[This is a guest post by Linda, who runs NaturalHealthEzine.com, a natural health blog dedicated to helping people live the best life possible.]

Do you feel tired when you wake up in the morning? Do you feel like you’ve gotten no rest at all during the night? Do you ever wake yourself up from snoring?

Snoring is a very common sleep issue that keeps a lot of people from getting the proper rest they need. A lack of sleep can be problematic, leaving you feel tired and sluggish all day. It may have you running for coffee more often than you normally do.

But snoring can be a sign of a more serious issue. Sleep apnea can be a dangerous disorder, and it can be quite scary for people who have it. Sleep apnea means that a person stops breathing while they’re sleeping. The period in which the person stops breathing is called apnea, and it can last for several breaths. These lapses in breathing can occur several times a night. When a person does start to breathe again, they tend to jerk awake and are often panicked by what happened. It can be scary for that person’s partner as well. They’ll notice the person suddenly stop breathing and begin to worry.

There are other reasons for snoring. Snoring doesn’t always indicate sleep apnea. It you’ve got a head cold or you suffer from allergies, your nose can get clogged, and this can cause you to snore. Snoring can happen depending on what position you’re sleeping in. If you’re sleeping on your back, there’s a good chance that your throat will become very relaxed and you’ll start to snore. When your throat is relaxed, the tissues in your throat vibrate every time you breath in and out. This causes a harsh or hoarse sound.

If you’re concerned about how often you snore, or you experience an abrupt waking several times a night because of snoring, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by a doctor. Sleep apnea can be treated, and it’s best to be treated by a doctor. However, there are some natural ways to stop snoring. We’ll take a look at 8 natural snoring remedies in this article.

8 Natural Cures For Snoring:

1. Lessen Your Alcohol And Sedative Intake

Alcohol is a relaxant that can increase the chances of the throat completely relaxing during sleep. The same is true for sedatives. It’s always good to be relaxed while you sleep, however alcohol or sedatives can actually have you getting a worse night’s sleep rather than a better one. Sedatives and alcohol have a person entering a deep sleep pattern for a longer period than people who don’t use sedatives or alcohol. The longer a person spends in a deep state of sleep, the greater chance they have of snoring.

2. Lose Weight

Excess weight can increase your snoring chances. If you’ve got extra weight, chances are you don’t exercise regularly. A lack of exercise can cause muscle loss. The muscles in your throat and jaws can cause your tongue to fall back more than it should while you sleep. Excess weight causes layers of fat to accumulate all over the body, including your neck. The fat accumulation around your neck puts extra pressure on the area and can close the throat more, making it more difficult to breath. If you lose weight and strengthen the muscles around your neck and jaw, chances are good that you’ll decrease your snoring. You may stop snoring altogether.

3. Elevate Your Head When Sleeping

When the throat is relaxed and the tissues begin to vibrate, it’s because the tongue falls back a bit into the throat. This can block the airway a little bit. To avoid the tongue slipping back, try adding an extra pillow under your head. This elevation will have your tongue staying in a more natural position. It may take a while to get used to an extra pillow, but it will be worth it when you get a better night’s rest with no snoring.

4. Essential Oils To Open Airways

There are certain scents that can increase your breathing ability. If you’ve ever had a cold or bad nasal congestion, you’ve probably taken medication that has menthol in it. Menthol can naturally open the airways in the nose and throat. Menthol comes in essential oil form, and can be used every night. Make a 50/50 mixture of the essential oil and water and spritz it around the head of the bed every night before going to sleep. Other essential oils you can use to open your airways are eucalyptus and mint.

5. Change The Position You Sleep In

Every person is different when they sleep. Some people prefer to sleep on one side. Other people prefer to sleep on their stomachs or backs. If you find yourself snoring every time you’re on your back, try changing positions. It’s more common that people snore when they’re on their back. Being on the back makes it easier for the tongue to slide back in the throat. It might take a while to get used to a new position, but again, it could solve your snoring problem.

