8 drug-free ways to put insomnia to bed
Try these smart DIY strategies to finally get some sleep.
Jan, 2026
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Slide 1
There are few things worse than lying in bed at night and staring at the clock for hours on end. But you’re not alone in your sleep struggles. Around 70 million Americans have sleep issues like insomnia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Not only does insomnia leave you feeling lousy, it can have serious implications for your health, raising your risk for depression, heart disease, and obesity, and lowering your immunity.
There are many over-the-counter sleep aids, supplements, and prescription medications to help you sleep, but not everyone tolerates them well and some can become habit-forming.
Consider trying these eight drug-free ways to get some rest.
Written byBeth Ward.
Medically reviewed byMegan Burke, MD.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Our Program – Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Page last reviewed September 13 + 14
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Our Program – Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Page last reviewed September 13, 2022.
- NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency? Last updated March 24, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours. Page last reviewed March 31, 2020.
- Sleep Foundation. The Relationship Between Sex and Sleep. Page last updated June 10, 2022.
- Scullin MK, Krueger ML, et al. The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2018;147(1):139-146.
- Sleep Foundation. What To Do When You Can’t Sleep. Updated November 3, 2022.
- Sleep Foundation. Exercise and Sleep. Updated May 6, 2022.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. Exercising for Better Sleep. Accessed December 5, 2022.
- Dolezal BA, Neufeld EV, et al. Interrelationship between Sleep and Exercise: A Systematic Review. Adv Prev Med. 2017;2017:1364387.
- Jerath R, Beveridge C, Barnes VA. Self-Regulation of Breathing as an Adjunctive Treatment of Insomnia. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Jan 29;9:780.
- Yau KK, Loke AY. Effects of diaphragmatic deep breathing exercises on prehypertensive or hypertensive adults: A literature review. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021 May;43:101315.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd edition. 2018.
- Harvard Health Publishing. Blue light has a dark side. Page last reviewed July 7, 2020.
- Tähkämö L, Partonen T, Pesonen AK. Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiol Int. 2019 Feb;36(2):151-170.
- Lin PC, Lee PH, et al. Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. August 2019. Volume 45, pp 155-156.
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