Struggling to get insomnia relief? Stress is very well at the root of it. Rather than take sleeping pills with various side effects, try these natural remedies for stress and insomnia relief.
Key takeaways:
- Insomnia is distressing and common.
- Salt therapy eases breathing issues, de-stresses you, and makes sleeping easier.
- Mindfulness meditation calms your mind and body to help you sleep.
- Exercise realigns your circadian rhythm, making winding down more natural.
Are you familiar with this common nighttime scenario? You lay down on your bed, ready to go to sleep after a hard day’s work. The minutes tick by and you begin stressing that you won’t fall asleep anytime soon. You may be suffering insomnia – and you are not alone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep problems. Many people out there are looking for insomnia relief. Insomnia can lead to poor concentration, anxiety, irritation, and even depression. These consequences often lead to decreased productivity and a lower quality of life.
Insomnia often leads to higher levels of stress and vice versa. Thankfully, you can get relief from insomnia. Although many resort to medications for insomnia and stress relief, several natural remedies can help you finally start getting a good night’s rest. Let’s discover three.
Salt therapy
Stress and insomnia often go hand-in-hand. You probably don’t sleep well when you’re stressed out. Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, may help reduce stress and relieve insomnia. It involves breathing pharmaceutical-grade, microscopic particles of dry salt deep into your airways to ease breathing, reduce stress, and improve your overall health.
A scientific study on halotherapy found that it offers a beneficial psycho-emotional effect. Centuries ago, people visited natural salt caves for salt therapy, traveling 900 feet below ground for a two to three hour visit. In the modern world, we create above-ground salt caves with halogenerators in rooms that have salt-coated walls and airflow systems that help ensure good airflow.
In simple terms, you are breathing pure and clean air during a salt therapy session, meaning that your body doesn’t have to work as hard at cleaning the air. This reduces the stress on your respiratory system so you can relax. Salt is also anti-inflammatory so it helps to ease inflammations in your body and reduces stress.
Salt therapy also aids those who snore. Thanks to salt’s anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-bacterial properties, it clears your nasal cavity, ensuring that there’s less congestion. It helps clear pollens, toxins, and pollutants from your nasal passageways.
According to the study above, 72% – 87% of people who used salt therapy had improvements in their nasal pathology. Also, 90% of people with acute sinusitis had mucosa reduction after two-three salt therapy sessions.
Mindfulness meditation
As you might have guessed, mindfulness meditation helps you get the best out of mindfulness and meditation. Simply put, mindfulness meditation is the process of calming down your mind to focus on the present while turning away negative thoughts and energy.
Mindfulness meditation can improve sleep quality and research backs it up. During a study of the sleep patterns of 1,654 participants, researchers found that mindfulness meditation reduced ruminative thoughts and emotional reactivity, making it easier for the participants to sleep and calm down stress levels.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to mindfulness meditation:
- Find a calm and soothing place.
- Sit down and make yourself comfortable.
- Straighten your body and place your upper arms parallel to your upper body.
- Drop your chin a bit and relax your gaze.
- Stay in that position for a few minutes and focus on your breath.
- Your mind may begin to wander but allow the thoughts to flow without feeling any judgment.
- If you want to make any physical adjustments, pause your mindfulness session.
- Start with five-minute sessions and gradually increase your time.
You can download an app like Calm to guide you through mindfulness meditation. You don’t have to do mindfulness mediation every day, but doing it a few times a week should help. Choose a routine based on your needs and preferences.
Exercise
Exercise works wonders for your body and mind, helping them battle insomnia and stress. During exercise, your body’s temperature increases, and then drops when you are done. A similar temperature change happens before you go to sleep. As a result, exercise signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
In addition, exercise realigns your internal clock or circadian rhythm, making sleeping easier. If you are anxious, worried, or stressed, regular exercise releases endorphins that make you feel and sleep better. However, exercising too close to bedtime arouses the body and mind, making sleep harder to get. Exercise at least two hours before bedtime to avoid sleeplessness.
Salt therapy for stress and insomnia relief
There you have it – you do not have to take pills to experience stress and insomnia relief. These natural methods can get you on your way to better, deeper sleep.
Salt therapy often has a naturally relaxing effect on the body, relieves breathing issues, and reduces stress to help you sleep better. To get the best results from salt therapy, you need to find a comfortable, reputable environment to do it in.
The Salt Suite® is a best-in-class salt therapy center known for its state-of-the-art, immersive salt caves. During your salt therapy session, all you have to do is sit back and relax and feel free to read, take a nap, or meditate. Our regular sessions are 45-minutes long, but you can also opt for shorter 15-minute salt booth sessions.
After a session, you might feel your sinuses draining. Also, expect to feel lighter and more relaxed, which will make refreshing sleep easier to get. Simply book an appointment with us to get started.
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