While water is vital for the internal functioning of your body, it’s also of great value when used on the outside! Did you know that water can actually be used for treating insomnia and to provide relief from headaches? Read on to find out!
Water therapy for insomnia
Do you have trouble getting to sleep? Does your mind continue to hum along in high gear even after you turn out the lights and close your eyes? Do you continue to toss and turn on your bed when everyone else is sleeping blissfully? Try a relaxing bath in luke-warm water. Just 15-20 minutes will equalize your circulation, drawing blood away from your brain and calm your nerves.
You might even try turning out the bathroom lights. Instead, light candles for a softer illumination along with some soft music in the background. When you are finished, pat yourself dry quickly and get into the bed. You will fall asleep in a few minutes.
Water therapy for headache
Don’t rush to pop in a pain-killer when your head starts pounding, try a hot water foot bath! It can bring fast relief for many headaches.
All it takes is a basin of water deep enough to cover your feet and ankles. Water should be slightly hotter than what you normally use for a bath. This treatment works by increasing blood flow to the feet and to the entire skin surface. This, of course, decreases blood flow to the brain and other internal organs.
The effect can be enhanced by placing a cold towel or washcloth on your head. (Don’t do this without your physicians approval if you have Buerger’s disease, diabetes or other conditions where circulation or feeling in the legs and feet is poor.)
Water therapy for insomnia
Do you have trouble getting to sleep? Does your mind continue to hum along in high gear even after you turn out the lights and close your eyes? Do you continue to toss and turn on your bed when everyone else is sleeping blissfully? Try a relaxing bath in luke-warm water. Just 15-20 minutes will equalize your circulation, drawing blood away from your brain and calm your nerves.
You might even try turning out the bathroom lights. Instead, light candles for a softer illumination along with some soft music in the background. When you are finished, pat yourself dry quickly and get into the bed. You will fall asleep in a few minutes.
Water therapy for headache
Don’t rush to pop in a pain-killer when your head starts pounding, try a hot water foot bath! It can bring fast relief for many headaches.
All it takes is a basin of water deep enough to cover your feet and ankles. Water should be slightly hotter than what you normally use for a bath. This treatment works by increasing blood flow to the feet and to the entire skin surface. This, of course, decreases blood flow to the brain and other internal organs.
The effect can be enhanced by placing a cold towel or washcloth on your head. (Don’t do this without your physicians approval if you have Buerger’s disease, diabetes or other conditions where circulation or feeling in the legs and feet is poor.)
Hey Aparna!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great article. We've included it in our Fourteenth Edition of the Total Mind and Body Fitness Carnival.
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If you really have an insomnia problem, then don't try to cure it. You can never stay awake for more than 3 days, so you will naturally have to sleep after 3 days. If you really want to cure it, try something that always worked with me. If you have a TV with a timer, then set it to close in about 3 hours, and then just lie on the couch and watch some TV. You will almost instantly fall asleep, and then, after 3 hours, the TV will automatically close.
ReplyDeleteMelatonin - a natural supplement available at virtually every drug store. it is a naturally occurring substance in the body that helps control sleep and wake cycles....if taken an hour before bed, it is very effective in helping to regulate your sleep pattern.
ReplyDeleteWarm milk and honey (I don't know why that works but it works for my BF, too)
ReplyDeleteWarm feet--try either running your feet under warm water before you go to bed or if you have some kind of heating pad put it on your feet. People say wear socks but if you don't have good circulation, socks won't help. But, yeah, warm feet make you so much more comfortable
Reading--it works better as a distraction, if your mind is constantly thinking and not at rest, reading is good at drawing you out of that mind set so you can rest easier.
Meditation-- thinking about putting all your worries in a chest and locking it. Then think about a beautiful peaceful place. Think about warm energy swirling around your toes that goes up your body with each breath. Try to relax each body part the energy touches. I know this seems coo coo but if you can do it well, it helps. Try the other things first though.
Great article. I think a person should try the natural means first.
