The Truth About the Best Sleep Aid for Adults
Sleep is vital for your health. It ensures that your body and brain function properly. Unfortunately, getting a good night’s sleep these days is next to impossible, for some people. That’s why many people want to get the best sleep aid for adults.
With the lack of quality sleep, your learning, memory, and decision-making will surely suffer. Even your creativity may die if you don’t get enough sleep.
Insufficient sleep is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Even though people know that sleep quality is vital, more and more people are experiencing poor sleep.
Getting good quality restful sleep requires good sleep practices. But they may not be enough. If you need further assistance in getting a restful night, try the best sleep aid for adults.
Read: Good posture when sleeping
The Best Sleep Aids for Adults
1.) Weighted Eye Mask
It works by blocking out artificial light.
Light can disrupt your internal biological clock that regulates your sleep-we patterns. Artificial light suppresses melatonin.
It is a sleep-inducing hormone. Without melatonin or if your body produces less of this hormone, you will have difficulty sleeping.
When choosing a weighted sleep mask, you must examine its weight, shape, size, and material. A weighted eye mask is available in a range of different shapes. It is vital to choose the one that fits your face. It must also rest comfortably while you sleep at night.
Losing sleep can have a huge effect on your health. A weighted eye mask can just be what you need to get more REM sleep. Research showed that patients who wore sleep masks experienced more REM time.
Once you have a good night’s sleep every night, you’re reducing your risk of disease. Sleep problems are associated with chronic health conditions. Furthermore, it reduces your risk of obesity. Plus, it improves your immunity. Keep in mind that sleep plays a vital role in immune function.
People who missed sleep have suppressed immunity, according to this study.
2.) Melatonin Supplement
Melatonin, as mentioned earlier, is a hormone that signals your brain that it is time to sleep. Its levels rise in the evening and they fall in the morning.
If your melatonin cycle is disrupted, taking a melatonin supplement can be beneficial.
This supplement is vital for older adults. As you grow older, your melatonin level goes down. That’s why it is more difficult to sleep at night because of the reduced melatonin level.
Melatonin supplements are safe for adults. They are not studied, however, for their long-term effects.
This supplement may improve your sleep quality when you take it in doses of 3-10 mg. It is especially helpful if you are doing shift work or if you have jet lag.
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3.) Lavender Tea
This tea helps you relax and improve your sleep. The use of lavender oil can also improve your sleep quality. It also increases the effectiveness of good sleep hygiene.
You can drink lavender tea to help you fall asleep faster. Just use the dried herb to make a relaxing tea.
A lavender essential oil can also reduce anxiety and restlessness. It is most appealing if you struggle to sleep because of racing thoughts.
This is also an ideal natural sleep aid if you don’t want to use a weighted eye mask or take a melatonin supplement.
The use of dried lavender tea is safe. But it may have side effects for some people. That is, it may cause skin irritation and allergic reaction.
4.) Chamomile tea
It is a known natural sleep aid since ancient Egypt. However, there’s not enough study about this plant’s benefits.
However, there are smaller studies that revealed its ability to soothe anxiety while improving sleep quality.
You may take chamomile tea or use a chamomile capsule. It is regarded as generally safe when taken orally.
But you can’t take it if you are using blood thinners. Because it can cause dizziness, it is not to be taken when driving or doing a task that requires full concentration.
Read: Can you get a sore throat from snoring?
5.) Magnesium
It is naturally present in food. However, most adults don’t get enough of this mineral. That’s why they have sleep problems.
Some research suggests that supplementing your body with magnesium can reduce insomnia in older adults and excessive daytime sleepiness.
You may choose to eat more magnesium-rich foods, like pumpkin seeds. Or you can take magnesium supplements available in pills and tablets.
Magnesium is generally safe because the kidneys can easily filter it out. But high dosages can cause diarrhea. It may also interact with your medicines.
6.) Cannabidiol (CBD)
It is a chemical known as a cannabinoid present in the cannabis plant. CBD is different from psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cannabinoids. It is derived from hemp and it does not cause a psychoactive effect.
The cannabis regulations limit the capacity of many researchers to look into the benefits of CBD. However, many people claimed that taking CBD helped them sleep better.
For one, it reduces anxiety symptoms. The body has its own cannabinoid system that affects how we sleep. Thus, CBD is more likely to offer benefits.
CBD can help your sleep disorders while reducing excessive daytime sleepiness.
Unfortunately, it can’t be sold as a dietary supplement, even though CBD is legal since 2018. It is available in various forms, like dummies, oils, and tinctures.
However, it is important to consider that there is insufficient regular oversight. In that case, some products will claim to have 26% CBD but in reality, they have less CBD.
It appears to be safe. But it may cause minor side effects, like diarrhea, tiredness, and changes in weight. It may also affect your appetite. That’s why many people who wish to lose weight are raving about the effectiveness of CBD.
Talk to Your Doctor
These natural sleep aids for adults are generally safe. However, it is still pertinent to talk to your doctor before you start to use any of them.
You can buy these products without a prescription. But your doctor can still help you review your condition and find out the reason for your insufficient sleep.
On the other hand, if you want a non-pharmacological sleep aid for adults, you might want to try a weighted eye mask that you can shop here with FREE shipping.
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