The Best Natural Sleep Aids if You’re Jet-lagged, Feeling Anxious, or Have Excess Energy
Stress, anticipation, even an overtime buzzer beater in the game you stayed up to watch—all can keep you from falling asleep. Beyond being frustrating, it can throw off your internal clock and keep you from getting the restorative sleep your brain and body desperately need. The answer: natural sleep aids.
Here are four items—which you may already have in your pantry—that can help depending on your situation. Traveling to a totally different time zone? Can’t quiet your thoughts at night? Need something to calm your anxiety? These will help.
4 Expert-approved Devices That’ll Help You Fall Sleep
Lavendar
A study in Nursing in Critical Care finds that patients who inhaled lavender essential oil over a two-week period slept better and experienced less anxiety than those sniffing a placebo. The scent seems to alter brainwave activity and may be as effective as prescription meds.
Vesna Jovanovic / EyeEm / Getty Images
Almonds
These and other nuts contain magnesium, a mineral that enhances a neurotransmitter called GABA, which slows brain activity to prep for sleep, says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., medical director at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Center. You can take a supplement or have 1 oz nuts for 20 percent of your day’s needs.
Vesna Jovanovic / EyeEm / Getty Images
Melatonin
It’s the hormone that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycle and one of the best-studied sleep aids. Melatonin levels rise naturally at night when it’s dark, signaling the body that it’s time to sleep. While the supplement is safe and effective for many, it works best for shift workers and jet-lagged travelers.
Juanmonino / Getty Images
Chamomile
Touted for its sedative properties, chamomile is available in extract or dried form and can be steeped into tea. Though its effects are moderate, the herb promotes soothing feelings and lowers anxiety. One study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found it was significantly more beneficial at reducing anxiety than a placebo tea.
Jasmin Awad / EyeEm / Getty ImagesThe post The Best Natural Sleep Aids if You’re Jet-lagged, Feeling Anxious, or Have Excess Energy appeared first on Men's Journal.
Stress, anticipation, even an overtime buzzer beater in the game you stayed up to watch—all can keep you from falling asleep. Beyond being frustrating, it can throw off your internal clock and keep you from getting the restorative sleep your brain and body desperately need. The answer: natural sleep aids.
Here are four items—which you may already have in your pantry—that can help depending on your situation. Traveling to a totally different time zone? Can’t quiet your thoughts at night? Need something to calm your anxiety? These will help.
4 Expert-approved Devices That’ll Help You Fall Sleep
If You’re Feeling Anxious
Lavendar
A study in Nursing in Critical Care finds that patients who inhaled lavender essential oil over a two-week period slept better and experienced less anxiety than those sniffing a placebo. The scent seems to alter brainwave activity and may be as effective as prescription meds.
Vesna Jovanovic / EyeEm / Getty Images
AlmondsThese and other nuts contain magnesium, a mineral that enhances a neurotransmitter called GABA, which slows brain activity to prep for sleep, says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., medical director at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Center. You can take a supplement or have 1 oz nuts for 20 percent of your day’s needs.
Vesna Jovanovic / EyeEm / Getty Images
MelatoninIt’s the hormone that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycle and one of the best-studied sleep aids. Melatonin levels rise naturally at night when it’s dark, signaling the body that it’s time to sleep. While the supplement is safe and effective for many, it works best for shift workers and jet-lagged travelers.
Juanmonino / Getty Images
ChamomileTouted for its sedative properties, chamomile is available in extract or dried form and can be steeped into tea. Though its effects are moderate, the herb promotes soothing feelings and lowers anxiety. One study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found it was significantly more beneficial at reducing anxiety than a placebo tea.
Jasmin Awad / EyeEm / Getty Images
The post The Best Natural Sleep Aids if You’re Jet-lagged, Feeling Anxious, or Have Excess Energy appeared first on Men’s Journal.
