Insomnia is simply a difficulty falling asleep, or awakening in the middle of the night and being unable to return to sleep. It is a common problem. Typical causes of insomnia are smoking, caffeine, overeating, physical tension, and excessive mental stimulation or worry.
When you get too little sleep it can throw your whole system out of kilter, both physically and emotionally. Those who consistently get too little sleep tend to run down their immune systems and suffer more illnesses. They are also more subject to stress and emotional upset. Up to 30% of the population suffers from insomnia, some chronically.
STANDARD PRACTICE
The common treatment for insomnia is to prescribe sleeping pills or other medications. However, these drugs only perpetuate the problem, and eventually make it worse. They make you dependent on taking drugs to sleep. This is no solution at all.
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES
HERBS
The following herbs have also been shown to induce sleep: passion flower, hops, valerian, and chamomile.
SUPPLEMENTS
CALCIUM:
If you are going to take a calcium supplement, it is best to take it at night. It will help you sleep. Best formulation of calcium I've found is in Osteo-Solutions by Neways.
NIACIN:
Also you may want to try 100 mg of niacin (or 50 mg if you experience a flu flushing of the skin).
VITAMIN B-6:
Try 50 mg vitamin B-6.
MAGNESIUM:
250 mg magnesium.
HOMEOPATHY
Remedy: Gelsemium l0x.
Many people sleep better if they take a liver remedy such a Bryonla l0x or Nux vom l0x before retiring.
RELAXATION
To reduce tension prior to bedtime, practice the following relaxation exercise. Lie comfortably on your back. Breathe rhythmically and deeply in a relaxed manner. Visualize your feet. Tense your toes and feet, and then suddenly relax. Follow this same procedure with your calves: visualize, tense, and then suddenly relax. Then do your thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, shoulders, hands, forearms, biceps, neck, face and head. At the end of this exercise, you should feel relaxed and ready to drop off to sleep.
EXERCISE
The very best insomnia remedy available is 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise.
DIETARY GUIDELINES
Include low-fat, calcium-rich foods. Calcium has a calming effect on the nervous system. Include some collards, kale, mustard greens, broccoli, or nonfat yogurt in your daily diet. Just before bedtime, try drinking a cup of chamomile tea, which acts as a mild sedative.
Consider increasing your levels of tryptophan. Drowsiness and sleep are initiated by the neural transmitter serotonrn. Serotonin comes from tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid.
Tryptophan is not available as a supplement, but you can get it into your system by eating complex carbohydrates. One hour before bedtime, eat a bagel, an English muffin, or a handful of dry cereal.
To increase the likelihood of falling into a sound sleep, avoid stimulating foods like coffee, spices, and alcohol. Also avoid eating 3 hours before going to bed.
 
 
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