We discover the best natural remedies for a good nights sleep.

Not getting enough sleep each night can be detrimental to our health and well-being. Sleep is vital for many of the body’s processes, it supports healthy brain function and helps maintain our physical health too. In children and teenagers, it also helps support their growth and development.

The harmful effects of sleep deficiency can occur instantly, but for others, they can present themselves slowly over time. So it may not hit you straightaway, but the damage is still being done. Continuously not getting enough shut eye can raise your risk of a number of chronic health conditions, and affect how well you work, learn, react, think and get along with others.

Problems that may occur include poor concentration, memory lapses, irritability, fatigue, sore muscles, painful joints, dull skin and lacklustre eyes. Long-term, sleep deprivation can have serious consequences such as poor immune function, weight imbalance, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and raised blood sugar levels. All of which have a damaging effect on our health and wellbeing.

How much is enough?
The amount of sleep you need each night varies as you get older; the basic rule is the older you are, the less you need. Although sleep varies from person to person, here are the general guidelines from the Sleep Council:

• 1-12 months old – 14-15 hours per day
• 1-3 years old – 12-14 hours per day
• 3-6 years old – 10-12 hours per day
• 7-12 years old – 10-11 hours per day
• 12-18 years old – 8-9 hours per day
• 18-65 years old – 7-9 hours per day
• 65+ years old – 7-8 hours per day

If you regularly sleep less than the hours recommended above, the sleep loss quickly adds up. The total sleep lost each week is known as your sleep debt. For example, if you lose two hours of sleep each night, you will have a total sleep debt of 14 hours!

Natural helpers
If you do struggle to sleep, there are a number of natural remedies and products that can help:

Magnesium – One of the roles of magnesium is allowing the muscle fibres in our body to relax. It is also thought that magnesium has a role in the normal function of the pineal gland, which produces melatonin – a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and helps us to fall asleep.

We recommend BetterYou’s Magnesium Flakes – simply add them to a warm bath or enjoy as a foot soak. If you’re short of time, try their Magnesium Oil Spray or Body Lotion instead.

Another helpful product is Nutri Advanced’s MegaMag Night Formula – it has been specially formulated to help support restful sleep and contains magnesium, L-theanine, hops and lactium.

Calcium – It has a direct association with sleep cycles. Research suggests that higher calcium levels are found in the body during some of the deepest levels of sleep, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) phase.

Take a combination of calcium and magnesium in a hot drink before bedtime, it will help both children and adults to relax and may support restful sleep.

Valerian and Hops – The herb valerian is well-known for its calming effect and is used for the temporary relief of sleep disturbances. Studies show that hops help to promote sleep quality and are more effective when combined with valerian, promoting sleep and reducing the time taken to fall asleep.

Try A.Vogel’s Dormeasan – a herbal sleep remedy made from extracts of freshly harvested, organically grown valerian and hops.

You could also try Higher Nature’s Valerian Sleep Aid – one tablet contains 150mg of valerian root extract.

Montmorency cherries – Cherries contain melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep cycles. Although all cherries may contain some melatonin, montmorency cherries in particular have been found to increase the body’s melatonin levels and increase sleep time.