This might be experienced in a number of ways
 | difficulty getting to sleep |
| frequent waking and difficulty getting back to sleep |
| waking very early in the morning, |
| waking up feeling still tired in the morning. |
Causes
Primary Insomnia
| Taking stimulants in the evening |
| Eating late in the evening |
| Hunger |
| Environmental problems – light, noise, extremes of temperature |
Secondary Insomnia
Poor sleep may be symptom of other problems:
| A need to urinate frequently due to health problems (men with prostate
problems) |
| Hot flushes may wake menopausal women. |
| Arthritis |
| Stress and anxiety often hinder sleep. |
| Depression |
| Medication such as
 | Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) |
| Amphetamines |
| Nasal decongestants |
| Diuretics - due to night urination |
| High-potency vitamins |
| Certain antidepressants |
|
| Sleep apnea where one stops breathing for a time during sleep. This
may be:
| Central Sleep Apnea, a lack of response by the brain to signal the
lungs to function smoothly. |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea, when the back of the throat
relaxes and hinders respiration causing sudden waking. This is prevalent
in older men and is associated with being overweight. Do seek medical
advice. |
|
Treatment – do get a diagnosis before pursuing treatment
| Try going to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same
time each morning. Avoid napping during the day |
| Avoid eating a heavy meal late in the evening. Stick to a light snack.
|
| Avoid stimulants like caffeine and, nicotine at night. |
| Avoid alcohol at night as it interferes with sleep quality and is a diuretic
which way result in a need to urinate at night. |
| Get regular exercise but not too near bedtime. Aerobic exercise is one of the most effective treatments
for disturbed sleeping patterns. Typically, 30-60 minutes four times a
week. |
| Keep your bedroom dark and quiet and neither too hot or cold |
| A relaxation routine involving reading, listening to music, or taking
a bath may help |
| If you don’t feel tired get up and occupy yourself with something not
too stimulating. |
| Try progressive relaxation techniques to help you relax. |
| If you tend to worry about things when you go to bed, try making a
to-do list before you go to bed to help you to empty you mind of the
worries. |
Nutrition
Calcium/magnesium: regulate relaxation, especially with muscle
tension and physical restlessness.
| Magnesium-rich foods are soybeans, almonds, black-eyed beans
and lima
beans. |
| Calcium-rich foods are non-fat plain yogurt, milk, cheese, or you can
take a 500/250 Ca/Mg twice daily
if you do not have a history of kidney problems. |
Tryptophan is a precursor of the sleep-inducing substance
serotonin. Dietary sources of tryptophan are turkey, eggs, fish, dairy
products, bananas, and walnuts. Eating carbohydrates with trytophan-containing
foods enhances its use by the brain.
B-complex may help to deal with stress but take it in the morning
as it may also be stimulating. Vitamin B6 helps the brain release more
serotonin. Some foods containing B6 are brewer's yeast, organ meats such as
liver, heart and kidney. eggs, chicken, fish, wholegrain products, whole
cereals, brown rice, spinach, broccoli.
Herbs
Herbs can provide a safe and gentle solution to insomnia. The sedative
herbs described below will help relaxation.
| Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) is a mild sedative useful for
mild insomnia. It is particularly good for children. Take as a tea half an
hour before bed. |
| Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is sedative bitter. Research
has shown that it helps initiate and improves sleep quality. Take 2-3mls
of tincture half an hour before bed or as a tea, although you may not like
the taste. Traditionally it is combined with passionflower and hops. It is
best not to use it every night, though it is not addictive, it is possible
to form a psychological dependency. Avoid in pregnancy and when taking
medication for depression, anxiety or insomnia. |
| Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) helps to decrease anxiety
and induce sleep (above ground parts) 2 to 4 ml half an hour before
bedtime. |
| Hops (Humulus lupulus) for treatment of acute stress. Persons
with depression should avoid hops. Take one cup of hop tea or 2-3 mls of
tincture one to three times a day. Do not
take hops if you are suffering from depression. |
| Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is useful for nervous sleeping
disorders and mild gastric problems. Take a cup of tea or 2-4 mls of tincture
twice daily. It combines well with chamomile and catnip and is safe for
children. |
| Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is relaxing and cooling. It also helps
relieve nasal congestion and helps calm digestive upsets. |
| St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) may be useful if
depression is a factor in insomnia. Take 1 to 2 ml for depression three
times daily. It may take between 4 and 6 weeks before you notice a
difference. St. John’s wort may result in some loss of therapeutic effect
of certain drugs for heart disease, depression and seizures so always
check with your doctor before taking it. |
| Jamaica dogwood (Piscidia piscipula) is a strong pain-killer
and sedative and so it may be useful where insomnia is associated with
pain or excessive nervous tension. This should only be taken with great
care and in consultation with a medical herbalist who may combine it with
passionflower and valerian.
Avoid in pregnancy |
A tea or a tincture to help with insomnia might include Chamomile,
valerian, passion flower and lemon balm.
I can supply a tea mix at £5.00 ($10) per
100 grams plus postage. Click here to order
Please Note
The information given here should not replace consultation with you doctor.
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