The best natural sleep aids to help you cure insomnia permanently

From rollingout.com

By Jeric Macaraan

Melatonin, magnesium and herbal teas all promise rest, but doctors recommend a different fix first 

Few things feel as frustrating as lying awake at 2 a.m. while the rest of the house sleeps. You try counting breaths, scrolling your phone and flipping your pillow. Nothing works.

You are far from alone. About 1 in 3 adults experience symptoms of insomnia, and roughly 10% struggle with it long enough for it to be considered a chronic disorder.

That frustration has fuelled a booming market for natural sleep aids, from gummies to bedtime teas. Some have real evidence behind them. Others work better in advertising than in the bedroom. Here is what to know before you buy.

What causes insomnia in the first place?

Insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early, even when you have the chance to rest. The triggers tend to fall into a few familiar groups.

• Stress, anxiety and racing thoughts at bedtime
• Irregular schedules, shift work and jet lag
• Caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals late in the day
• Screens and bright light that delay your body’s release of melatonin
• Medical issues like chronic pain, acid reflux, sleep apnoea or menopause
• 
  

Understanding your trigger matters, because the right fix for insomnia depends on what is keeping you awake.

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / Prostock-studio

Which natural sleep aids actually help?

These are the options people reach for most, along with what the research shows.

• Melatonin may help reset your body clock, which makes it most useful for jet lag and delayed sleep schedules, but it is not a sedative, so it may do little for insomnia driven by stress
• Magnesium, a mineral involved in muscle relaxation and nerve function, has shown modest benefits in small studies, particularly in older adults
• Tart cherry juice contains natural melatonin, and small trials suggest it may slightly extend total sleep time
• Chamomile tea is a gentle bedtime ritual that may promote relaxation, though evidence that it relieves insomnia is limited
• Valerian root has been used for centuries, but research results remain mixed
• Lavender aromatherapy may help some people feel calmer before bed
• 
  

The honest answer is that most of these offer modest help at best. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine does not recommend melatonin, valerian or other supplements as treatment for chronic insomnia, citing weak evidence.

Are melatonin gummies safe?

For most healthy adults, short-term melatonin use is considered low risk. Side effects can include grogginess, headaches and vivid dreams.

The bigger issue is quality. Supplements are not approved by the FDA the way medications are, and a 2023 study in JAMA found that melatonin gummies contained anywhere from 74% to 347% of the amount listed on the label.

Look for products with a third-party seal like USP Verified. Talk with your doctor before giving melatonin to children or combining it with other medications.

Is there a way to beat insomnia for good?

Here is the part many supplement ads leave out. The first-line treatment for chronic insomnia recommended by the American College of Physicians is not a pill. It is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, known as CBT-I.

CBT-I retrains the thoughts and behaviours that keep you awake, and studies show its benefits can last long after treatment ends, something sleeping pills cannot promise. It is available through sleep specialists, therapists and digital programs. Treatment typically runs about six to eight sessions, and many people start sleeping better within a few weeks.

Core strategies from CBT-I include the following steps.

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekends included
• Use your bed only for sleep and intimacy
• Get up if you cannot fall asleep within about 20 minutes, and return when you feel drowsy
• Limit daytime naps and cut off caffeine by early afternoon
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet
• 
  

When should you see a doctor about insomnia?

If insomnia hits at least three nights a week for three months, or if daytime fatigue affects your work, mood or driving, it is time to get checked. Loud snoring, gasping at night or restless legs can point to a separate sleep disorder that needs its own treatment.

Natural aids can be a helpful part of your routine, but they work best alongside healthy sleep routines, not in place of them.

Insomnia rarely has a one-size-fits-all fix. A consistent schedule, a calmer evening and the right support can do what no gummy can, giving you nights that finally feel restful again.

https://rollingout.com/2026/09/24/natural-sleep-aids-insomnia/

What Happens to Your Body When You Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day

From verywellhealth.com

Key Takeaways

• Waking up at the same time every day supports the body’s natural 24-hour cycle, which improves sleep quality.
• Timing and consistency in the sleep schedule support metabolism, the immune system, heart health, and mental health.

Quality sleep involves more than the number of hours you sleep at night. Consistent sleep and wake-up times are key to getting good sleep and its associated health benefits.

How Timing and Consistency Affect Sleep Quality

Circadian rhythms are the patterns the body follows in a 24-hour cycle. It’s the body’s internal clock that regulates your sleep-wake pattern and affects overall health.

