Organic, all-natural, hormone-free sleep

If you're cranky, depressed, sickly or gaining weight, you may not need to run to the doctor to find out what's wrong with you. Instead, simply sashay into your bedroom to get more sleep. Our bodies typically need 6-8 hours of quality sleep each night.

Dr. Joseph Mercola notes chronic sleep deprivation can result in a host of mental and physical woes such as: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and memory loss. Now before you run back to the doctor for a sleeping pill prescription, try out these six all-natural suggestions to help you get the quality sleep you need every night.

1. Have a Light Protein Snack.

Try a small handful of nuts right before bed in a bid to get better sleep. Protein's L-tryptophan content prompts the brain to produce serotonin and melatonin, key ingredients for quality slumber, according to psychologytoday.com.

2. Take a Cue from Mother Nature.

Our bodies are designed to follow the natural day-night cycle, with the natural production of the sleep-inducing melatonin kicking in when darkness falls. Exposing yourself to bright lights, the blue computer screen and other devices right before bed can confuse your brain into believing it's still daytime and shutting down the production of those sleep chemicals.

Low lights and relaxing activities are a wiser choice right before bed. This means also covering digital clocks and perhaps even investing in blackout curtains if your bedroom receives heavy sunlight.

3. Reduce the Bathroom Breaks.

You may not need to let bathroom breaks interrupt your sleep it all if you take another tip from Dr. Mercola. This one says not to drink any liquids within two hours of bedtime. Also avoid turning on bright lights during the night for a trip to the bathroom. Use a dim night-light instead.

4. Make Your Bed a Sleep Haven.

Using your bed as a place to watch TV, text your pals, play cards, chop rhubarb or pound out a report on your laptop can be the death knell for a good night's sleep. Reserving your bed for sleeping — or other bedtime activities — can make it much easier to relax and drift off into peaceful slumber.

5. Make Your Mattress Memory Foam.

While memory foam may not be a magical cure for sleep apnea or other breathing-related disorders, it can be a magic ingredient in getting the rest your body craves. Minnesota Sleep Institute sleep specialist Dr. Kathy Gromer told WebMD.com that memory foam may indeed improve sleep, thanks to the way it molds around your body when your body heat softens specific areas of the mattress.

This seemingly magical molding thus supports the body along its natural lines, providing a personalized cradle that can help relieve pain and minimize sleep-time movement. You can kick off your memory foam quest with Macy's memory foam mattresses and mattress sets.

If you can't find one you're partial to at the first stop, there are plenty of high-quality mattress outlets with knowledgeable staff members who can help you pick just the right one. Incorporate these tips into an established and trustworthy bedtime routine to naturally help you body get the sleep it needs.

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Alexis Brown), Google (images).