6. Avoid Dairy Products In The Evening

For some people, consuming dairy products can increase the mucus buildup in the throat. If you tend to get a buildup of mucus when you eat dairy, try to avoid these foods in the evening. The excess mucus in your throat can cause you to snore more easily.

7. Quit Smoking

Smoking is downright bad for you. I think most people know this already. Smoking can cause you to snore because it aggravates the throat tissues and causes them to vibrate more.

8. Use A Nasal Irrigation Method Before Bed

A nasal irrigation method involves flushing out your nasal passages. You do this by using a nasal syringe, or NetiPot, and warm salt water. By flushing out your nasal passages with a warm salt water solution, you get rid of dust and debris that block the sinuses. This is a great method to use if you have a bad head cold or if you suffer from sinus problems. When you have no clogs in your nasal passages, you have an easier time breathing at night.

Most of these 8 natural cures for snoring are fairly easy to do. Snoring is no fun to deal with, and can leave you feeling cranky in the morning. Give some of these methods a try and see if you get a better night’s sleep.

Image: jessicafm at Flickr

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The source of one of nature’s best pain medications, the opium poppy, thrives in your garden, and can be prepared in the kitchen with only some basic instructions for an all natural home remedy.

I’m a DIY kind of guy, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to make the things I need, and since receiving a review copy of Opium for the Masses, from Feral House, I’ve been patiently awaiting spring, so I can plant a crop of poppies to fill my medicine cabinet.

This classic book, subtitled Harvesting Nature’s Best Pain Medication,  takes all of the guesswork out of it. Homegrown opium poppies, or even dried poppy heads from the craft store, can be made into poppy tea or laudanum, and could be your DIY solution for headaches, coughs, muscle pains, or diarrhea.

After sustaining serious injuries and having to do without pain medication until I could see a doctor and get a prescription, I had to suffer through an agonizing night with only over the counter medication to cope with the pain. A friend was able to bring me some pain meds left over from an old injury of his, but without that, I would have had to tough it out.

It made me realize just how inaccessible effective pain treatments are without the signature of a doctor and a trip to the pharmacy. I found a new respect for people who suffered great injuries before potent pain medicines were widely available, a fairly recent development in human history. What did they do for the pain?

The answer is that they got what they needed from nature, and either gathered it or grew it. The opium poppy is an extremely useful medicinal plant with thousands of years of history of cultivation, but it’s also one of the most demonized, as the source of the refined product heroin. While morphine’s effectiveness for pain relief is well known, so is the story of the heroin junkie who’ll do anything for another shot of smack.

The political fallout from all of our wars on drugs and alcohol, and the subsequent financial elope-ments between Big Pharma and our government, have convinced people that opium poppies must be for dope fiends (but we sure do think they look pretty while admiring them in someone else’s garden). The truth about poppies is rather different.

Opium for the Masses gives an overview of the world history of opium and then the US war on drugs (which began by outlawing opium as America’s first ‘illicit substance’ in 1914, under the Harrison Act), but most of the book is filled with practical how-to information, and very detailed at that. One section I found fascinating was the relationship between opiates, endorphins, and the brain, and how perfectly they fit together.

The practical sections cover topics such as how to cultivate opium poppies at home, how to make poppy tea and laudanum, and how to make morphine from opium, and heroin from the morphine (a bit involved, and not for me, but an interesting process). I found the book to be comprehensive, informative, and entertaining.

I think this book belongs on the shelves of every modern homesteader, DIY family, and self-sufficiency freak as a valuable resource to learn how to grow and prepare these traditional remedies.

Meanwhile, I’m planning my poppy garden.

Image: stefg74 at Flickr

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Earaches are a fairly common childhood ailment, one that you can probably take care of at home with natural remedies. You don’t have to run to the doctor if you use some of these home remedies to take care of your child’s earache, and if you have the ingredients at hand, you won’t even need to leave the house. Your child will appreciate the gentleness of the treatment, your budget won’t take a hit, and you’ll be better prepared for the next time one of your kids starts rubbing their ear and complaining about the pain.

