|
Insomnia - Holistic and Alternative Medicine Solutions
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder characterized by the inability to fall asleep
and/or the inability to remain asleep for a reasonable amount of time. Insomnia is a
symptom, not a disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, approximately 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia each year.
Insomnia tends to increase with age and affects about 40 percent of women and 30
percent of men. Poor sleep quality can occur as a result of sleep apnea or major
depression.
Causes of Insomnia
- The aches, the worries and the blues: Stress and/or depression related to work,
school, health or family concerns can cause insomnia.
- Medications/stimulants:The use of stimulants, including caffeine, alcohol,
nicotine or other over-the-counter or prescription medications will also cause
insomnia. Prescription drugs, including some antidepressant, high blood pressure and
steroid medications, can interfere with sleep. Many over-the-counter medications,
including some brands of aspirin, decongestants and weight loss products, contain
caffeine and other stimulants. Change in your environment or work schedule and even
long-term use of sleep medications will actually interupt your sleep cycle.
- Incontinence: Having to go to the bathroom frequently can disupt your sleep
cycle, more than some people realize. It can be embarassing, but talking to your
health care provider about treatment can make a big difference.
- Restless leg syndrome: Sleepless legs, or restless leg syndrome, is the
second-most common culprit in sleep disruption. These conditions are often related
to imbalances in the regulation of dopamine (a neurotransmitter).
- Medical problems: Fibromyalgia or complex diseases of the nerves and muscles can
make it very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Behavioral insomnia, occurs when you worry excessively about not being able to
sleep well and try too hard to fall asleep. Most people with this condition sleep
better when they're away from their usual sleep environment.
Many holistic and alternative medicine therapies can help with insomnia:
- Hydrotherapy
- Herbal remedies
- Aromatherapy
- Nutritional advice
- Homeopathy
- Exercise
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Feng Shui
- Massage and Touch Therapies
- Reiki
- Meditation/Metaphysical therapies
- Yoga
- Guided Imagery
- Color Therapy
- Energy Medicine/Sound Therapy
- Crystal therapy
Top Ten Sleep Tips
- Sleep. That wonderful but sometimes elusive state of bliss and rejuvenation! It
is most important to go to sleep with a "Quiet Mind". Sometimes this is difficult to
do. We all have trouble now and then. Sometimes, we are even afraid of knowing that
we have to go to sleep. Fear can be an underlining problem in many cases. There are
many ways to quiet the mind. Doing 15 to 30 minutes of meditation or yoga can be
very helpful. You must allow yourself to be distracted or get into your meditation
or yoga and "let go" of the days thoughts...see Meditation.
- Try tiring yourself out during the day, so that by the time you are ready for
bed you are yearning for that pillow! Try exercise during the day to exhaust the
muscles and mind. The moving is good when we are depressed too! It gets the blood
flowing and makes us move past many issues. Pack your day with lots to do. Errands,
class, shopping...whatever you can find to keep you busy.
- Valerian Root is a wonderful, natural sleep assistanting herb and is considered
the 'valium' of the herbal world. Herbal tea, half hour before bed, is wonderful for
relaxing the digestive system if you are nervous or upset. Chamomile is great for
this as well as Kava and Hops. Try brewing these herbs seperate or even together for
a wonderful prescription for sleep! See Herbal Teas
- Reading a book before bed is also good. This can direct your mind to a
different place.
- Diffusing essential oils of Lavender, Chamomile, or Clary Sage are all
wonderful to induce a relaxed state and the soothing scents will calm your senses.
See Aromatherapy
- If you are taking a pain killer, be careful for many pain relievers actually
have caffiene in them. Perhaps you may want to consider Willow Bark for pain.
- Remember, we choose our thoughts, our thoughts do not choose us. Believe that
this is so. To Believe is a powerful thing. The Universe supports ALL that WE CHOOSE
to Believe. So do not torture your mind with troubled thoughts which will not allow
you to sleep and are only distructive in the long run. See Belief Systems.
- Block out light. To increase the quality of your sleep, research has shown that
by blocking out light in your bedroom, you can improve your sleep pattern. If you
can see your hand in front of your face, after the lights are off, then it is light
enough to affect melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone secreted at night by
the pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small organ in the brain sensitive to light
levels.
- Eat Earlier. Eat at least three hours before bedtime. The further away you eat
from the time you go to sleep, the better it is for you to have a better night's
sleep.