Melatonin is a hormone important to the sleep-wake cycle. Its production is controlled by nerve cells in the brain in response to variations in light and dark. As daylight fades and the evening gets darker, the brain increases melatonin production, which helps you feel sleepy. Morning light suppresses melatonin and helps you feel more alert.

Though circadian rhythms occur naturally, many outside factors can affect them. One of those is an inconsistent wake time. Getting up at the same time every day supports regular light exposure and helps synchronize your circadian rhythms. So much so that consistent wake time is a key part of insomnia treatment. Research shows that shift work interferes with circadian rhythms, contributing to poor sleep.

How Timing and Sleep Quality Affect Health             

Waking at a consistent time each day is good for sleep quality and health.     andreswd / Getty Images

Benefits of quality sleep include:

• Getting sick less often
• Lower stress, improved mood
• Improved metabolism, healthier weight
• Lower risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke
• Improved attention and memory, lower risk of accidental injury and death

Conversely, poor sleep and shifting circadian rhythms can lead to:

• Daytime drowsiness
• Poor coordination
• Problems with learning and focus
• Worsening of existing health issues
• Increased risk of mood disorders, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer

Studies involving shift workers show that irregular sleep disrupts circadian rhythms, contributes to poor sleep, and harms overall health. In addition to the sleep-wake cycle, circadian rhythms affect physiological processes such as memory consolidation, metabolic regulation, and the maintenance of hormonal balance.

The brain continues to work while you sleep, coordinating memories, getting you ready to learn and create, and removing toxins. At the same time, body systems like the immune system use sleep to repair. Lack of quality sleep disturbs these processes.

An older study involving young adult women suggests that a consistent bedtime and, even more so, a consistent wake time are related to lower body fat. In addition, women with more than 90 minutes of variation in sleep and wake times had higher body fat than those with less than 60 minutes of variation.

How to Build a Steady Wake-up Routine

It’s important to note and manage factors aside from wake time that can throw your circadian rhythms out of sync, though some may be out of your control. These include:

• Exposure to light from electronic devices
• Travel and jet lag
• Shift work
• Changes in melatonin and cortisol levels
• Neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease

While the amount of sleep you need changes with age, consistency is still key. Sleeping in on the weekend doesn’t undo the health effects of poor sleep during the week. Here’s how to get started on creating a sleep routine:

• Set an alarm for the same time every day of the week.
• Avoid the snooze button. Put your alarm clock across the room if it helps.
• Let the morning light help you wake up and shake off that groggy feeling. Open the curtains or turn on the lights as soon as you’re up.
• Build in some time to relax and wind down before bed. Avoid exercise and electronic devices for at least an hour before bedtime.
• Keep electronics that emit light out of the bedroom.
• Go to bed around the same time every night.

Other sleep hygiene tips that may help sleep quality include:

• Get some exercise every day, though not right before bedtime.
• Try for at least 30 minutes of natural sunlight every day.
• Avoid afternoon naps.
• Steer clear of stimulants like nicotine and caffeine that interfere with sleep. It can take 6 to 8 hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off.
• Avoid heavy meals and alcohol in the hours before bedtime.
• Set up your bedroom so it’s cool and dark when it’s time for bed.

Underlying health conditions can interfere with sleep. If you consistently feel groggy or tired during the day, consider visiting a healthcare provider to learn more.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/waking-up-at-the-same-time-every-day-11986564 

Can’t sleep? Try get­ting out of bed

From TIME International

By Angela Haupt

It’s 2 a.m., and you’ve been awake for an hour—star­ing at the same patch of ceil­ing, count­ing the same sheep, and doing increas­ingly alarm­ing math about how wrecked you’re going to feel tomor­row. Your instinct is to stay right where you are and try harder. Surely sleep will come even­tu­ally. And even if it doesn’t, at least you’re rest­ing, right? Not exactly. The bet­ter move, sleep spe­cial­ists say, is the one that feels most coun­ter­in­tu­it­ive: get up, leave the room, and do something else. The tech­nique is called stim­u­lus con­trol, and it isn’t new—psy­cho­lo­gist Richard Bootzin intro­duced it in 1972, and it remains a corner­stone of cog­nit­ive beha­vi­oural ther­apy for insom­nia.

Why lying in bed when you can’t sleep makes it worse

The prob­lem begins when you treat sleep like a task. “Effort is the enemy of sleep,” says Shelby Har­ris, a beha­vi­oural sleep medi­cine spe­cial­ist in New York. The harder you work at it, the more frus­trated and alert you become.

