus, chamomile tea doesn’t have caffeine, unlike green tea or Earl Grey. Finally, tart cherry juice might support melatonin production and support a healthy sleep cycle.

Tune in to Soothing Music for Deep Sleep

Listening to calming, soft music as you doze off could be a solution. Listening to music before going to bed may help improve sleep quality. Just make sure you're picking something soothing, and that you set it to turn off after a while, preferably when you're already deep in dreamland.

Exercise

Getting in some daily physical activity is one of the best remedies for insomnia. Exercise is good for your overall health, but research also shows that it helps to improve your quality of sleep.

As exercise releases endorphins that make you feel awake and energized, try to get in a workout earlier in the day. You should avoid exercising within two hours of bedtime.

Valerian root

Valerian was associated with improved sleep, but there was significant variability among the studies, and the quality of evidence was low.

People can take valerian in the form of a tea, tincture, capsule, or tablet. Speak to a qualified herbalist before preparing and taking valerian.

Keep cool

The ideal temperature for your thermostat is between 65 and 72 degrees. Women who are going through menopause and experiencing hot flashes should keep the room as cool as possible and wear cotton or breathable fabrics to bed.

Go dark 

The latest recommendation is to use a flashlight if you need to get up at night, because it offers less visual disruption. If you do wake up for a bathroom break, it might take up to 30 minutes to drift back off.