Natural Remedies for Earaches

• Use astringent herbs to irrigate the ear – Simmer 1/4 cup dried witch hazel leaves and 1/4 cup of dried comfrey leaves in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Let cool, strain, and irrigate the ear with an ear bulb (ear syringe): Lean over the sink with the sore ear down and gently flood the ear with the solution. Do not squeeze the bulb forcefully. Repeat the ear irrigation up to four times a day.
• Use healing herbs to irrigate the ear – Simmer 1/4 cup echinacea root, 1/4 cup dried mullein leaves, and 1/4 cup dried comfrey leaves in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Cool, strain, and irrigate the ear as above four times a day. Alternate the different herb mixtures as desired.
• Use a neti pot to irrigate the sinuses – A warm salt water solution helps the sinuses to drain, relieving the sinus and ear pressure.
• Warm garlic oil drops in the ear – Heat 1/4 cup olive oil just until warm (remember, ears are sensitive). Add 2 or 3 cloves of crushed or pressed garlic and let sit for fifteen to thirty minutes, then strain. Lie on your side with the affected ear up, and pour in a small amount of warm garlic oil. Leave the garlic oil in the ear for at least 10 minutes (longer is better), repeating up to three or four times per day.
• Warm clove oil drops in the ear – Instead of garlic, use a tablespoon of crushed cloves and follow the instructions above.
• Ginger and sesame oil drops in the ear – Grate one tablespoon of fresh ginger root into 1/4 cup warm sesame oil, prepare as with garlic and clove oil.
• Warm poultices on the ear – Dip a washcloth in hot water and place over the ear and side of the neck to relieve acute pain. Keep dipping the cloth in the hot water when cool and replace it on the ear. A popular folk remedy is to add 1/2 cup of chopped onion to the hot water before applying the washcloth.
• Ice pack on the ear – Alternate cold compresses or ice packs with the hot poultices. Apply the ice for a shorter time than the warm poultice.
• Lavender or tea tree oil – Put two to three drops on a cotton ball and place in the outer ear, leaving it for as long as is comfortable. Do not push the cotton ball into the ear canal. Apply lavender oil externally behind and below the ear.
• Gargle with warm salt water – Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to a cup of warm water, stir until dissolved, and then gargle with it (spitting it out afterward) until all of the solution is gone. Repeat three to four times per day.
• Take a hot bath – A hot bath does wonders when nothing else helps.
• Use an ear candle – Skeptics will scoff, but many people swear by them. Ask for instructions at a natural foods store or from your herbalist.
• Stand on your head – Being inverted helps ease some ear and sinus pressure issues and facilitates drainage of the Eustachian tubes.
• Take care of the rest of your body – Boost your immune system with echinacea, osha, astragalus, or your favorite tonic herb, taken internally. Drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juice, cut out the sweets and any possible allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, etc.) from your diet. Take some extra vitamin C. I think EmergenC is a great way to get your C and help with hydration.

These natural earache remedies work great for adults as well!

Image: CarbonNYC at Flickr

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Injuries happen. Kids get hurt. We get hurt. Having a family first aid kit with natural antibiotics can really make a difference when you need one. You’ve got yours all sorted out, yeah? Or you’re going to put one together this week?

I was a Boy Scout as a kid, and as silly as it sounds sometimes, ‘be prepared’ is most excellent advice to a parent. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it, right? We have a basic natural first aid kit that goes with us camping or traveling, and mama always makes sure we have the means to deal with most common situations. I also have a tiny first aid kit that goes in my everyday bag.

Band aids and bandages are good basic components, but you don’t have to stock your first aid kit with just drugstore remedies – you can easily add a natural one as well. We have some basic herb tinctures for immune help, plus some arnica gel for bruising, and Bach’s Flower Essence for shock. Then we have a couple of other key substances that can give relief and healing to many of life’s smaller injuries, including some natural antibiotics.

