Effective insomnia remedies from other over 60s

Insomnia is something that affects so many Australians. And, more and more over 60s are struggling with the implications of insomnia as time goes on.

A recent study published in the journal Sleep found that insomniacs have increased difficulty with day-to-day focus and concentration. The study found that due to the constant hyperactivity of the brain when one suffers from insomnia, the brain almost wears brain regions out and as a result they have a reduced ability to engage some of these regions.

Earlier this year, we called out on our Facebook page for your tried and tested remedies to stop insomnia. Something so small hinders our lifestyle so much, so here are the best remedies as suggested by you…

“Use guided meditation. I use an app called “Relax Full” (it’s free). It has background music. You can also let your mind wander, recognise it and re-focus to help yourself manage your thoughts when you are sleeping.” – Lorraine

“Playing solitaire on my phone usually works for me.” – Eunice

“Sudoku is my saviour… one or two. This is usually enough to relax my brain and focus my thoughts away from everyday worries.” – Sally

“Turn on the radio (ABC). I just softly listen and concentrate on the content. Before long, zzzzz!” – Denise

“I have a hot drink and read” – Jean

“I use an awesome free app called Sleep Pillow that plays white noise… It works every time!” – Colette

“I have just found melatonin tablets from a health shop. I haven’t slept for years but I am sleeping much better now.” – Marianne

“After not sleeping much at all for years, I found rubbing lavender oil into my feet before bed and soaking in a bath with a few drops has completely fixed the situation.”  Cathie

“Two glasses of wine does the trick!” – Sheila

“I read and drink warm milk with honey… It works for me!” – Joan

“Spray lavender under my pillow” – Lorna

“Count backwards from 100 or recite alphabet backwards…. Mind stops thinking of not being able to sleep and I usually fall asleep before completing them.” – Chris 

“A sip of sherry does the trick!” – Mandy

“Magnesium tablets” – Sigrid

“Nice slow deep breaths through my nose using the diaphragm usually works for me…” – Marie

“I get up and make a Milo… It seems to knock me out!” – Angela

“Spray Bach sleep remedy under my tongue” – Jillian

Do you have any other great remedies to add to the list? What works best for you? Share your ideas with us in the comments below…