natural remedies for sleep – Elder Cottage Clinic, Warton, PR4

Sea salt is really good for soaking in a bath. It is believed to stimulate circulation, help ease muscle cramps, help relieve stiff joints, and soothe the skin.

Sea salt isn’t generally processed that much, it is simply evaporated off the water. So its very rich in trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron.

Himalayan salts are very similar to sea salt in composition and trace minerals. However, because Himalayan salt is mined near the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, from some really ancient sea beds which were covered over with ice, lava and snow for millions of years, its thought that Himalayan salts are much purer than our regular sea salt because they are not full of our modern day pollutants.

Epsom salts aren’t actually a salt. They are magnesium, sulphur and oxygen. So when you use Epsom salts you are really using them for their magnesium content. Magnesium is needed in the body for all sorts of daily functions at a cellular level, and it is thought that in this day and age we are all lacking in magnesium due to the erosion of soil quality. Magnesium is very easily absorbed through the skin so soaking in a bath of Epsom salts is a great way to boost your magnesium levels.

Although we do need magnesium to support a whole host of bodily functions, one of the main things we all need it for is stress-management and improved sleep.

So these are the different types of salt explained, so you can now make an informed choice as to which type you would like to bathe in. Happy soaking!

View the bath salts from Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic.

Sleep is such an important part of our lives, but what actually is sleep and what does it do for us?

During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

What happens when we don’t sleep?

The damage from sleep deficiency can harm you over time. For example, ongoing sleep deficiency can raise your risk for some chronic health problems. It also can affect how well you think, react, work, learn, and get along with others. [1] Researchers have linked poor sleep to a number of ailments, from short-term memory loss and behavioural problems, to weight gain, diabetes, and even increased risk of cancer, just to mention a few. [2]

If we spend too much time indoors, in a windowless office during the day and in front of the TV, computer screens and mobile phones in the evenings, insomnia can soon set in because our brains struggle to determine what time it is.

The combination of light deficiency during the day and excessive light exposure at night causes your biological clocks to get out of sync.

A 30-60 minute exposure to outdoor light every day helps to anchor our circadian rhythm. [2] This means that our master clock is set to be awake and alert during the day and to rest and sleep during the night.

After sustained periods of sleep disruption, we can be left feeling agitated, grumpy, stressed and on high alert. It then becomes ever more difficult to get to sleep, and thus becomes a stress in itself, and the cycle continues.

How can I sleep naturally?

Reflexology can also help with problems like this, as it allows a time and place for deep relaxation to occur. The appointment is in your diary. You are expected to lay back. You are expected to maybe close your eyes. You are expected to relax. Once in a state of deep relaxation, the body can begin to switch off the “high alert” and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to do its work, increasing digestion, immunity, libido, and most importantly here, providing a good environment for resetting the master clock to promote a healthy sleep pattern.

Combine regular reflexology with reduced time spent in front of TV and computer screens, particularly in the evenings, reduced consumption of stimulants during the evenings (such as alcohol and caffeine), and a good dose of outdoor light during the day, and you should be well on your way to a better night’s sleep. Fabulous natural remedies for sleep!

To summarise 3 things to help you sleep:

Get some reflexology

Reduce screen time and stimulants

Go outside during the day

For more of me on sleep, melatonin and circadian rhythm see my other blog post on the Winter Blues.

All views are my own.

[1] http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why

[2] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/12/10/dangers-sleeping-too-much.aspx?e_cid=20151210Z2_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20151210Z2&et_cid=DM92051&et_rid=1256832826

Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tag: natural remedies for sleep

Salts explained

Reflexology for sleep problems – a perspective