ReplyDeleteThis is really a nice post Thanks for such a nice work keep it continue.
ReplyDeleteDeep Breathing: This is one of those natural health remedies for insomnia that people tend to scoff at. Why? Because they don't think taking deep breaths will help to cure insomnia. Although that is partly true, and deep breathing won't likely cure your insomnia completely, it can actually help you to get to sleep faster. How does it help? It provides large amounts of oxygen to the body and it assists in relieving stress and tension throughout.
ReplyDeleteIf I am having trouble sleeping I take a nice hot bath and drink a mug of Sleepy Time Tea and that helps me a lot!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful tips
ReplyDeleteI suffer from insomnia. It has become so bad that I had to reluctantly accept a prescription from my doctor. I only take it half as often as he has prescribed and it has worked wonders for me.
ReplyDeleteActually, it sounds so old fashioned....hot cocoa does it for me. A heaping teaspoon of cocoa powder and teaspoon of sugar into hot milk.
ReplyDeleteKnow how you feel, I get insomnia all the time, can't make my brain slow down or stop stressing about things...hope something works for you, soon!
great stuff for our society that is becoming more sleep deprived.
ReplyDeleteThe water secret. Here is how you do it: While taking a show do three minutes under hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water and repeat 2 more times. Some health farms prepare two baths, one with cold and the other with hot water. On the floor in front of the cold bath is a foot bath of hot water and likewise on the floor in front of the hot bath is a foot bath of cold water. It Facilitate a rush of blood and energy to your body, Boosts your immune system, Improves blood circulation and metabolism.
ReplyDeleteSleep in a Dark Room, Completely Dark.
ReplyDeleteBefore going to Bed Drink a glass of Warm Milk.
I do a vigorous exercise program followed by about 20min in the steam room, by the time I shower at get home, I can usually fall right asleep. The only other suggestion is Tylenol PM
ReplyDeletetake your finger(or your friend's,better) find the dimple in your eyebrow. push and hold until you feel the pain loosen it's grip. now put your hand on some object and imagine the pain going down your arm and into the object.
ReplyDeletesimply allow whole body to relax - you will fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteI take benedryl whenever i cant sleep
ReplyDeleteIf you are Calcium Deficient then taking Calcium tablets will make you sleep. If you are Magnisum deficient then Magnesium tablets will make you sleep. Its one or the other so don't take both at the same time. I use Calcium tablets when I go overseas and can't sleep with the time difference. Calcium and Magnesium are natural medicines. Always check the lable and only take the recommended dosage of the lable.
ReplyDeleteOnce you get into a routine you won't need the tablets anymore.
Drink warm milk before you want to sleep Try some "white noise" (you can buy it) or turn on a fan to get some sound going in your room (this is different to music)
ReplyDeleteHave a bath with lavender oil before you want to sleep. You can buy "be sleepy tea" - it is just a herbal tea that helps calm the muscles in the body that helps you sleep!
By supplementing your body with Trytophan, 5-HTP, you can provide your body the raw materials it needs to naturally product Serotonin. The result is a more balanced life with the harsh effects of prescribed medications.
ReplyDeleteThe smell of onions makes me sleepy. Sleeping hugging a pillow helps me sleep or the cats cuddled to me. You could also try drinking a little bit of Nyquil or a few sips of wine. That works for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want to take any medication at home, simply turn off the lights in your home, crank up the air conditioner, drink lots of water, and lie down to relax. This will also help alleviate your headache, but it will take a bit longer since you are not taking any medication to speed up the process.
ReplyDeleteIf you are not at the comfort of your house during a major headache, one of the best strategies in combating headaches is by finding a place that you call your own like a favorite restaurant, park, etc. Rest there for a couple minutes and try to refrain from speaking to others. Let this be a moment for you to just relax and get some fresh air to help alleviate your headache. Then, go get a nice, cold drink and resume your daily activities. Although this might not help cure your headache, it can definitely make a big difference in feeling better
Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol and tobacco.
