Many would agree that a good night’s sleep is the cornerstone for a vibrant day ahead. But what happens when one bad night’s sleep, leads to many more consecutive nights tossing and turning? One of the biggest challenges to come out of our new age lifestyles, full of iPhones, Netflix and all-you-can-eat wifi, is the ability to simply switch off at night. And yes, this goes for both your devices, and your own mind! You may not realize just how much information you’re taking in from scrolling through your NewsFeed before sleep, but it can often send the mind into overdrive. Couple this with the ever increasing need to unwind from the stress of a busy workday, and we begin to see more scribbled prescriptions for sleeping pills.

Happiness, that feeling of wellbeing, physical strength and mental clarity are just a few factors that are intertwined with a solid night’s sleep.  As with many Western medical approaches, pharmaceuticals are not the best long-term approach to an ever growing problem. Of course sleeping pills are highly effective but also carry various side effects. This includes their ability to closely mimic the feeling of a heavy hangover the following day. 

They’re also known to be highly addictive. If you’ve ever used sleeping pills before, you might recall the struggle of stopping your drifting mind from thinking about that little box of pills resting on your bedside table, as you struggle to fall asleep without their aid.

Something that’s almost as addictive as sleeping pills, is the addiction for quick fixes. This goes for many aspects of your life. But let’s not forget about gentle, holistic approaches that serve as tools for nurturing your body and mind from the inside out!

Natural approaches to sleep disturbances

Moving into the future, it’s uplifting to see that more and more people are becoming interested in natural healthcare. However, you may have also stumbled upon a common set of challenges when finding natural solutions to better quality sleep.

Cups of chamomile tea or valerian root are great relaxants, but are often not powerful enough on their own to induce sleep. This makes it easy to write them off as all hype and become frustrated in the search for natural solutions.  Rather, a more effective approach is actually found when searching for blends that combine multiple natural relaxers in one. You might be surprised at just how potent they are! Some of the best blends contain:

• Melatonin: A naturally occurring hormone within your body, it’s possible to also obtain melatonin as a supplement. It’s been well respected as an effective sleep aid and also helps to close the gap on those frustrating night time wakes, as it makes it easier to drift back to sleep.

• Valerian and hops: Valerian is a very popular plant used to manage sleep disorders. It’s often combined with hops to increase drowsiness. Valerian also enhances readiness to actually fall asleep. This double combo has been shown to be safe and effective for those suffering from insomnia.

• Goji berries: Not exactly what you might expect to find in sleep blends! However. as you might have experienced before, it’s not solely about getting to sleep, but also about maintaining feelings of wellness throughout the day. Science is showing that daily consumption of goji berries increases overall wellbeing and even improves neurological performance.

• Ashwagandha: An ancient Ayurvedic herb known to greatly reduce stress and anxiety. It carries multiple potent properties including the ability to improve your nervous system, brain function and memory and even protection from disease. Ashwagandha effectively builds your resilience to stress and is a highly prized herb. 

As you can see, the best natural sleep supplements not only focus on extracts that support sleep itself, but also place a strong emphasis on improving overall mood in your waking hours. In focusing on this holistic approach, you’ll find that with a relaxed mind you’ll be able to fall asleep much faster. Choosing natural brands will guarantee the selection of the highest quality ingredients, and also the highest potency and effectiveness of their ingredients. So before you give in to a prescription for sleeping pills, don’t quite give up on nature just yet!

Try DREAM Natural Sleep Aid

At Ajna Wellbeing we understand the importance of a good night’s sleep. We know it can be frustrating at best and detrimental to your health and wellbeing at worst, if you are not getting the amount or quality of sleep you require.  Our natural vegan sleep aid DREAM will help you get to sleep, stay asleep and have you waking refreshed and ready for the day!