Las Vegas is famous for its bright lights, glitz, glamor and non-stop entertainment. As with most cities, there’s an energy that sometimes makes it hard to wind down and drift off to sleep. If this sounds familiar, trust me, you’re not alone.

The good news is that there are natural solutions to help you conquer those restless Vegas nights. Restful sleep is within reach. Consider this your toolkit of natural sleep remedies – from calming herbs and stress-reduction techniques to creating a sleep sanctuary in your own room.

We’ll explore effective ways to quiet your mind and body, so you can wake up feeling well-rested, refreshed and ready to take on the city at your own pace.

Before diving into natural sleep solutions, we need to first address any underlying health issues that might be disrupting your slumber. Consider these tips:

Improving Sleep Naturally: Tune Your Body for Sleep Success

senior couple with bicycles outside in spring nature. natural sleep aids

Move Your Body: Regular exercise (at least 30 minutes daily) is one of the easier access natural sleep aids that can significantly improve sleep quality naturally. Just be mindful of timing – avoid strenuous workouts too close to bedtime, as they can have the opposite effect.
Prioritize Weight Management: Excess weight increases the risk of snoring and sleep apnea, both notorious sleep stealers.
Listen to Your Body: Schedule a health check-up. Certain health conditions like blood sugar imbalances, nerve issues, or prostate problems can manifest as sleep disturbances. Addressing these underlying concerns can make a big difference.
Hormonal Harmony: Women experiencing menopause might find their sleep disrupted by hormonal fluctuations. Consulting a naturopath or natural therapist can help restore hormonal balance and improve sleep quality.

Natural Sleep Aids: Fuel Up for Sleep:

Just like a car needs the right fuel for optimal performance, your body needs the right nutrients to wind down and drift off to sleep. Here’s how your diet becomes one of the natural sleep aids that plays a significant role:

Ditch the Jitters: Caffeine, even from sources like tea or hidden in processed foods and medications, can disrupt sleep for some people. Be mindful of your caffeine intake and avoid it altogether in the afternoon and evening.
Quiet the Stomach: Certain foods, like dairy and wheat products, can cause digestive issues like gas and bloating in sensitive individuals, disrupting sleep. Consider eliminating these foods for a trial period as yet another path to natural sleep improvement.
Promote Relaxation: A light protein snack a few hours before bed can be a sleep-promoting strategy. Protein contains L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce melatonin and serotonin, natural sleep hormones. Pair your protein with a small piece of whole-grain bread to further aid tryptophan absorption.
Nighttime Hydration: To avoid waking up for bathroom breaks, limit fluids in the two hours before bedtime. This is one of those natural sleep aids where less is more. Make sure to empty your bladder before settling in for the night.
Skip Sugary Nightcaps: Avoid sugary snacks and processed grains close to bedtime. These foods cause blood sugar fluctuations that can disrupt your sleep cycle.
Alcohol: Friend or Foe?: While alcohol might initially induce drowsiness, it actually prevents you from entering deeper, more restorative sleep stages. As its effects wear off later in the night, you’re more likely to wake up and struggle to fall back asleep. Opt instead for a calming cup of chamomile tea for sleep – its gentle properties can promote relaxation and ease you into a peaceful slumber.

Unwind Your Mind: Tame Tension Before Bed

Do you find it difficult to power down from the day? If you find your mind racing when you should be when you should be getting ready to drift off to sleep, these stress-busting natural sleep aids may do the trick. Say bye-bye to all that tension before you go to bed.

Mindfulness and Meditation: Close your eyes and just imagine taking a deep breath. Feels good, right? That’s because focusing on your breath can help quiet down all those noisy thoughts in your head. You can also try listening to someone guide you through meditation, or just practice breathing slowly and calmly on your own. It’s like giving your mind a little massage before bedtime, getting it all relaxed and ready for sleep.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Have you ever felt like your body is wound up tight, like a coiled spring under tension? If so, progressive muscle relaxation is one of the relaxation techniques for sleep that can help. It’s like giving your muscles a gentle stretch from within.
First, you tighten one group of muscles, like your fists or shoulders, then slowly relax them, letting the tension release. Do this one at a time for different muscle groups throughout your body, such as your arms, legs, and back, until you feel completely relaxed.

