My problem is insomnia and disturbed sleep for about 5 years now. Would sleeping tablets help or would they be habit forming? Is their anything I can take over the counter for this?
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Hi lybrate-user, These all-natural sleep aids will have you drifting off in no time, no Rx necessary. 1. Consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or CBT-I is considered the gold standard for insomnia treatment, the method with the most scientific evidence to support it. Typically, CBT-I involves meeting regularly with a therapist for various sleep assessments, according to the National Sleep Foundation, and you may be asked to keep a sleep journal and change a number of your sleep habits. 2. Take A Warm Bath: You can skip the candles and rose petals, but a soothing soak really can help you get to sleep. That's because relaxing in the tub will raise your body temperature slightly, and when you get out, the rapid cooldown will mimic the natural temperature drop the brain triggers as it prepares for sleep. A small 1985 study found that people who take a warm bath before bed not only fall asleep more quickly, but also report better quality of sleep. 3. Meditate: f you'd rather quiet your mind but leave your muscles out of it, a simple mindfulness meditation may also do the trick. A 2009 study found that meditation can help fight insomnia. The researchers found that meditators slept longer and better thanks to the deep relaxation powers of the practice. Try this 10-step meditation for better sleep tonight. If that's not quite your style, even just some deep breathing can help clear your mind and better prepare you for sleep. 4. Break a sweat: Regular exercisers may not realize it, but they're onto something. The physically active report getting better sleep than people who don't work out, according to the 2013 National Sleep Foundation's Sleep In America poll. It seems that the particular timing or form of exercise isn't as important as whether or not you simply move, says Grandner: "The evidence is out there that people who are even getting mild exercise are sleeping better than those who aren't. If that doesn't convince you to exercise even just a little, we don't know what will. 5. Do yoga: As a form of mind-quieting physical activity, yoga may just be the best of two worlds. And while there aren't exactly scientific studies showing a regular yoga practice can help you get more or better sleep, we do know that yoga does wonders for relaxation. "If your sleep problem is that you're unable to relax, [yoga] could be a way to intervene. 6. Aromatherapy: Whether it's an essential oil, a bath scrub, a sachet in an eye mask or even a pillow or mattress, lavender is the scent you're searching for if you want more and better sleep. In a small 2005 study, a whiff of lavender before bed resulted in more deep sleep. And a 2008 study found that smelling lavender helped a small group of women with insomnia fall asleep more easily. Hope this helps. Good Luck.
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