Insomnia plagues millions of people. It is a miserable experience to be tossing and turning, listening to your mind chattering, getting up and down and finding nothing that will help you sleep. More serious are the side effects of long-term sleep deprivation, which adversely impacts the metabolic cycles of the body as well as interfering with cognition. Over time, chronic insomnia raises your risk of serious illness. Yet the harsh reality is that half of all Americans have dealt with episodes of insomnia.
Pain medications, antihistamines, heart and blood pressure medications often cause insomnia. Some medications make you drowsy initially, but then raise your anxiety levels, or send you on frequent bathroom trips. Of course, insomnia can also be caused by poor habits, such as sleeping with electronics close by, and checking your phone during the night.
Pharmaceutical sleep aids provide a short-term assist, but they are not recommended for long-term use. They come with a risk of addiction, and many depress the central nervous system. They can cause constipation, dizziness, difficulty with focus and memory, stomach pain, muscle weakness, and uncontrollable shaking. They can even cause some people to experience parasomnias, doing things without realizing or remembering. If you have a breathing disorder, taking these medications can be dangerous, or even fatal.
Natural health experts recommend a holistic solution, banana tea. This is an organic remedy that works well, and is loaded with potassium and magnesium. Magnesium helps prevent sleep disturbances, and with potassium, it relaxes muscles.
To make the tea, begin with organic bananas. Fruit treated with pesticide is dangerous. The tea takes only about ten minutes to prepare, and most people enjoy the taste. Here’s how to do it:
Banana Tea Ingredients
1 organic banana
1 small pot of water
a dash of cinnamon (optional)
Cut off both ends of the banana and put it, peel and all, into boiling water. Boil it for about 10 minutes. Using a colander, pour the water into a mug. Many people enjoy the taste of an added sprinkle the cinnamon. Drink it one hour before bed time.
You’re left with the fruit itself, a warm gooey treat you can eat immediately, or refrigerate it to enjoy later.