It’s similar to taking that coiled spring and slowly unwinding it. You’ll feel more at ease with each release.

Natural Sleep Aids: The Digital Detox: There are a lot of modern conveniences that make life easier. You’re probably using one right now as you read this article. Screens. Smartphones, tablets, televisions etc. They’re an endless source of info and entertainment.

But they can also interfere with your sleep. The blue light they emit tells your brain that it’s still daytime, making it harder to fall asleep. Try giving yourself a break from screens at least an hour before bed. Instead of staring at your phone or watching TV, consider reading a book, listening to calming music, or doing some gentle stretches.

This gives your brain a chance to relax and stop processing inputs from electronic distractions. And if the thought of a few minutes away from your smartphone is non-starter, you can at least change your screen temperature to a warmer tone in the evening.

This reduces the blue light exposure so your brain can quiet down. Many devices have a “night mode” or “blue light filter” option that automatically adjusts the screen temperature for you.

Good sleep is crucial for overall well-being, and it starts with healthy habits. We’ll discuss natural sleep aids for improving sleep, like going to bed at the same time every night, making your bedroom peaceful, and doing relaxing things before bed. These tips can help you sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed.

Sleep Hygiene Tips: Create a Sleep Sanctuary

Setting the Scene: Make your bedroom cozy for sleep. Keep it cool, dark, and quiet. You can use blackout curtains, white noise machines, or wear an eye mask to make your bedroom a peaceful place to sleep.

With few exceptions, beds should be used exclusively for sleeping. Avoid piling work, chores, or clutter on or around your sleep space. Clutter can create a sense of mental overwhelm. Watching TV or doing work in bed will train your brain to associate your bed with these activities rather than sleep. This makes it harder to switch gears when it’s time to relax and turn off the lights.
If you’ve ever crawled into bed feeling wired, even after a long day, Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from the electronics in your bedroom could be the culprit. These invisible waves, emitted by everything from cell phones to alarm clocks, can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone crucial for regulating sleep-wake cycles.

Melatonin production happens naturally in the pineal gland, and when EMFs interfere, it can throw your internal clock out of whack, making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
While the research on EMFs and sleep is ongoing, creating an EMF-conscious sleep environment makes sense for overall well-being. If you suspect EMF sensitivity is significantly impacting your sleep, talk to your doctor to help you determine the best course of action.
Darkness will help. Even small amounts of light can disrupt your body’s production of the neuro-transmitters needed for sleep. Reduce the light in your room by black-out curtains and avoid sudden exposures to bright light if getting up at night, as these can stop your body’s production of melatonin for sleep.
Change the noise. Gentle music, white noise or relaxation CDs can help you relax and unwind. Sounds of the ocean can be particularly soothing for sleep. Creating a truly sleep-conducive soundscape goes beyond simply adding calming sounds. Consider minimizing external noise by using blackout curtains, earplugs, and weather stripping around windows and doors. This multi-pronged approach will create a haven of peace and tranquility, lulling you into a restful sleep.
Add a little fragrance. The essential oil of lavender soothes and relaxes. Sprinkle a few drops around your bedroom before going to bed.

Unlocking Deeper Sleep: The Power of a Bedtime Routine

Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule is one of those natural sleep aids that sounds like a childhood rule, but it’s incredibly beneficial for adults too. Our bodies thrive on routine and sticking to regular pre-sleep activities and focusing on how to create a sleep schedule sets the stage for improving sleep quality naturally.

