Which Natural Sleeping Aid Should You Try?

Most people have considered a natural sleeping aid at some point or another in their lives. If you've been having trouble hitting the sheets, you're probably wondering if natural sleeping aids are right for you. We've expounded on the importance of sleep in the past, so now get the 6 Pack scoop on what to do if you're not getting enough of it!

Find the proper temperature.

If you're having a difficult time falling asleep, a simple change that can be an effective natural sleeping aid concerns the temperature of the room. During sleep, the body's internal temperature drops to its lowest levels. Therefore, a cooler room is believed to be more conductive to sleep, since it mimics this natural drop. Studies have shown some variation with regard to the best room temperature, but a good average is somewhere between 60 to 68 degrees F.

Take a bath.

Speaking of temperature, the wonder of a warm bath can't be understated, and it's for the same reason stated above. Relaxing in the tub slightly increases your body temperature, so when you step out, the swift cool down mirrors the natural drop in temperature triggered by the brain when it's in sleep preparation mode.

How do your hands and feet feel?

However, despite all this talk of cool temperatures being better for sleep, there's one instance where they are not: your hands and feet. That is to say, even if the temperature in your room is cooler, if your hands and feet are cold, you might have poor blood flow, which can help keep you up at night. Fight this with warm socks or a hot water bottle by your feet.

Avoid screens in the evening.

This natural sleeping aid deserves to be shouted from the rooftops: put the screens down! Whether TV, computer, or cell phone, the light emitted from these screens is surely disrupting your sleep. Put them down at least an hour before going to bed and feel the difference in the morning.

Keep your room as dark as possible.

Going hand-in-hand with the above natural sleeping aid, sleeping in as much darkness as possible should go a long way toward helping you get to sleep. If you absolutely need to have some sort of light in your room for nighttime navigation, get a low-wattage orange, red, or yellow bulb.

Stop drinking coffee past lunchtime.

Caffeine's half-life is five hours long, which means that five hours after the last dregs of your coffee have been drowned, you'll still be feeling the energizing effects of the caffeine. If you're wondering why you just can't turn your brain off at night, it could very well be the caffeine from that extra cup of 3pm coffee. As a natural sleeping aid, this one is too simple not to try.

Some More Quick Tips:

- Avoid loud alarms.

- If possible, get some sun first thing in the morning.

- Develop a consistent bedtime routine. - If you can't sleep, get out of bed. Do something else before trying to fall asleep again. - Stick to the same sleep schedule. - Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can help relax the body and prepare the mind for sleep.

- Try melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep. Small doses have shown to be effective as a natural sleeping aid.

- Try progressive muscle relaxation, a unique natural sleeping aid that has been employed since 1915. Tensing and then relaxing all the muscle groups of the body encourages overall physical relaxation, which can help induce sleep. - Consider switching your drink of choice to tea, as studies have shown that tea drinks get similar upticks in alertness and concentration as those who drink coffee, even though tea has less caffeine. - Some scents can help induce sleep. Multiple studies point to lavender as a particularly restful choice. Just like you use an original meal management bag to keep your diet on point, keep your workouts and overall health on point by sticking to an appropriate sleep schedule. If you need some help, a natural sleeping aid might be just what you need. When you fuel your body with reenergizing sleep in the night and revitalizing food during the day, you're sure to not only meet but exceed all your fitness goals. Tag your photos #Proud2Prep, #LeadThePack, and #TravelFit to share your fitness journey with the entire 6 Pack community!