How to Sleep During the Hectic Holidays

According to a group of doctors studying sleeplessness in Americans, almost 60% of us will awaken still tired because we did not sleep through the night.  The number of Americans suffering from insomnia actually increases during the holiday period as we tend to stay up worrying about holiday expenses and hectic holiday schedules.

There are ways to help yourself fall asleep that you can use at home.

There may be something to drinking warm milk. Studies show that people who get enough calcium and magnesium sleep better and overall are less nervous. These minerals have been shown to reduce the effects of restless leg syndrome in European studies. The recommended study does was 800 mg of calcium and 400mg of magnesium at bed time.

Melatonin has been shown to help the majority of people who have problems falling asleep. Melatonin should never be mixed with prescription or over the counter sleeping pills. Melatonin works fine by itself.  It should not be used nightly or melatonin will lose its effectiveness. It is all right to use it up to three times a week.  Melatonin is a hormone and should not be used by people on hormone therapy or pregnant women.  Most people take 1 mg to 3 mg of melatonin to sleep.

There are other home remedies to sleep. - Some folks take valerian root to relax or drink decaffeinated Chamomile tea. You should avoid having a night cap to sleep at night as when the liver breaks down alcohol it can give a person caffeine type effects like an increased heart rate.