Natural therapies for improving sleep
*Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purpose only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making health-related changes. Some links may be affiliate links, which may provide a small commission at no cost to you.
Natural sleep support
If you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling well-rested, you are far from alone. Sleep difficulties are one of the most common concerns I see working as a Naturopathic doctor, often showing up alongside stress, hormone imbalance, digestive issues, chronic pain, and anxiety.
While conventional medicine many times reaches first for sleep medications, a Naturopathic medicine approach to sleep support focuses instead on identifying and addressing the root causes of sleep disruption. In this blog I’ll outline some of the most common causes of poor sleep or insomnia, and then give you some of my tried-and-true tips for improving your sleep even without medication.
The good news? Many people can significantly improve their sleep using natural remedies, lifestyle changes, and carefully-chosen supplements without relying on a nightly medication.
In this blog I’ll walk you through
Why sleep problems happen—some of the most common causes of poor sleep or insomnia
Natural remedies for improving sleep
Foundations of good sleep and how to build a sustainable, long-term sleep routine
Evidence-informed supplements and products I often recommend (scroll to the bottom for this list)
Why sleep problems are so common
Sleep requires more than feeling tired at the end of the day. It’s a complex physiological process involving your nervous system, hormones, blood sugar, digestion, and circadian rhythm.
Some of the most common root causes of poor sleep include
Chronic stress (sympathetic dominance) and nervous system dysregulation causing elevated cortisol
Obstructive sleep apnea
Blood sugar instability (called dysglycemia)
Hormonal changes (perimenopause, menopause, and others)
Inflammation and chronic pain
Digestive issues like reflux
Excess blue light exposure in the evenings
In Naturopathic medicine, we view insomnia and poor sleep as a signal, not a diagnosis. The goal is to understand what signal your body is trying to send, and help your body rebalance—not just “knock you out” with a medication but help your body reestablish enough safety to rest deeply. Working with an ND is one way to understand what is driving your sleep issues.
The best and most comprehensive supplement protocol and bedtime routine cannot overcome root causes such as sleep apnea and low blood sugar. It’s imperative that you investigate poor sleep, especially if you’ve tried many natural therapies and things still don’t feel quite right.
Sleep and the Nervous System: A Missing Link
One of the most overlooked contributors to sleep issues is chronic activation of your stress response. When your nervous system is stick in a state of sympathetic dominance (your fight-or-flight pathways are turned up), sleep will become light, fragmented, or difficult to initiate.
Your brain senses threat when faced with conditions like chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, excessive screen time, blood sugar instability, and unresolved inflammation. In response, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline may remain elevated into the evening hours, directly opposing the hormones (like melatonin) responsible for sleep and repair.
A core goal of natural sleep support is to help your nervous system shift into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state in the evenings before bedtime. When this shift happens consistently, sleep becomes deeper, more restorative, and easier to access.
Foundations of quality sleep
This checklist helps to optimize your sleep environment, calm your nervous system, regulate your circadian rhythm, and prepare your body for quality rest at night and peak energy during the day.
1. Consistent bedtime and wake time
Establish a predictable evening routine that signals safety and consistency to your brain. Waking up at around the same time every morning also helps to support a healthy circadian rhythm. Aim to sleep and wake roughly within the same hour each day.
2. “Yin” time in the evening
Allow the hour or few hours before bedtime to be your “yin” time—slow, quiet, dark, soothing. Leave these types of activities for the evening. Keep the energy low. Consciously save the intense movies and activating conversations for morning. You may spend time in a warm epsom salt bath, journaling, stretching, doing puzzles, playing music, or any other calming activity that signals rest to your nervous system.
3. “Yang” time in the morning
Schedule your most stimulating activities for the first half of the day. Routines like breathwork and exercise can support the natural morning rise in hormones that gives you energy and focus to start your day. This routine falls in line with your natural circadian rhythm, helping promote good sleep at night.
