Aside from melatonin, what are some good remedies for sleep?

What are you doing during the day to promote relaxation, stress reduction, and inner peace? In a recent UCSF article (Summer 2021 edition) on Sleep Science, it states falling asleep and staying asleep are based on different biological systems.

Falling asleep is based on sleep pressure that builds up during the day, and staying asleep is related to circadian rhythms. If you are interested in learning Mini-moves® for Sounder Sleep®, please contact me.

Hi Ryan!
There are so many good answers here. Some of my favorite herbal sleep remedies (aside from everything mentioned here and lifestyle remedies - including blue light blocking, food choices, hydration, screen time, etc) are listed below!

- Skullcap - skullcap is amazing for calming and restoring the nervous system. Herb Pharm has a Skullcap tincture (one with alcohol and one without) use one dropper full in a few ounces of water before bed.

- Nutmeg - Nutmeg is AMAZING for sleep (and getting a lot of it). Nutmeg takes about 4 hours to activate in the body but lasts for 8 hours. If you're going to take nutmeg, take it about 4 hours before you want to be asleep. A good dosage to start with a few grams and see if you need to titrate up or down from there.

- Wild Lettuce - Wild lettuce has been used historically to support nerves and promote restful sleep. If you can find it in tea form you can mix wild lettuce with some sort of herbal tea and drink before bed.

Hope these help add to your sleep resources!

Have a look at the asana Vipariti Kirani online. It is fantastic to practice for ten minutes before bed. Alternate nostril breathing is also incredibly calming. Once you are in bed, focus on inhaling for a slow count of four, with the tummy expanding (like you are blowing up a balloon), exhaling for a slow count of 6, letting the tummy fall.
A magnesium supplement may also help.
If you need a video of the breathwork, do let me know. Sleep well!

The fifth element of health, used widely throughout Europe, essential to NASA and many more, is PEMF Therapy. It is simply a mat to lie down on, which produces Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields. It is proven to treat pain/inflammation, restore balance in sleep patterns, and increase circulation among many more health benefits. It is FDA approved and Health Canada certified. The medical device I have available for a complimentary session is made by Swissbionic Solutions. Ask me for more info, or to try for free! Regular sessions go for $1/minute, or the technology can be purchased for regular home use.

1. Reduce stress and balance cortisol levels during the day and before bed. Some of my favorite techniques for this are consuming adaptogenic herbs such as ashwagandha root, rhodiola root, or schisandra berries, spending time outside in Nature barefoot, try some relaxing breathing practices before bed, start a meditation practice and to consciously calm and quiet the mind and reduce stress.

2. Reduce non-native EMFs in your bedroom. Put your smart phone in airplane mode while you sleep, try not to have anything plugged in near your bed, and put a automatic shut off device of your WiFi router so it turns off while you sleep.

3. Set your circadian rhythm for the day. The easiest and most effective way I know to do this is to expose your skin and eyes (without contacts or glasses) to the morning sun. This simple practice will set your internal clock to sync with the Earth and help the stage for restful sleep.

4. Try listening to binaural beats before bed. My favorite binaural beat technology is produced by Aubrey Marcus and Cory Allen. They have a sleep inducing audio called Into the Void that is extremely effective. Try it out and see how you can alter your brainwave states into alpha, theta, and delta, the ideal states for healthy sleep.

5. If you want to learn even more techniques check out my Regenerative Sleep Protocol at: https://tristansummerfield.com/p/regenerative-sleep-ecourse-protocol/

What causes us to lose out on our zzzzzzzzzz's varies from person to person. Common culprits include stress, ruminating thoughts, anxiety, some prescription meds, alcohol, travel, and decreasing levels of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep/wake cycles (aka circadian rhythm). While melatonin naturally decreases with age, a lack of complete darkness in the room you sleep in can hamper its production at any age! The importance of sleeping in a dark room cannot be overstated, even down to installing room darkening shades and covering tiny blue and red lights coming from your clock radio, TV, home alarm system, or even from an electric toothbrush in an adjacent bathroom.

If you are looking for a supplement to aid in falling and staying asleep and you have addressed the obvious physical and emotional triggers, I recommend taking 1 mg of melatonin and 200 mg of L-theanine along with a trio of calming herbs that includes valerian, hops, and lemon balm extract. All of these can be readily found in a health food store, individually or in combination. Take them 30 to 60 minutes before turning in for the night. Happy sleeping!

If there is anxiety involved, I recommend a breathing practice that stops the body's reaction to stress and moves it into a more coherent balanced state.

If there is anxiety involved, I recommend a breathing practice that stops the body's reaction to stress and moves it into a more coherent balanced state.

PEMF Therapy, (or Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields Therapy) is famous for assisting the body in naturally restoring it's optimal sleep balance, as well as reducing inflammation/pain, addressing stress, and increasing circulation, among other benefits. The most effective form of this technology is from Switzerland, and is Certified by Health Canada and approved by the FDA for treating the above. Feel free to inquire if you'd like a free initial session (in Vancouver BC, Canada), or if you'd like to learn more.