Managing Your Sleep
Sleep allows our body to rejuvenate and repair!
Limit Stimulants: Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, some aspirin and many
over-the-counter and prescription drugs disrupt sleep. Avoid drinking caffeine or
alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol may initially
act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns.
Limit Your Nap Time: If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to
nap during the day because you will throw off your body clock and make it even more
difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if you
absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep no more than 15-30 minutes, earlier in the
day.
Keep a Regular Schedule: Keeping a regular schedule will help your body
expect sleep at the same time each day. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same
time everyday, even on the weekends. Oversleeping to make up for a poor night’s
sleep, even a couple of nights, can reset your body clock and make it harder for you
to get to sleep at night.
Bedtime Rituals -- Create a ritual or pattern to prepare your body for
sleep.
- Be Pro Active and determined when it comes to finding the culprit of your sleep
issues. Do not just brush it off to “that’s how it is”. It is always a revelation
when we discover more about ourselves. Use your finding to improve your situation!
- Spend quiet time by doing things that can make falling asleep easier. This may
include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath.
Try listening to relaxing music or Andrew's guided imagery program.
- Listening to Soft Music: cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin to
prepare for sleep.
- At Night: Try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light
will not interfere with your rest.
- Create a Sleep Journal: Overthinking is one of our biggest enemies. Write down
your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed. Get them out of your head
and on paper. This allows you to see your 'fears' in writing. This brings you one
step closer to disarming your fears. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful
in letting you put away concerns and organize your mind in order to make tomorrow
easier.
- Go to Sleep When Sleepy: When you feel tired, go to bed.
- Don’t Lie in Bed Awake: Get out of bed. Go into another room and do something
relaxing until you feel sleepy. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many
people awake.
- Television in the Bedroom: is a real no-no! To much light, stimulating
commercials and news shows tend to be alerting and keep us awake.
- In the Morning: Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening.
This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock.
- Catnip Leaf (Nepeta Cataria)
- produces a sedative effect. Animal studies
(except in cats) have found it to increase sleep.
- Hops (Humlus lupulus)
- if muscle tension is causing sleeplessness before
bedtime. In addition to its use in beer, hops has a long history of use in medicine
as a sedative/relaxant.
- Passion Flower (Passiflora Incarnata)
- is rich in flavonoids, which is its
primary constituents responsible for its relaxing and anti-anxiety effects.
- Skullcap (Scutellaria Lateriflora)
- is often used in synergy with Valerian to
create an effective remedy for insomnia. It is primarily an anti-spasmodic and
relieves muscle pain due to stress and menstrual cramps.
- Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis)
- is a safe and effective sleeping
aid.It is a wonderful, natural sleep assistanting herb and is considered the
'valium' of the herbal world.
View our practitioners directory for Herbal Therapies.
Got a question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Aromatherapy can help by reducing stress and promoting relaxation making it
easier to sleep. Use essential oils in baths, massage oils, or in a diffuser in the
bedroom as you relax. Aromatherapy allows you to calm and release tension in the
body, as well as, your emotional/spiritual well-being.
- Chamomile-
- known as a physical and emotional soother, this essential oil is
even suitable for children. Chamomile calms the nervous system and induces sleep.
- Clary Sage
- is anti-depressant and regulates the nervous system and is very
beneficial with stress-related problems.
- Lavender
- is a soothing, relaxing essential oil that soothes muscle soreness
and calms the central nervous system.
- Neroli
- is an anti-depressant and gentle nerve tonic. Orange blossom is most
helpful for treating depression, anxiety, nervous tension and stress related
problems.
View our practitioners directory for Aromatherapy. Got a
question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Water should be a very important part of any nutritional program. Distilled water
is best. 6-8 8 ounces per day. Water allows for the cleansing and hydrating of the
system.
Sipping a cup of herbal tea cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin
to prepare for sleep.
A Light Bedtime Snack Can Help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk,
turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you
relax. Try drinking warm milk or yoghurt, or eat a slice of toast with peanut butter
or a bowl of cereal before bedtime.
Eat Some Turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making
serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes
feelings of sleepiness. Eating foods containing tryptophan raise the levels of
serotonin produced in the body, which in turn increase a person's feeling of
sleepiness. It is best to eat tryptophan on an empty stomach. Other foods, besides
turkey, that contain a notable amount of tryptophan are: milk, cottage cheese,
yogurt, ice cream, chicken, cashews, soy beans and tuna.