How long should you stay in bed before get­ting up?

People are often told to get out of bed after about 20 minutes awake. But tim­ing your­self requires look­ing at a clock—which can make you even more stressed about not sleep­ing.

Instead, notice your mood. If you’re calm, give your­self a few minutes to see what hap­pens. But if your mind is racing, you’re becom­ing annoyed, or you catch your­self try­ing to force sleep, get up. Do something else until you feel sleepy again.

Why get­ting out of bed helps

Michael Per­lis, dir­ector of the beha­vi­oural sleep medi­cine pro­gram at the Uni­versity of Pennsylvania’s Perel­man School of Medi­cine, sums up his advice in a slo­gan: “Give up. Get up. Get out.”

Get­ting up allows sleep pres­sure, the bio­lo­gical drive that makes you sleepy, to build. Even if it doesn’t res­cue that night, Per­lis says, it can improve your odds of sleep­ing bet­ter the next one.

It also pre­serves the pos­it­ive asso­ci­ation between your bed and sleep—and helps “give sleep a chance” later.

What to do when you can’t sleep

The goal isn’t to tire your­self out, Har­ris says. Choose something enjoy­able to pass the time until sleep­i­ness returns.

Har­ris col­lects old cook­books and flips through them, ear­mark­ing fam­ily recipes. She has seen patients take up art projects and knit what she affec­tion­ately calls “insom­nia scarves.” Whatever you choose shouldn’t feel like a pun­ish­ment—or par­tic­u­larly pro­duct­ive. “Don’t do your work. Don’t do taxes. Don’t do bills,” Har­ris says. “The more you wake up and do work, the more you’re teach­ing your body to have those awaken­ings.”

A few other rules help

Avoid screens when pos­sible. Phones and laptops can pull you into mes­sages and work— and make it dif­fi­cult to put the device down.

If a screen is your only real­istic altern­at­ive to lying in bed with a racing mind, watch something you enjoy, but treat it as a backup plan.

Turn on a lamp. You don’t need to sit in the dark. Use enough light to do your chosen activ­ity com­fort­ably.

Don’t fall asleep on the couch. When sleep­i­ness hits, return to your bed­room so you don’t train your­self to sleep else­where.

Pre­pare dur­ing the day. Decide in advance where you’ll go and what you’ll do, and leave a book, magazine, or art sup­plies ready.

Prac­tice makes per­fect

Once you feel sleepy again, return to bed. “See what hap­pens,” Har­ris says. If your mind starts racing or you become frus­trated again, “get back out, rinse, and repeat.”

If you’ve been prac­ti­cing stim­u­lus con­trol for two or three weeks, while main­tain­ing a con­sist­ent bed­time and wake time, and your sleep hasn’t improved, Har­ris recom­mends see­ing a sleep spe­cial­ist. They can screen for con­di­tions like sleep apnoea and determ­ine whether you might bene­fit from a fuller course of cog­nit­ive beha­vi­oural ther­apy for insom­nia.

And the next time you’re lying awake at 2 a.m., remem­ber: “Change the nar­rat­ive,” Har­ris says. “Try­ing to force it is only going to make it worse.”

https://www.pressreader.com/foryou?popupArticleId=281809995796525 

How Long Should You Nap for More Energy? Sleep Experts Weigh In

From eatingwell.com

Keep it short and sweet 

KEY POINTS

• Short naps of 10 to 30 minutes may boost energy without causing grogginess.
• Frequent daytime naps may signal poor sleep or an underlying health issue.
• Morning light, exercise, balanced meals and hydration can support daytime energy.

Some days, 2 p.m. rolls around, and you’re struggling to keep your eyes open. We’ve all been there. If you have the opportunity to close your eyes and drift off for a little while midday, sleep experts say a nap can help restore your energy and alertness for the rest of the day.

But an afternoon nap doesn’t make up for lost night-time sleep. “A good nap isn’t supposed to replace night-time sleep; it’s a strategic recharge,” says Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., DABSM. “Think of it as plugging your phone in for 20 minutes, not trying to recharge the entire battery.”

In other words, you don’t want your nap to accidentally turn into several hours of sleep. Napping too long can leave you feeling groggy when you wake up and may interfere with sleep later that night. Ahead, three sleep experts share how long to nap for more energy, along with other strategies to help you feel more energized throughout the day.

How Long Should You Nap?

There isn’t one perfect nap length for everyone. In fact, each expert we spoke with recommends a slightly different range.