As always, I look to the cause first. Not sleeping can be a result of a significant health issue or just aging, stress and poor habits. Here are a few practical suggestions:
Don't eat after dark. Your body can digest food or have restorative sleep but not both at once.
Avoid blue light exposure an hour before bedtime, including cell phone, tv, computer...
Turn off wifi, move bed away from a wall where there is a lot of EMFs from smart meters or dirty electricity in the wall.
Make sure the room is completely dark and cool.
Avoid caffeine. Even when used in the morning, if you have a genetic weakness in clearing it from your body, it can affect your sleep.
Don't take melatonin more than a couple of weeks as your body can get dependent on it. Try cedarwood essential oil on the bottom of the feet to stimulate natural melatonin production.

A short restorative yoga sequence and mediation will help relax the body and mind.

A short restorative yoga sequence and mediation will help relax the body and mind.

Sleep issues can be caused by so many things. It is most likely a symptom of a more serious ailment or disease, like thyroid issues, adrenal fatigue, or anxiety. I would advise against using remedies for insomnia without examining the overall health first.
One of the best sleep medicines is a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. To discover and resolve the emotional root cause of your sleep problems, I invite you to contact me for a trauma release session with me using MAT.

Take a look at your environment, routine, and activities before bedtime. Develop mindfulness relaxation practices and develop a consistent healthy sleeping routine.

Mindfulness and breathing practices.

Hello Ryan:

CBD oil taken before retiring is a possibility for you. I have found it to relax the body and mind very subtly, enough to caue me to drift off to sleep.

If you do not want to be reliant on any form of sleep aid, as suggested above, find someone who deals with this issue through their form of hypnotherapy or energy healing, to release those energies that create the mind-chatter. Having had insomnia issues for years, I recently used one of my methods of healing to negate the underlying cause along with changing to an earlier sleep regimen. It has worked wonders, as since removing the nervous energies causing the excessive thinking, I sleep 2 hours less and have much more energy than before. I've realized my dreem to wake up and be ready to go at 5 AM!

When I experienced sleep issues back in 2006 I had physical and sleep study that ruled out any physical disturbances. Then I sought help from a hypnotherapist. During hypnosis, I was able to get in touch with fears that I didn't realize were driving my insomnia. I learned how to quiet my mind and develop self-talk that allowed me to remember that I could handle anything that undone the next day as well as anything new that arose. 11 years later I became a hypnotherapist and now work with people to improve their lives, sleep is a big area. If you are going to supplement, I suggest you work with someone who is educated in helping you figure out what is best for you. Taking supplements arbitrarily could potentially disrupt your natural ability to create hormones that support good sleep.

Everyone knows that sleep is important, and as others have said, there are so many factors that can impact your sleep quality/quantity. In my practice I have found that blood sugar balance and nutrient deficiencies are major contributors. But supplementing arbitrarily may not get you to the root causes. It's best to work with someone who can help you identify what you can tweak in order to support your body's natural sleep cycle with lifestyle shifts, food and targeted supplements when needed.

There are so many natural ways you can try to sleep better.

For example, have rituals before bedtime so your brain is also in tune with the fact it's time to sleep.
Don't use electronics for 1-2 hours before sleep
Block out your blue lights
Find some ways to relax before sleeping
Drink some chamomile tea
I also mix my doTERRA lavender oil and Cedarwood and rub into the soles of my feet

Hi Ryan, before you jump in a supplement for sleep I would recommend to assess what is the cause of your sleep.
What are your symptoms? Are you having a hard time falling asleep? Do you wake up during the night and can't fall back?
What is your sleep routine? What are you doing in that last hour before bed?
Do you exercise in the evening?
Do you watch TV, look on your phone/tablet/laptop?
Do you practice relaxation techniques?
When is your last meal? And what are you usually eating?
Do you drink coffee, green/black tea in the second part of the day?
How is your energy levels in the morning and during the day?
How is your temperature in the bedroom?
Is your bedroom completely dark?

Most of the time sleep issues will be corrected with lifestyle changes. Unfortunately just taking a supplement without making any lifestyle change will have little to no effect, especially on a long term.

If you need help on navigating these lifestyle changes please let me know as I would be delighted to help!

Hi Ryan, before you jump in a supplement for sleep I would recommend to assess what is the cause of your sleep.
What are your symptoms? Are you having a hard time falling asleep? Do you wake up during the night and can't fall back?
What is your sleep routine? What are you doing in that last hour before bed?
Do you exercise in the evening?
Do you watch TV, look on your phone/tablet/laptop?
Do you practice relaxation techniques?
When is your last meal? And what are you usually eating?
Do you drink coffee, green/black tea in the second part of the day?
How is your energy levels in the morning and during the day?
How is your temperature in the bedroom?
Is your bedroom completely dark?

Most of the time sleep issues will be corrected with lifestyle changes. Unfortunately just taking a supplement without making any lifestyle change will have little to no effect, especially on a long term.

If you need help on navigating these lifestyle changes please let me know as I would be delighted to help!

Besides Melatonin. There is a lot.
GABA, Glycine, Ashwagandha, Passion Flower and Lavender.
This is a good selection