Home Remedies For Insomnia

In these stressful times it is hardly any wonder that many people find it hard to get to sleep at night. However, there are certain things you can do to promote a good night's sleep. Try to relax before going to bed, and avoid coffee and alcohol, which tend to keep you awake rather than promote good sleep. Take a warm bath with

Epsom salts or play some quiet music. Have a bedtime ritual, so your brain learns to slow down before you settle down to sleep.

Home remedies for Insomnia

Natives of certain parts of Italy reputedly slept with cloves of garlic between their toes to ensure a good night's sleep! The Victorians, on the other hand, favoured washing the head with dill or placing dill on the pillow at night.

Adding two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons of honey to a glass of hot water and drinking it at bedtime may seem a little more user-friendly. Try placing a few drops of lavender oil on the pulse points of the wrist and forehead before you go to bed - it has a soothing and calming effect. Place celery seeds in a piece of muslin and inhale the fumes as you settle down for the night.

Lettuce is supposed to contain sleep­inducing compounds, so eat it raw or drink a lettuce infusion. Mandarin oranges also have a soporific effect - it is a good idea to eat one after your evening meal.

You could make up a tea from elderberry flowers, which are thought to relax the nerves and induce sleep.

Native Americans used to eat raw onions to get a good night's sleep. They also made a sleep potion from poppy heads infused in hot water. If this seems a little drastic, try valerian tea just before going to bed.

Make up this infusion: put the ground seeds from one cardamom pod, two drops of peppermint oil, one teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in a cup of boiling water and drink while it is still hot.

Add a teaspoon of honey to a cup of warm milk and sprinkle with cinnamon: this is a great drink for helping wakeful children go to sleep.

A footbath is a good way to bring on sleep because it encourages the blood to flow from the head to the feet. Mix up some lavender and rosemary essential oil and add to a bowl of warm water.A mustard footbath can work just as well.