“The sweet spot for most people is about 20 to 30 minutes, ideally during the natural afternoon dip between roughly 1 and 3 p.m.,” Breus says. “Longer naps can provide additional recovery, but they also increase the chance of waking up groggy.”

Breus is an especially big fan of a power nap: “Keep it short, about 20 to 25 minutes.”

Shelby Harris, Psy.D., DBSM, recommends an even shorter window. “A nap of about 10 to 20 minutes is usually ideal,” she says. “This length allows you to feel refreshed without entering deep sleep, so you wake up easily and avoid grogginess.”

Madhat Arnouk, M.D., recommends a somewhat longer window of 30 to 60 minutes. However, he cautions against letting naps stretch too long, especially naps that occur in the late afternoon or early evening. Doing so can push bedtime later, shorten night-time sleep or disrupt your normal circadian rhythm.

Once you go beyond 30 minutes, you may be more likely to wake during a deeper stage of sleep, which can lead to sleep inertia, or the groggy, disoriented feeling you may experience after waking. Breus notes that this can sometimes take up to an hour to wear off.

Research supports these nap lengths, showing that naps ranging from 10 to 60 minutes may help improve mood and alleviate sleepiness. Ultimately, the ideal length may vary from person to person. But if your goal is a quick energy boost without post-nap grogginess, keeping your nap on the shorter side may be your best bet.

Things to Keep in Mind Before Napping

Credit:

Getty Images. EatingWell design

Our sleep experts are all proponents of a good nap, but they recommend checking in with yourself to identify why you need one and how frequently you’re napping. The answers to these questions may offer clues about your night-time sleep or overall health. 

“Occasional naps are normal, but if you find yourself relying on naps just to get through the day, it’s worth taking a look at your sleep hygiene and overall routine,” Harris says. Here are a few expert-recommended considerations.

If You Need a Nap Every Day, Look at Your Night-time Sleep

There’s a difference between choosing to nap because you enjoy it and may benefit from a little boost and needing one just to make it through the day.

“Napping can be a very effective way to reduce fatigue and restore alertness when it’s done correctly and under the right circumstances,” Breus says. “But needing a nap every day can sometimes be a clue that something else is going on.”

He recommends asking yourself an important question: Am I napping because I want to, or because I have to?

If you consistently wake up feeling unrested despite getting adequate sleep, your sleep environment or nighttime habits may be worth a closer look, Arnouk says. For instance, maybe your bedroom is too warm, you’re watching TV late or falling asleep with it on, a pet wakes you in the middle of the night or you’re drinking alcohol too close to bedtime. All of these factors can interfere with the quality or duration of your sleep.

Persistent Fatigue May Point to a Medical Condition

If you’re feeling exhausted despite consistently getting enough sleep, consider talking with your health care provider. Persistent fatigue can have many causes beyond insufficient sleep. Depending on your symptoms and health history, your provider may recommend blood work or other testing to help figure out what’s going on.

Some potential contributors to persistent fatigue or daytime sleepiness include:

• Nutrient deficiencies (e.g., vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron)
• Endocrine and metabolic issues (e.g., hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes)
• Cardiovascular and pulmonary issues (e.g., heart disease, COPD)
• Inflammatory conditions (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis)
• Infectious diseases (e.g., Lyme disease)
• Sleep disorders (e.g., sleep apnoea, narcolepsy)
• Mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety)

“Persistent fatigue still often needs sleep, mood and medical context alongside blood work, because blood tests alone do not explain most fatigue presentations,” Breus says. In other words, blood work may provide useful clues, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. 

“Do not ignore fatigue and chronic sleepiness,” Arnouk says, noting that several treatable medical conditions can contribute to these symptoms.

Other Tips for More Energy

A nap isn’t the only way to address an afternoon slump. These expert-recommended habits can help support steadier energy throughout the day:

• Get Morning Light. Natural light in the morning helps regulate your circadian rhythm, supporting daytime alertness and better sleep at night, Harris says.
• Move Your Body. Regular exercise can improve energy and sleep quality over time. Even a quick walk or movement break may help when you’re feeling sluggish.
• Eat Balanced Meals and Stay Hydrated. Skipping meals, blood sugar swings and dehydration can all contribute to fatigue or dips in energy.
• Be Strategic with Your Caffeine Consumption. Caffeine can boost alertness, but Breus recommends using it earlier in the day rather than relying on it as an all-day substitute for sleep.
• Reduce Alcohol Intake, Especially Close to Bedtime. “Alcohol can help you fall asleep initially but tends to fragment sleep later in the night, leading to less-restorative rest,” Harris says.

