There are two main reasons that you may decide to resort to taking Benadryl. The first is as a sleep aid, as it can help lull you into a deep sleep, the other being to help ease the symptoms of allergies. In fact, this is the reason that many anti-allergy products have warning labels about drowsiness; they are made out of exactly the same unnatural chemicals as sleeping pills.
But, did you know that some drug users take Benadryl to get high, and many of these drug users have died or suffered serious complications from taking the drug? Taking Benadryl, especially in high dosages, can be deadly to your health.
Side effects of taking Benadryl can include having a constantly dry mouth, and feeling very heavy in your body. In fact, some people have to lie down immediately after taking heavy doses of it. There is also the risk of having nightmarish hallucinations. Other people have said that they can have bad shaking all over their body, a constant sense of confusion, terrible memory loss and extremely blurred vision.
With all of these side effects it is a drug you do not want to be taking if you can help it. But, there are natural alternatives that you can take instead, allowing you to solve all of the problems that might cause you to be taking Benadryl while leading a healthy life.
Alternatives to Benadryl for Allergies
Eat Local Honey
If you take Benadryl during the summer as an allergy medication, one thing that can help you out is to eat some honey sourced responsibly from your natural area.
The reason for this is that by ingesting the honey, you are getting your body used to something it sees as a natural invader. Those who suffer from hay fever tend to have over-sensitive immune systems which, although can be good for attacking common colds, will over-react when faced with something it sees as a problem.
The best thing to do is to get you natural honey about six weeks before your hay fever normally starts, to start getting your body used to the pollen.
Use a Netti Pot
It might seem odd, but cleaning out your nasal passages is a really effective, natural, and cheap way to help you solve your allergy problems.
By flushing away with a neti pot, you are helping your natural mucus to flush away any germs or irritants that are currently within your nasal passages.
The way this natural cure works is to get yourself any neti pot (most of them are just as good as each other, even though the price may vary). There should be an ample selection on the shelves of your local natural health shop. Then, boil some water to remove any impurities in it, allow this water to cool, and place it within your neti pot. While tilting your head towards one of your shoulders, pour the water from the pot into one of your nasal holes, and allow it to drain out from the other. Simply repeat with the other nostril. You will find your allergies, and your need to take Benadryl, washing out of you.
Make Some Dietary Changes
It is possible to also prevent the need for taking Benadryl by adding some more nature to your diet.
One important aspect to combat allergies is to ensure that you are eating foods that naturally keep your airways nice and free. Adding many common home spices, including Tabasco sauce, chili peppers, and horseradish will help to keep your body flowing naturally.
Make a Nettle Leaf Tea.
Although this herbal cure against allergies and Benadryl might seem counter intuitive, the nettle leaf plant is actually a natural source of anti-histamines, which help to reduce the painful effects of allergies, making it a great natural replacement for Benadryl.
The best way to take this herbal remedy is to make a delicious tea out of the leaves. You will be able to find some leaves to make the tea from from your local whole foods. To the nettles, add some Peppermint for flavor, and put in some boiling water and leave to infuse for about five minutes before drinking.
Take one cup of this a day, and you should find yourself allergy free naturally, without using Benadryl, in no time.
Take Hotter shower
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Although maybe not healthy for the environment, taking a hot shower can be really healthy for you, certainly much healthier than taking Benadryl. By turning on the heating during your morning, or evening, routine, you can help to clear your sinuses in a natural, easy way.
Furthermore, taking a hot shower will help to remove any allergens that are already on your body. This can be especially important to do coming home from the outdoors, as it is no good sleeping with the causes of your allergies still on your skin.
Alternatives to Benadryl for Sleeping
Burn Natural Lavender Oil
This is a very simple solution to your sleep problems, and is a lot cheaper and much more effective than taking unnatural Benadryl.
Simply burn a few drops of lavender oil in your room before trying to go to sleep. Lavender has long been known for helping to calm the mind and promote a natural, deep and healthy sleep.
Burning lavender can also have another benefit. Studies have shown that the smell of lavender essential oil acts as a natural anxiety reducer, meaning that by taking lavender you are also helping yourself to become a naturally calmer and more relaxed person. Additionally, visitors to your house will be taken aback at how lovely your home smells.
Drink Hot Almond Milk
If you have been told to drink heated milk to help reduce your need for taking Benadryl, you might want to replace it with almond milk instead. This is because Almond Milk is so much more better at helping you naturally fall to sleep (as well as tasting a lot nicer!)
This is because the calcium in almond milk is much better at helping your body to create melatonin, the chemical that your body produces to help you fall asleep. Simply heat some milk on the stove and drink a glass of it every night instead of your usual Benadryl pill, and you will wake up refreshed after a few pleasant dreams.
Get More Magnesium in Your System
Magnesium is a natural promoter of healthy body chemistry. Simply taking some Magnesium supplements can completely remove the need for Benadryl for sleep disorders.
If you don’t want to take a supplement to get more magnesium in your body, you can instead try eating more leafy greens that are naturally high in this mineral, including spinach and broccoli.
Magnesium is key to include into your system if the main cause of your insomnia is from your mind not settling, as magnesium has been shown to play a very key role in getting your mind to relax and switch off.
Make Some Lifestyle Changes
It also might be possible to naturally remove Benadryl from your life by making some changes to your daily routine to naturally cure your insomnia.
For example, if you often read in bed, or use a tablet or phone, you should stop doing that. This is because you are training your brain, and body, to see your bed as a place where it can still be active.
You should really turn off your devices before going to sleep as well. One problem with our life style of light bulbs and computer screens is that it tricks our bodies into thinking that it is still day tine even late into the night, which is why so many people in modern society take Benadryl to help them drift off.
Take Up Yoga
Although it is a bad idea to do any heavy exercise before sleeping, doing a bit of light yoga can really help you get to sleep. Furthermore, this natural art can also help to promote pleasant dreams, meaning that as well as feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead you can feel relaxed and happy as well.
Ten minutes of Yoga before turning off the lights and lying down in bed is all it takes to completely calm your mind and get your body and soul ready for sleeping.