Check Your Iron Level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping
so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability
to sleep.
Avoid Stimulants After Twilight. Coffee, colas, and even chocolate contain
caffeine, the powerful stimulant that can keep you up, so try not to consume them
past 4:00 p.m. Avoid alcohol at dinner and throughout the rest of the evening, if
you currently have a sleep problem and don't fix a nightcap to relax you before bed.
Alcohol does depress the central nervous system, but it also will disrupt your
sleep. In a few hours, usually during the middle of the night, its effects will wear
off, your body will slide into withdrawal, and you'll wake up.
View our practitioners directory for Herbal Therapies.
Got a question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this
page.">Diet and Nutrition. Got a question? You can get "instant info" by
emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
The mysterious and amazing healing power of water has been utilized for
centuries. Water cleanses, refreshes and restores all life. Try a warm, soothing
foot bath before bed. Fill the tub or foot basin with enough warm water to cover
your feet. Add some calming essential oils, sea salt or bubbles.
Take a soothing, relaxing bath. Fill the bath tub with hot water, adding sea
salts, calming essential oils like lavendar and chamomile, and soak for 15-20
minutes. As the water gets cool, replace the bath with warm water.
Return to therapies list.
This medical system uses infinitesimal doses of natural substances to stimulate a
person's immune system and body's natural defenses. Homeopathic remedies are named
for the plant or animal ingredients they are made from. Homeopathy not only offers
relief from temporary disorders but, can provide long term healing of a person due
to its individual and "wholistic" approach. This type of healing makes it easier and
possible to avoid recurrence or relapses in the future and homeopathy stimulates the
body's natural defense system by reestablishing normal immune system and cell
functioning.
Homeopathic remedies for insomnia:
- Coffea Cruda
- 6c for symptoms of a racing mind or nervous excitement.
Symptoms are aggravated by cold air, or when the mind is fully alert.
- Kali Phosphoricum
- 6c if symptoms occur such as weakness, irritability and
low spirits. Also symptoms of nervous exhaustion from too much mental strain and
exertion.
- Nux Vomica
- 30c if symptoms occur as light or disturbed sleep. Also, if you
always feel like you need more sleep or if bad dreams occur - which are often due to
overexertion or overindulgence in food or drink.
Return to therapies list.
Exercise during the day to exhaust the muscles and the mind. The moving is good
when we are depressed too! Aerobics, power walking, weight training, swimming are
all great for working the muscles and the mind. Exercise gets the blood flowing and
makes us move past many issues.
Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can
help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise
stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more
difficult.
Return to therapies list.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, insomnia is differentiated by the difficulty
falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, excessive dreaming, excessive
overthinking and/or frequent waking.
TCM recognizes imbalance of Yin and Yang, especially in insomnia patterns. Excess
Yang makes it difficult to fall asleep, while Excess Yin often has patterns of
dampness or phlegm, which cause patients to sleep more or heavy.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are effective therapies for the treatment of
insomnia. Acupuncture redirects your Qi into a more balanced flow. It provides
support to the underlying energetic spheres affected by your insomnia, helping to
resolve the cause or effects of your sleep problems. Acupuncture releases tension in
the muscles. This allows increased flow of blood, lymph, and nerve impulses to
affected areas, decreasing the pressure and blockage experienced by you.
View our practitioners directory for Tra
ditional Chinese Medicine. Got a question? You can get "instant info" by
emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Insomnia can arise from stress. Because stress upsets the delicate integral
balance of all your body's functions, regaining this balance requires a holistic
approach. This balance is expressed by your biochemistry, particularly for insomina
in the balance of the cortisol, serotonin and dopamine. massage therapy has been
shown to have a positive effect in getting these neurotransmitters back in balance.
Massage Therapy and gentle self massage not only calms your mind, but also affects
the whole of your metabolism through normalizing your circulatory, muscular and
nervous systems and their interdependent functioning.
Sleepless legs, or restless leg syndrome, is a common culprit in sleep
disruption. Massage will also help relax the muscles and improve circulation in the
lower legs - though these are not official causes of RLS, they do seem to help. If
you can reach your calf muscles with your hands, you may be able to relieve restless
legs with massage, says Elliot Greene, past president of the American Massage
Therapy Association. Begin by placing the palm of your left hand on the largest part
of your right calf. Your fingers should be pointing toward your heel. Then grab the
muscle firmly in your hand and pull it away from your leg as far as is comfortable.