Go to bed at the same time each night. And get up at the same time each morning, too, even on weekends. Your body clock will synchronize with these times making it easier to go to sleep as well as wake up in the morning.
Go to bed early. It is often said that every of hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after it, and there is truth in that saying. Our bodies do most of their detoxing before the early hours of the morning, something that is hindered if we go to bed too late.
Pack up your work at least an hour or more before going to bed. Write the following day’s ‘to do’ list before finishing work to stop your mind compiling lists as you try to go to sleep.
If you find that your mind still jumps from thought to thought to thought, try keeping a notebook by your bed to capture those intrusive thoughts. This will let your mind relax so you will more easily go to sleep.
Start a relaxing routine. This could consist of a warm bath, massage, aromatherapy or listening to a calming CD – anything that relaxes you. Repeat this routine each night and your body will soon associate it with going to sleep.
Read something relaxing. Slightly boring material is best as stimulating material such as mysteries or suspense novels will engage your mind and wake you up further.
Use the homeopathic effect of coffee. In homeopathy’s ‘like treats like’ approach, for some people, coffee (coffea cruda) will paradoxically help calm their busy minds and bodies if drunk before going to bed. This approach only works if your symptoms of insomnia are very similar to those of having had too much coffee. Coffee can also be taken in homeopathic potencies as you will read below.

Natural Sleep Aids: Harness Herbal Magic

Long before there were medicines like we have now, people used plants to help them sleep better. Some of these plants are still used today. Even though they are a gentle and natural way to improve sleep without using strong medicines, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor (preferably a naturopath, herbalist, etc) before you start using any herbs. If you already take medicine or if you’re pregnant, you can get advice that fits your health needs and lowers the chance of problems. With that caution in mind, here are a few tips for some popular herbs.:

Chamomile Tea for Sleep

Herbal Tea: Make chamomile tea by putting a chamomile tea bag or dried flowers in hot water for 5 minutes. You can add honey or lemon for taste.
Pillow Sachets: Put dried chamomile flowers in a small bag and place it inside your pillowcase for a calming scent that helps you relax.

Lavender for Sleep

Aromatherapy: Use lavender essential oil in a diffuser to make your bedroom smell nice before bedtime. You can also mix it with another oil and put it on your wrists and temples for a calming effect.
Linen Spray: Mix lavender oil with water in a spray bottle and spray it lightly on your pillows, sheets, and blankets before sleep.

Valerian Root for Sleep

Tinctures: Valerian root tinctures are strong extracts you can take with water or juice before bedtime. Follow the instructions on the bottle.
Capsules: If you prefer, you can take valerian root in capsule form with water about 30 minutes to an hour before sleep.

Using these remedies regularly can help you relax and sleep better. Try different ways to see what works best for you, and talk to a doctor if you have any concerns before trying them.

Natural Sleep Aids: Overcoming Insomnia with Homeopathy

Homeopathy has a marvelous history of treating insomnia. If you’re looking for natural remedies for insomnia, there are a variety of natural sleep supplements that may bring relief.

Just take one dose, an hour or two before going to bed and let the remedy do its work. Once you are sleeping well, don’t continue to take it each night as each remedy will cause insomnia if taken in excess. You only need another dose should the insomnia return.

Arsenicum Album (Ars)

Key Symptoms: Those who need Arsenicum will be anxious and restless. Anxiety, fear, or worry prevents sleep. Frequent starting or jumping which wakens from sleep. Sleeplessness from physical exertion. Worse for: after midnight. Better for: warmth; warm drinks.
Supporting Symptoms: Disturbed, anxious and restless sleep. Lying awake with restlessness, tossing and turning. Cannot lie still in bed – has to get up and wander around from restlessness. Going from bed to bed to try and sleep. Can only sleep with head raised. Hard to fall asleep after waking.

Coffea Cruda (Coff)

Key Symptoms: Coffee is well known for producing sleeplessness but because of homeopathy’s ‘like treats like’ effect, it will relieve insomnia when given in homeopathic form. The type of symptoms it relieves are those produced by coffee. They are: sleeplessness from rapid thoughts or an active mind; constant flow of ideas; physical restlessness; nervous energy; excitement. Can also be used to counteract the effects of a caffeinated product that has been taken too close to bed-time. Worse for: surprises; strong emotions; narcotics.
Supporting Symptoms: Unable to sleep from the excitement of a surprise, or good or bad news. Palpitation with sleeplessness. Waking with every sound. Waking from frequent starting. Sleeplessness from an itching anus. Minor pains seem intolerable.