Our Expert Take

Sleep experts and research suggest that naps ranging from 10 to 60 minutes may help boost energy, though a shorter power nap may be less likely to leave you feeling groggy. Napping every day isn’t necessarily a problem, but needing a nap just to get through the day could signal that you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night. Persistent fatigue may also point to a nutrient deficiency, sleep disorder or other underlying health condition. Asking yourself why you’re napping can be a helpful first step in determining whether your nap habits may warrant a closer look by a health care professional.

https://www.eatingwell.com/how-long-should-you-nap-for-more-energy-sleep-experts-weigh-in-12114400

From counting sheep to forty winks: three tips to get your kids back on a healthy sleep schedule

From news.ubc.ca

UBC paediatric neurologist Dr. James Lee explains why your kids need a good night’s sleep — and how to help them get it 

The start of the school year brings a new pencil case, fresh sneakers — and early mornings. If your kids are struggling to get quality sleep before the start of the school day, you’re not alone: one in four children in Canada are not getting enough sleep. That can have health effects that go beyond daytime drowsiness, says UBC paediatric neurologist Dr. James Lee.

We spoke with Dr. Lee, clinical assistant professor in the department of paediatrics at UBC and sleep medicine specialist at BC Children’s Hospital, about why healthy sleep is so important for children and how families can ease them back into the new school year feeling rested.

What are three ways to transition kids back into a school sleep routine?

Transition gradually. Focus on shifting wake-up times earlier first, rather than bedtime. Going to bed earlier doesn’t necessarily lead to waking earlier and can even cause difficulty falling asleep or insomnia. Instead, gradually wake up earlier each morning in the days before school starts and keep a consistent sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends.

Get exposure to bright light in the morning, which helps move the circadian rhythm earlier and naturally makes it easier to wake up. In the evening, avoid caffeine sources, such as chocolate and pop, and avoid screens for at least one hour before bedtime.

Screens emit high-frequency blue light that suppresses our brain’s melatonin secretion and production. Melatonin is the hormone that tells our bodies when it’s time to go to sleep, so when it’s suppressed, it makes it harder to fall asleep. Also, engaging or stimulating content on the screen can keep the mind active, making it harder to settle down.

How much sleep do children and teenagers need?

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends nine to 12 hours per day for ages 6 to 12, and eight to 10 hours for teenagers — although many teens fall short due to factors including smartphones and academic pressures. While these guidelines provide a general benchmark, it’s important to remember that every child is different. What matters most for any individual child is whether they seem well-rested and are functioning well during the day.

How do sleep patterns change as children age?

Total sleep time gradually decreases from infancy through adolescence, and naps typically disappear by the preschool years.

A key shift for school-age children and teens is in their circadian rhythm — the internal body clock that governs sleep and wake times. As children enter adolescence, they naturally want to stay up later and wake up later. As a result, teens tend to be more alert and cognitively effective later in the morning.

How does sleep affect children’s health and development?

Sleep supports learning, concentration, memory consolidation, mood and behaviour regulation and executive functioning — so it’s especially critical for children who are constantly absorbing new information. It also plays a role in healthy physical growth and blood sugar regulation. Lack of sleep or fragmented sleep also has long-term health impacts, such as an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and dementia later in life. Sleep deprivation can also lead to an increased risk of accidents and injury.

What should parents do if their child has trouble sleeping?

Insomnia can stem from poor sleep hygiene, anxiety, restlessness or a medical issue. Start by identifying possible causes, such as screen use, caffeine, medications, anxiety or other medical issues that are causing discomfort or pain.

One condition that is often overlooked – but is fairly common – is restless legs syndrome, which causes an uncontrollable urge to move when trying to lie still. Obstructive sleep apnoea, which causes difficulty breathing at night, is another common, but underrecognized, condition. Listen for snoring, pauses in breathing or gasping.

If your child is having sleep difficulties, keeping a sleep diary over several weeks can help you and your doctor identify the cause.

When should parents seek medical advice?

See a doctor if your child sleeps too little or too much without a clear reason, or shows symptoms like snoring or restlessness. Excessive daytime sleepiness is uncommon in younger children and may signal an underlying issue. Daytime problems with concentration, attention, dysregulation or excessive irritability — combined with night-time sleep concerns — are also good reasons to seek medical attention.

https://news.ubc.ca/2026/09/three-tips-to-get-your-kids-back-on-a-healthy-sleep-schedule/