Squeeze the muscle gently several times, then release the muscle. Repeat this for
about five minutes, then switch to your left calf, using your right hand to do the
massage.
Massage for insomnia can be done with calming aromatherapy to increase the
impact. Hot Stone Massage Therapy is also recommended for this condition. It is an
ancient healing therapy with river bed stones which draw out stress, tension and
impurities from the body.
View our practitioners directory for Massage Therapy or
Therapeutic
Touch. Got a question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on
this page.
Return to therapies list.
There is an emotional aspect to every illness. Often times, it is the emotional
thoughts or "excess emotions" that will lead to illness. Insomnia is often caused by
worry, emotional stress, the aging process and exhaustion.
The following techniques are utilized for calming the mind, help with stress
relief and focuses on our mental powers over any situation. The ability to balance
your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual self is up to you. Here are some
suggestions:
- Trust the Process of Life!
- Face fears head on by: writing them down on paper, acknowledging them, then move
on.
- Get rid of the quilt. This emotion is an endless irritant that does not allow
you to move forward.
- Release through the breath! Your breath is your connection to relaxation and
inner peace.
- Quiet your mind. Gain control over your thoughts and you gain control over your
life. Be in the here and now. Bring your attention to calm, peaceful sleep.
View our practitioners directory for psychotherapy and
counseling. Got a question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the
practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a
restless bedmate, switch to a queen or king-size bed. Test different types of
mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra
pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets. Make your
bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for
paying bills, doing work... Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest
or intimacy.
Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well
ventilated and the temperature consistent. Try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan
or a "white noise" machine to help block outside noises.
Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the
time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the
time when you are in bed.
Avoid sleeping with your head towards the door. The proper position in which to
have the bed and to sleep is in such a place that allows you to see the door but
without being right across from it. This way, you should always avoid sleeping with
your feet right in front of the entrance.
Avoid sleeping under a window. Sleeping under a window would have a bad impact on
your vital energy, as well as it might cause you to loose some of your positive
energy by dispersing it. If you can't avoid sleeping under a window, then you should
hang a curtain on the window.
Avoid having pictures of water or fountains in the bedroom. Keeping a fountain or
pictures of water in the bedroom can cause insomnia as well as attract bad luck to
those who sleep in the room.
Avoid any "poison arrows" pointing towards the bed. In order to find out if there
are poison arrows, you should check for any sharp edges or corners, (such as a desk
corner), which might point towards the place where you sleep. If you find any and
you can't get rid of them, you can neutralize its bad effect by covering it or by
placing a plant in front of it.
View our practitioners directory for Feng Shui. Got a
question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Yoga poses can be good alternatives to "traditional" health remedies because they
relax the body and mind, improve circulation and respiration, reduce tension and
help the body through it's healing process.
The Yogic breath exercise can be done without instruction, without danger, and
with a good chance that your discomfort and stressful feelings will be reduced.
Relaxation Breath is the most powerful tool for stress management.
Sit up, with your back straight in any position. Place your tongue against the
ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there throughout the
exercise. Exhale completely through your mouth.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, to a
count of eight. Repeat this cycle three more times for a total of four breaths. Try
to do this breathing exercise at least twice a day. You can repeat the whole
sequence as often as you wish, but don't do it more than four breaths at one time
for the first month of practice. This exercise is fairly intense and has a profound
effect on the nervous system.
Deep Diaphram Breath Sit with your legs crossed in a comfortable position.
Breathe slowly and evenly from your diaphragm, through your nose. Fill your lower
abdomen, lungs, then chest with air. Hold for a four count then slowly exhale the
air out from your chest, lungs, then lower abdomen. Repeat 3 or 4 times. That's it!
Just allow your shoulders to drop and your face relax as you breath, deep.
Also consider Child's Pose, Cat, Head to Knee, Knee to Chest, Laying Down Twist,
Standing and Seated Forward Bends, Standing Back Bends..
View our practitioners directory for Yoga. Got a question? You can
get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Meditation is a time-honored technique that can take you into infinite dimensions
of consciousness. One major principle to meditation is in the ability to completely
quiet your mind. Quieting the mind comes as a result of meditating over a long
period of time, but any time you are looking within, you are meditating.
