How Poor Sleep, Depression, and Chronic Pain Feed Each Other How we see the world shapes who we choose to be — and sharing compelling experiences can frame the way we treat each other, for the better. This is a powerful perspective. We all know how just one night of bad sleep can put us in a total funk. When you struggle getting restorative rest night after night, the effects can be devastating. I’ve spent much of my life lying awake in bed until the early morning, praying for sleep. With the help of a sleep specialist, I was finally able to connect my symptoms with a diagnosis: delayed sleep phase syndrome , a disorder in which your preferred sleep time is at least two hours later than conventional bedtimes. In a perfect world, I’d fall asleep in the early morning hours and stay in bed until noon. But since this isn’t a perfect world, I have many sleep-deprived days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , adults like me who sleep less than t...
The 6 Best Bedtime Teas That Help You Sleep Good sleep is crucial to your overall health. Unfortunately, about 30% of people suffer from insomnia, or the chronic inability to fall asleep, stay asleep or achieve restorative, high-quality sleep ( 1 , 2 ). Herbal teas are popular beverage choices when it comes time to relax and unwind. For centuries, they have been used around the world as natural sleep remedies. Modern research also backs the use of herbal teas and their effectiveness as a sleep aid. This article explores 6 of the best bedtime teas for catching some z’s. 1. Chamomile For years, chamomile tea has been used as a natural remedy to reduce inflammation, decrease anxiety and treat insomnia. In fact, chamomile is commonly regarded as a mild tranquilizer or sleep inducer. Its calming effects may be attributed to an antioxidant called apigenin, which is found in abundance in chamomile tea. Apigenin binds to specific receptors in yo...