These items are among the best natural topical antibiotics, and they are simple, widely available, and cheap to purchase. They can be used to treat everything from umbilical cords to skinned knees, from splinters and blisters to infected sores, and even athlete’s foot. You can start to build your natural first aid kit by picking a couple of the below and seeing how they work for you.

Raw Honey

Raw honey is a great natural antibiotic. Raw honey is different from your generic honeybee-squeeze-bottle honey from the chain supermarket that looks like Karo syrup – it’s a rich flavorful honey from a local or regional beekeeper. There’s a big difference. The heating and filtering process changes the properties of the honey, leaving little but the sweetness (and even that has a bland flavor). Find some at a health food store or co-op and check it out for yourself…

Honey as a topical antibacterial agent:

“Honey is an ancient remedy for the treatment of infected wounds, which has recently been ‘rediscovered’ by the medical profession, particularly where conventional modern therapeutic agents are failing. There are now many published reports describing the effectiveness of honey in rapidly clearing infection from wounds, with no adverse effects to slow the healing process; there is also some evidence to suggest that honey may actively promote healing. In laboratory studies, it has been shown to have an antimicrobial action against a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi.” – World Wide Wounds

When a wound is dressed with honey, hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced in contact with body fluids, and has an antiseptic action.

Honey is also used to treat antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, and can be safely applied almost anywhere on the body. It can be stored virtually forever, and a small vial or tin of honey should be in your first aid kit/diaper bag/go bag/under the seat in the truck or wagon. It can be tricky to keep honey in a container (the sticky factor), but we usually have it with us as our food supply.

Goldenseal Powder

Powdered goldenseal root makes an excellent umbilical cord treatment for newborns. Sprinkle it directly on any wound, or make a paste with a small amount of water for injury or cut that is festering. Goldenseal powder tea serves as an excellent gargle and mouthwash, and can be used as an eyewash for a stye or pinkeye. The price may seem high, but a little goes a long way. Available at your local co-op or natural foods store. If you have a tiny tin to fill with it – like a lip balm tin – it only takes up a tiny amount of space for such a great natural antibiotic.

Tea Tree Oil

A powerful antimicrobial and remedy for fungal infections, the oil of the melaleuca tree of Australia is a versatile natural first aid treatment. Use topically for any wounds, athlete’s foot, or even ringworm, but be sure to keep it away from your eyes – it’s strong stuff. It may also irritate genitals, so be careful where you choose to use it.

Tea tree oil is also said to be effective against lice, so it may keep you from using the harsh drugstore treatment if your kids bring it home from school. Be sure to buy 100% Tea Tree Oil, or a lavender and tea tree blend, not tea tree oil blended with a carrier oil.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender oil is another natural antiseptic, and can relieve pain or irritation on the skin. When we travel, we like to know that we’ll be able to wash up even without running water, so we use a plastic spray bottle filled with water and lavender oil, using the mist to wet and scrub our faces and hands – it works great for traveling with kids. Headaches in mom and pop can be lessened by rubbing a drop of lavender oil into their temples.

These four natural antibacterials, plus my favorite salve, Apitherapy Honey House Healing Salve, have been sufficient for healing any wounds or sores in our house for years. We keep band aids on hand, but use them only when really necessary. We don’t buy Neosporin or waterless antibacterial soap, and we aren’t phobic about germs. For a day trip first aid kit, I add some needle and thread, a tiny bit of duct tape, a blade, something with tweezer action (multi-tool usually) and a book of matches.

More Natural Remedies:

Natural Remedies for Earaches

Natural Fever Relief

Papa’s Picks: Natural Wound Care With Honey House Propolis Salve

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Fever is a commonly misunderstood and often over-treated childhood condition. A fever is not a disease, and in most cases is nothing to worry about. An elevation in body temperature through a fever is one of the body’s strongest weapons to deal with infections, and is usually best left to run its course.