Gelsemium Sempervirens (Gels)

Key Symptoms: Sleeplessness from anticipatory anxiety. Dull, drowsy mind – hard to think yet difficult to go to sleep. Insomnia from exhaustion. Hard to get fully asleep. Worse for: bad news; thinking about problems.
Supporting Symptoms: Yawning with tiredness. Sleeplessness with teething. Sleeplessness from itching on head, face, neck, and shoulders.

Ignatia Amara (Ign)

Key Symptoms: Intense, repeated yawning or frequent sighing. Sleeplessness from a recent disappointment or grief.
Supporting Symptoms: Waking easily from sleep. Waking from the jerking of a limb. Itching of arms with yawning. Yawning produces tears in the eyes or threatens to dislocate jaw. Child wakes from sleep with screaming and trembling after being reprimanded before bedtime. Worse for: Coffee.

Lycopodium clavatum (Lyc)

Key Symptoms: Waking from hunger – must get up and eat. Restless sleep and anxious dreams with frequent waking. Feeling unrefreshed in morning.
Supporting Symptoms: Unable to get comfortable in any position. Falling asleep late and waking early. Sleepy all day and sleepless at night from an active mind. Children who sleep all day and cry all night. Child wakes terrified with screaming – seems not to recognize anyone (sleep terrors).

Nux Vomica (Nux-v)

Key Symptoms: Frequent yawning. Irritability from loss of sleep. Falling asleep before normal bedtime and then waking at 3–4am. Waking at 3-4am with alert and active mind and then falling asleep as daylight approaches only to then wake with difficulty, feeling tired, weak, and not wanting to get up. Worse for: stimulants and narcotics
Supporting Symptoms: Sleeplessness from the excessive consumption of coffee, alcohol, or drugs (therapeutic or recreational). Tendency to lie on back with arms under head. Sleeplessness from mental strain and stress or excessive study. Drowsy after meals as in early evening. Grogginess on waking in morning. Weeping and talking in sleep.

Passiflora Incarnata (Pass)

Key Symptoms: Restlessness, exhaustion, and sleeplessness.
Supporting Symptoms: Restless sleeplessness from excessive work. Sleeplessness with exhaustion. Insomnia of infants and the aged. Convulsions with sleeplessness.
Other Comments: Has a long history of use in herbal medicine where its homeopathic effect in the treatment of insomnia has also been exploited. It is effective in either herbal doses or homeopathic potencies.

Phosphorus (Phos)

Key Symptoms: Short naps with frequent waking. Frequent waking from feeling too hot. Sleeplessness from excitement or anxiety.
Supporting Symptoms: Sleeplessness in old people. Sleepless before midnight. Sleepy all day, sleepless and restless at night. Sleeplessness with the sensation of bubbling in blood. Worse for: lying on left side.

Sulphur (Sulph)

Key Symptoms: Waking between 2:00 – 5:00 AM and unable to go back to sleep. Difficulty in falling asleep from itchiness of skin or perspiration. Drowsy by day and sleepless at night. Worse for: becoming hot; atmospheric changes.
Supporting Symptoms: Wakes up singing from happy dreams. Waking at night from a rush of blood to the head. Sudden waking from sleep. Constant flow of thoughts that prevent sleep. Sleep disturbed by headache. Better for: dry, warm weather.

Keep in mind that symptoms usually do not exist in isolation. If insomnia is just one of your problems, or if it is not fully relieved by the remedy that seems to match your sleeplessness, make an appointment to see a professional homeopath/naturopath who will take a detailed case-history to find a constitutional remedy to treat not only your insomnia, but the other health problems that bother you as well.

Embrace Your Inner Night Owl (The Peaceful Kind)

In this guide we’ve explored some of the best natural sleep remedies from herbs to mindfulness to sleep habits. Try out these natural remedies and see which combo helps you drift off to dreamland.

Remember, even with natural sleep aids, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to getting good sleep in the city. It’s all about finding what works best for you. If you’d like help exploring natural sleep aids, feel free to contact Michelle Johnson at Synergetics Health and Wellness. Here’s to finding your own path to sweet dreams!