ReplyDeleteExercise more often, but don't exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
Learn to reduce or manage the stress in your life.
Don't lie in bed worrying about things. Set aside another time just for
Headaches all are caused by tight muscles in your neck and if you are getting them on one side of your head only it's because the muscles on that side are the ones in trouble. That doesn't matter though, you release them all to get rid of the pain. Because you have had them for a while I am adding the second part of this on for you, it's good for getting all the muscles to release. Here they are:
ReplyDeleteNeck
Invert your hands and put them next to your head placing your thumbs in under your ears and your fingers behind your head. Squeeze together and hold until the muscles release. Then slowly lower your head until your neck is fully extended, release the pressure but hold your head there for another 30 seconds.
With your neck in the bent position, replace your thumbs in under the ears and your fingers behind your neck but right next to your skull this time. Press your fingers and thumbs together again and hold. Relax your body while waiting. When the muscles have all released, slowly lift your head until it’s level again, release the pressure but hold your head like that for another 30 seconds.
Your neck muscles should be fairly pliable but I think yours might end up feeling like they are hard as a rock. All that has to be released for your headaches to stop.
As soon as I feel the symptoms, I take the medicine. I also have had to make many emergency visits to the hospital. I prefer, however, take medicine, cut on the air conditioner, vomit, deficate, disrobe, put a cold towel on my head, get under the covers...and sleep it off.
ReplyDeletell headaches have their origin in the neck muscles, how many muscles are affected and how tight they are gives you the different kinds of headaches.
ReplyDeleteInvert your hands and put them next to your head placing your thumbs in under your ears and your fingers behind your head. Squeeze together and hold until the muscles release. Then slowly lower your head until your neck is fully extended, release the pressure but hold your head there for another 30 seconds.
With your neck in the bent position, replace your thumbs in under the ears and your fingers behind your neck but right next to your skull this time. Press your fingers and thumbs together again and hold. Relax your body while waiting. When the muscles have all released, slowly lift your head until it’s level again, release the pressure but hold your head like that for another 30 seconds.
Because those muscles can be very tight they might not all release the first time so be prepared to repeat the process if needed.
I’m glad this article is out. This just encourages me not to take any kind of sleeping pills. Thankfully I have no problems in falling to sleep and hope I never do.
ReplyDeleteI have relatively the same problem but i have migraines, i have found that i need to keep myself hydrated and eat healthy nutritious food before i workout otherwise i get headaches. Sitting at school can be mentally draining, so you should constantly have a nice cool drink of water with you in class and consistently be drinking it the maintain hydration. You may also be getting headaches because of stress or lack of sleep. It is important before you go to bed to have some 'winding down' time (watch some tv, drink some ice cold water, listen to music, chill out on your bed) therefore relaxing your body and getting your mind ready for bed. You may not think these things are causing your headaches, but they actually work
ReplyDeleteYou have tight muscles in your neck, left side, that are causing this pain. Those muscles go to the top of your head for it's movements so anything tight up there can feel like a headache, it's right next to the brain. The nerves for your vision go right past those tight muscles, which press into them when tight, on their way to the vision center in the back of your head. That pressure causes the pupils to dilate or a dull pain in the back of your eyes. To get rid of these pains you have to release the muscles in your neck and here's how to do that:
ReplyDeleteNeck
Put your hands alongside your head so your thumbs are on the front of the muscle under your ear and your fingers are on the back of the muscle behind your head. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together and hold. Relax your body. After 45 seconds, slowly lower your head as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your neck lowered for another 30 seconds.
Neck
Put your hands alongside your head so your thumbs are on the front of the muscle under your ear and your fingers are on the back of the muscle behind your head. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together and hold. Relax your body. After 45 seconds, slowly lower your head as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your neck lowered for another 30 seconds.
For best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.
Most sleeping problems are probably caused by stress, depression, anxiety, nervousness and worry as well as being too keyed up.
ReplyDelete