4. Bedroom conditions
Do your very best to maintain a bedroom that is cool, dark, and quiet. Pets are one of the worst disruptions, so if it’s at all possible to keep them out of your bedroom at night, do so. Use an eye mask and ear plugs if needed. Use an air purifier that doubles as white noise (my personal strategy). Some people will even invest in temperature controlled mattress.
5. Avoid bright lights after sunset
Melatonin (your “sleep hormone”) is stimulated by darkness. Too much light after sunset will inhibit the release of this hormone, essential not only for quality sleep but for immune regulation and lowering inflammation. Consider using candlelight or red lights, light dimmers, or blue light-blocking glasses. Red light exposure in the evenings (including watching the sunset or red light therapy) stimulates natural melatonin production.
6. Seek bright light in the mornings
Light exposure within the few hours after waking up regulates your circadian rhythm, ensuring a healthy cortisol awakening response (CAR). This hormonal surge provides energy, blood sugar stability and decreased inflammation. The serotonin that is created when your eyes are exposed to morning light sets the stage for melatonin production in the evening.
Nutritional and Herbal Support for Restful Sleep
Sleep is an active, nutrient-dependent process. Deficiencies in key minerals, amino acids, and vitamins can impair neurotransmitter production and sleep architecture. Naturopathic medicine emphasizes identifying and correcting these deficiencies rather than masking symptoms.
A balanced, whole-foods, well-rounded diet is an under-rated tool for good sleep. When your body is well-nourished on a consistent basis, your hormones and nutrient levels better facilitate healthy sleep.
On top of a nourishing diet, here are a few key nutrients, herbs, and supplements that can offer further support:
Magnesium: supports relaxation and GABA activity. Some research suggests that most of us are deficient in magnesium.
Glycine: promotes deeper sleep, lowers core body temperature, and activates GABA activity
L-Theanine: similar to glycine and the “calming” compound in green tea
Chamomile: my favorite herb for signaling relaxation to the nervous system
Passionflower: an herb I like to recommend for people to take when they wake up at night and have trouble falling back to sleep
Melatonin: can improve sleep quality and help lower inflammation
Cortisol Manager: my favorite combination supplement for calming hormonal imbalance to address restless sleep
CBD oil: CBD and CBN interact with your brain’s endocannabinoid system to calm your body and facilitate better rest. I use Blue Sky CBD as it’s high quality and very high dose for the price compared to other brands. Use code DRSAVANNAH for a first order discount.
Vitamin B6: involved in neurotransmitter synthesis
Zinc: supports neurotransmitter balance
Other sleep-supportive herbs include california poppy, valerian, lavender, and lemon balm. These can be consumed as teas, tinctures, and even used topically (diluted in carrier oil) as essential oils.
Other tips and tricks for better sleep
Protein: for patients who are waking up a lot at night, I often find they are under-eating protein (especially in the first half of the day) or simply under-eating in general. Emphasizing protein at every meal, as well as some complex carbs, can help a lot with this issue.
Some people do well with a small snack soon before bed, offering a stabilizing impact to blood sugar.
Alcohol, for some people, is a huge sleep disruptor. I like to have patients run an “experiment” by changing their intake in some way to see how their sleep changes.
If your brain won’t turn off, and you find yourself thinking and planning and ruminating, have you tried “brain dump” journaling? Allow yourself to free-write just before bed, even getting out a to-do list for the next day, to give your brain permission to let things go.
Looking for more personalized support for your sleep issues?
Dr. Savannah takes an individualized approach to create a holistic plan for improving sleep. Click the button below to inquire about becoming a patient!
*Medical Disclaimer: This information procided on this website and blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The content shared here reflects a Naturopathic perspective on health and wellness and should not be used as a substitute for personalized medical care.
Always consult with your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication, supplement, or treatment plan. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of information you have read on this website.
Some blog posts may include affiliate links for products that I personally use, trust, or commonly recommend in clinical practice. If you choose to purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence the educational content or integrity of the information shared. Product recommendations are not a guarantee of results and may not be appropriate for everyone.