There are many meditation methods. Some are passive and others are active -- not
in the physical sense, but in the sense that you actually do something during
meditation. Meditators learn to focus their awareness and direct it onto an object:
the breath, a phrase or word: a mantra, repeated silently, a memorized inspirational
phrase, an image in the mind's eye. Researchers have documented immediate benefits
in terms of lowered blood pressure, decreased heart and respiratory rate, increased
blood flow, and other measurable signs of the relaxation response.
Meditation will calm an agitated mind, creating optimal physical and mental
health, undo our sense of separateness, which is the common root of fear and misery,
unify consciousness, putting us in touch with our higher self and connect us to
higher consciousness. Meditation restructures the mind, allowing us to achieve our
full potential as human beings.
Fold your hands gently in your lap and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths.
Then just sit. If you have never meditated before, you will probably feel as if your
mind is full of thoughts. Don't try to stop the thoughts, just watch them. Imagine
that you are on the bank of a river and that your thoughts are the river going by.
Don't try to stop the river, just watch it. Within a week, you will see the river
begin to slow down. You may become impatient, or even bored. That's okay. If you
find yourself complaining, just watch the thoughts pass by. Do this for 5 to 10
minutes. You may find that you fall asleep because you are so relaxed. That's good
because, in many ways, you have begun to let go. Continue at this pace and each day
allow just alittle more time for yourself to meditate. Doing this allows you to
relax and forget about time.
View our practitioners directory for Meditation. Got a
question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Do Visualization: Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down
an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your
brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
Counting Sheep or counting backwards really does work. Try these visual games,
which are a simple but powerful tool for treating insomnia.
Return to therapies list.
When you are balanced, you can more effectively fight dis-ease, rid your system
of toxins, as well as, negative patterns. You can achieve balance through the
vibrational remedy and application of color. Color inteacts with the human energy
system in a unique way to stablize physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
conditions.
In the Morning: Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening.
This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock.
At Night: Try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light
will not interfere with your rest.
Blue, Turquoise, Purple, Indigo and Violet - Are all associated with the upper
Chakra, which are centered in the head and throat. They influence the thyroid,
pituitary and cerebral cortex and have shown to be helpful with insomnia in this
combination of colored light.
Return to therapies list.
Vibrational medicine, which validates that everything in the universe is in a
state of vibration and the frequency at which an object or person most naturally
vibrates is called resonance. The chakras, bones, and organs in the body all possess
a different resonant frequency. When an organ or part of the body is vibrating out
of tune or nonharmoniously, it is called "dis ease" or disease. A body is in a
healthy state of being when each cell, each organ creates a resonance that is in
harmony with the whole being.
Music is a powerful tool that can be used in so many ways. It has been proven
that the type of music that makes a person relax or become receptive is not any one
kind. It all depends on the individual and their affinity with it.
An amazing technique to relax before sleeping involves music - placed on the
belly. It must be baroque music in this case. You don't listen to it, but lay the
earphones of a portable music player on your belly for 5-10 minutes.
View our practitioners directory for Energy Medicine.
Got a question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
Crystals have both piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. This means that the
polarities of the crystal will change when subjected to pressure or heat (even body
heat from the hands). This will radiate energy from the crystal due to this reversal
of polarities. It provides the transfer, storage and transformation of energy
offering a balanced energy field, energy modification, and harmony and alignment
with the chakra energy areas.
Crystals to consider are:
- Amethyst
- clarifies the inner world of images and also our dream lives. If
you put amethyst under your pillow, you will find that, initially, it will strongly
stimulate dreaming until all undigested impressions have been clarified. After a few
days, however, sleep will become calmer, deeper and more refreshing.
- aventurine
- enhances relaxation, regeneration and recovery. Aventurine makes
us more patient and is calming to anger and annoyance.
- lepidolite
- bestows calm and inner peace and helps with sleep disturbances
A chakra balancing balances the seven main energy sources which govern all the
major organs and psychologically alters and clears the body's energy in order to
allow healing to take place. This can often be done by your Reiki practitioner, plus
Discover Yoga has a chakra balancing yoga class each month.
View our practitioners directory for Reiki. Got a
question? You can get "instant info" by emailing the practioners on this page.
Return to therapies list.
What is your experience with alternative and complementary medicine? Sharing your own experiences
often helps others. We'd love to know.
Meta-desc:
meta keywords:
|
|