Fevers increase the amount of natural antiviral and antibacterial substances in the blood. Fever also increases the white blood cell count, kills cells infected with viruses, and improves the ability of white blood cells to destroy bacteria and infected cells, while impairing the replication of bacteria and viruses.

Allopathic medicine has a limited number of treatments available for fevers, most of which involve Tylenol or Ibuprofen, which may mask the symptoms and actually prolong the illness.

Treating a feverish child with natural remedies is a gentler method that doesn’t introduce pharmaceuticals into their body or artificially force a fever down. Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, author of How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, debunks the myth that febrile seizures (convulsions) and high fevers cause permanent damage the child’s brain or body. He does recommend seeing a physician if your infant (under two months old) has a fever over 100°. Fevers under 106° should be allowed to run their course.

Of course, when your child is miserable and can’t sleep, treating a fever with natural remedies may give enough relief for them to sleep and heal. You will probably need the sleep as well…

Natural Fever Relief:

• A lukewarm bath – Bathing in tepid water helps the body shed some of that heat and may give enough relief for a good night’s sleep for all of you. For kids that love bath time, the distraction of playing in the water will take their mind off of the discomfort they feel.
• Proper hydration – Make sure your child always has water at hand, and feed them fresh fruit or vegetable juices to replace lost fluids due to fever.
• Wet socks – Soaking a pair of cotton socks with water and covering them with wool ones helps to draw the temperature down. Try this for nights when they just can’t get to sleep.
• Vinegar – A sponge bath with vinegar, or soaking the socks (above) in vinegar is another tried and true remedy.
• Herb tea – Strong peppermint tea is helpful for feverish children, as is elderflower tea. Mothering magazine has a Fever Soothing Tea recipe: 2 teaspoons peppermint, 2 teaspoons elder flowers, 2 teaspoons yarrow flowers, 2 teaspoons boneset flowers and leaves, 4 cups hot water, honey or maple syrup to sweeten. Use 1 teaspoon of the dried blend or 2 teaspoons of fresh blended herbs per cup of boiling water. Steep for five minutes and strain. Sweeten a cup to taste for your child to drink; pour the rest in the bath. To induce sweating, serve this tea as hot as your child can comfortably drink it. We recommend serving it in a plastic mug while your sick child sits in a comfortably warm bathtub in a warm bathroom.
• Herb Tea Popsicles – Freezing the herb teas listed above into popsicle molds makes for a fun treat and may get them to “drink” the tea (younger children tend to resist herb tea, so popsicles help).
• Herbal Tinctures – TempAssure, by Herbs for Kids, is a staple in our medicine cabinet. It provides relief so that your child can get some rest. Echinacea tincture (glycerine extract) also helps boost their immune response.
• Homeopathic remedies – Viburcol, by Heel, comes highly recommended by some mothers. Consult your homeopathic doctor for other remedies.
• Vitamin C – We like Emergen-C for boosting the immune system and hydrating the body. Plus, it’s fizzy… We call it Fizzy Lifting Drink (Burp, Charlie, burp… It’s the only way!).
• Raw Onion – Slice a raw onion and place several on the bottom of each foot and cover with socks. This folk remedy is endorsed by mothers around the country, but it does stink up the room…
• Egg Whites – Soak two cloths in egg whites, place on the bottom of the feet and cover with socks.
• Sunshine and Fresh Air – If the weather is nice, making a cozy spot for your child in the sunshine, complete with some good books and a large glass of water will do wonders for them. Don’t expose them to extreme temperatures, though.
• Herb Spritzers – Combine several drops of essential oil of chamomile, lavender, or thyme with a small amount of water in a spray bottle. Spray on your child’s chest, back, legs, and arms. Keep away from the face and the eyes.

Caveat: I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on television. This article is based on my experience and that of other parents, and does not constitute medical advice. Please seek the advice of your family physician for their recommendations.

(Revised from the original posted at Eco Child’s Play)

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