Final Up to date on February 23, 2026 by Carrie Korem, FNTP
We’ve all been there. You’re mendacity in mattress, staring on the ceiling, completely exhausted — however sleep simply gained’t come. Or perhaps you go to sleep wonderful, however you get up at 2 or 3 AM and may’t get again to sleep it doesn’t matter what you do.
Should you’re questioning what to do when you possibly can’t sleep, you’re in the precise place. Right now I’m going to skip all the information you’ve already heard (sure, I find out about limiting caffeine!) and get into the true root causes of why sleep is so arduous for thus many individuals. When you perceive why it’s occurring, the repair begins to make much more sense.
Let’s dive in.
Why Can’t I Sleep? The Two Largest Root Causes
Excessive Cortisol
Cortisol is a primary stress hormone. It needs to be highest within the morning to wake you up, after which slowly drop all through the day so you are feeling sleepy at night time. But when your physique is caught in “fight-or-flight” mode, which is quite common right this moment, cortisol can keep excessive within the night when it needs to be dropping. This retains your mind wired and alert, even when your physique is totally exhausted. Sound acquainted? That is referred to as the “wired however drained” feeling.
Listed below are some on a regular basis issues that may maintain cortisol too excessive at night time:
– Utilizing overhead lights after sundown
– Not consuming sufficient meals throughout the day
– Skipping meals or fasting too lengthy
– Being too busy and over-scheduled
– Not getting daylight within the morning
– Psychological or emotional stress
– Over-exercising
– Consuming a really low-carb food plan
– At all times being in a rush
Blood Sugar Imbalance
This one is big, and most of the people don’t join the dots. When your blood sugar drops too low in the midst of the night time, your physique sends out cortisol to deliver it again up. That spike in cortisol wakes you up and infrequently sends you straight to the lavatory.
Should you get up between 1 and 4 AM and wish to make use of the restroom, blood sugar imbalance is nearly definitely the explanation. The excellent news? That is very fixable.
What To Do When You Can’t Sleep: 12 Holistic Suggestions
1. Eat a Small Protein + Fats Snack Earlier than Mattress
Should you get a second wind at night time, otherwise you lie down and simply can’t go to sleep, attempt consuming a small protein and fats snack proper earlier than mattress. A bit of uncooked cheese, a spoonful of almond butter, or half a chomps stick all work nice. This helps deliver excessive cortisol ranges again down so your physique can loosen up and sleep.
2. Eat a Snack If You Wake Up at Evening
Should you get up in the midst of the night time and may’t fall again asleep, do the identical factor and eat a small protein/fats snack. A tough boiled egg, uncooked cheese, or a spoonful of almond butter can calm the cortisol spike that woke you up and assist you to fall again asleep sooner.
3. Stability Your Adrenals Throughout the Day
Cortisol is made by your adrenal glands. When your adrenals are overworked, your complete sleep cycle can get thrown off. Taking steps to help your adrenals throughout the day like lowering stress, consuming common meals, and avoiding fasting can have a huge impact in your sleep at night time.
4. Use Important Oils
Earlier than mattress, rub 1 drop of cedarwood and 1 drop of lavender on the bottoms of your ft. Then diffuse those self same oils in your bed room. I’ve shared this mix with 1000’s of individuals, and I can’t let you know what number of of them come again amazed at how nicely they slept. It’s easy, it’s pure, and it really works!
5. Flip Off Your Wi-Fi and Put Your Cellphone Away
Man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from Wi-Fi, telephones, and computer systems can disrupt sleep. Put your telephone in one other room or at the least change it to airplane mode. Unplug computer systems in your bed room. You possibly can even put an computerized timer in your router so it turns off whenever you go to mattress. This can be a small change that may make an enormous distinction.
6. Minimize Again on Sugar
Should you’re waking up at night time to make use of the lavatory, it’s virtually all the time a blood sugar challenge. Chopping again on sugar throughout the day, avoiding intermittent fasting and consuming 3 meals a day may also help maintain your blood sugar extra steady at night time. This may lead to fewer wake-ups and higher, deeper sleep.
7. Assist Your Liver If You Wake Up Sweating
Evening sweats are normally an indication of liver congestion. Supporting your liver with the precise meals and dietary supplements may also help scale back and even eradicate night time sweats fully.
Listed below are my prime tricks to help the liver naturally to do away with night time sweats.
8. Get Extra Magnesium
Magnesium calms the nervous system and helps your physique wind down. However stress burns by way of magnesium quick, which is why so many people are low in it! A easy method to enhance your magnesium is to take an Epsom salt tub for 20 minutes earlier than mattress. You may also take a magnesium complement if wanted. My favourite is magnesium lactate.
9. Eat Extra Vitamin A-Wealthy Meals
Vitamin A (aka retinol) performs an enormous function in setting your physique’s inner clock. When your physique will get sufficient Vitamin A, it will probably correctly reply to gentle alerts — understanding when it’s daytime and when it’s time to sleep.
Get your Vitamin A from eggs, grass-fed meats, organ meats, and cultured dairy. Cod liver oil can also be an exquisite complement for this.
10. Get Morning Daylight
That is free, easy, and extremely highly effective. Each morning, go exterior and spend 2–3 minutes getting pure daylight in your eyes (don’t look straight on the solar). This tells your mind to set your circadian rhythm and alerts that it must make melatonin about 12 hours later.
If you may also step exterior for a couple of minutes at sundown, that sends one other sleep sign to your physique. Do that daily and also you’ll discover an actual distinction.
11. Strive Pure Sleep Dietary supplements
Whilst you’re engaged on the basis causes, these dietary supplements may also help you get higher sleep within the meantime:
MinChex — take 2 earlier than mattress
Valerian Advanced — take 1 earlier than mattress
Nevaton Forte — take 1 earlier than mattress
12. Consider Your Bed room
Generally the repair is easier than you suppose. Ask your self:
– Is my mattress supportive? If not, it could be time for a new non-toxic mattress.
– Is my room darkish sufficient? Strive blackout shades or unplug electronics that glow.
– Is the temperature proper? A small fan or scorching water bottle may also help rather a lot.
A superb sleep setting units the stage for every part else to work.
What Can I Drink to Assist Me Sleep?
Chamomile tea is one in all my all-time favorites. It’s naturally calming and straightforward to seek out. Simply be sure that to drink it plain with out sweetener. Sugar raises your blood sugar, which may really make it tougher to go to sleep.
And don’t neglect the protein and fats snack trick talked about above. A small snack like a tough boiled egg, a spoonful of almond butter, or a chunk of uncooked cheese may also help decrease cortisol rapidly so you possibly can drift off to sleep with ease.
Why Am I Sleepy However Can’t Fall Asleep?
One of the crucial irritating feels is being completely exhausted however nonetheless unable to sleep. That is virtually all the time an indication of excessive cortisol. Your physique is drained, however cortisol is protecting your mind alert. That is referred to as the “wired however drained” state. The ideas above, particularly the protein and fats bedtime snack, slicing stress, and getting morning daylight, may also help break this cycle.
The Backside Line
Sleep is when your physique heals, restores, and resets. Not getting sufficient sleep can result in severe well being issues over time together with coronary heart illness, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid points, melancholy, and adrenal fatigue.
However right here’s the excellent news: most sleep issues might be solved whenever you get to the basis trigger. Whether or not it’s cortisol, blood sugar, low magnesium, or poor sleep habits, there are pure, light methods to get your sleep again on monitor.
Begin with one or two suggestions from this record and see how you are feeling. Small modifications add up, and your physique really desires to sleep. Generally it simply wants a little bit help.
Candy goals!
