Natural Cures

Insomnia Herbs - Brewing Your Way to Sleep
 by: Michael Lee

Caffeine is a habit-forming drug. While it keeps you invigorated on nonetheless lethargic mornings, it will likewise keep you from having some much-needed sleep at night. Because of disturbed sleep, you’ll be craving sleep again the next day, not to mention jumpy and touchy and you’ll stagger towards the coffeemaker the first chance you get.

It’s a self-perpetuating cycle, and it must be stopped. If you cannot wean yourself off caffeine totally, at least try to lessen your intake. Doing this includes stopping drinking and eating colas, chocolate, and yes, the ubiquitous Starbucks. Have some insomnia herbs instead.

Valerian root is the best there is. It is “the safest and most effective sleep aid with no side effects,” according to British scientist turned herbal guru Dr. Malcolm Stuart, who says the best time to drink it would be around 8 PM. Thirty minutes before taking to bed, use one to two teaspoons of the dried root to make a sleep-inducing tea. Unlike sleep aids, valerian causes no heavy feeling the day after. And as opposed to its counterpart synthetic cures, which may bring on an addiction, you will not develop a dependency on this herb.

Just like valerian root in terms of its sleep-inducing effects is catnip. Not only is this herb used as a answer to insomnia, but it is also thought to be a solution to nervousness, anxiety, and even migraines. The administration of catnip is again similar to valerian–one to two teaspoons of the dried herb for one cup of boiled water and set aside to infuse for around ten minutes. Do not boil the herb along with the water as this may destroy some of its active ingredients.

Chamomile is milder and is recommended for children to take, more so when they are restless. The usual dosage is two teaspoons of dried chamomile flower for a cup of tea.

Lavender also makes for a very soothing drink at night (three flower heads to one cup of boiling water, immersed like catnip), and taking a whiff of a few drops of its oil or mixing it with your bath water has the same soothing effect. It may also be rubbed onto your body during a massage and its flowers and seeds stuffed into your pillows.

In Chinese medicine, the longan fruit and sour jujube seed are also known to soothe the spirit. The former is used to help insomnia, while the latter complements stronger cures.

While the insomnia herbs mentioned above may be ingested alone, you may also mix an herbal cocktail if you prefer. Try blending valerian with chamomile, catnip, or some other mild herbs like hops and passionflower. Add a small amount of the natural sweetener stevia if you like if you find the taste slightly too strong to your taste. Don’t consume too much to spare yourself from sleep-disturbing trips to the loo.

While there is nothing fundamentally bad with relying on insomnia herbs, homeopathy, and aromatherapy to go off to slumberland, it is still best to let nature take its course and let your body to drift off to sleep left alone, the way it’s made for. To let your body to perform at its best, a lifestyle overhaul should be undertaken.

To prevent sleep disorders, having an exercise regimen, proper stress management, and committing to a healthy diet made up mostly of fruits and vegetables is the the healthiest way to go, aside from consuming your favorite concoction of insomnia herbs. While you’re at it, why don’t we have a cup of antioxidant-rich and comforting Valerian-laced grape juice? Cheers!

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Facts About Insomnia – Effective Methods to Treat Insomnia Revealed!
 by: Michael Lee

Basic Facts About Insomnia

Simply put, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep when you want to. It is characterized by little or poor-quality sleep.

There are three types of insomnia depending on the duration of the condition: 1) Transient or short-term insomnia, as the term implies, lasts only for one night to a few weeks; 2) Intermittent insomnia is short-term but recurring; 3) Chronic insomnia is the most serious as it happens at least three times a week for a month, year, or even a lifetime.

A main effect of insomnia is excessive sleepiness, which can be accompanied with restlessness, fatigue, lethargy, and irritability, among others. It can also cause problems in concentrating and focusing. The insomniac is there but not quite there. This is most common among chronic insomnia sufferers, who may find themselves in a constant state of limbo.

Insomniacs can be also more accident-prone. The cause of one out of every five highway accidents is the driver falling asleep momentarily.

In the long term, insomnia can affect relationships at home and work, hobbies, recreational activities, and general state of mind. More than just a sleep disorder, it can greatly affect quality of life; that’s why it is vital to know the facts about insomnia.

Insomnia Causes

Sleeplessness may be caused by any or a combination of the following:

1) Diet high in stimulants. Caffeine is the main culprit. Drinking too much coffee, tea, colas and eating too much chocolate, especially in the evening, can cause problems sleeping. Alcohol is also not recommended – a nightcap may induce sleepiness at first, but prevents you from going into deep sleep, or the REM state, and thus, lets you sleep less soundly.

2) Environmental factors. Noise, light, sudden weather changes, a room that is too hot or too cold, can disturb sleep, if not delay it.

3) Change in routine. Traveling often, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, and a job with variable schedules are examples of routine interruptions that can cause insomnia, though short-term.

4) Stress or stressful life events. Work-related problems, relationship problems, anticipation of an upcoming event like a presentation or medical exam, and sudden life events like divorce and death of a loved one are only some examples. Anxiety related to stress may very well be the number one reason why you can’t catch a wink.

5) Medical conditions. Asthma, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, peptic ulcer, anxiety disorders, can prevent you from falling into restful slumber.

6) Hormones. A woman suffering from menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweating may have trouble sleeping. Insomnia in teenagers, meanwhile, occur mostly because of the onset of puberty, where sleeping needs and sleeping patterns usually change.

Insomnia Treatment the Natural Way

There are different insomnia treatment options, ranging from the natural insomnia herbs to the medical. Medical treatment, usually through sleeping pills, have unpleasant side effects and can ironically cause further insomnia in the long run, so therapy and natural methods are safer and more effective. Below are some examples.

1) Aromatherapy. For bouts of sleeplessness from time to time, taking a bath before going to bed using a few drops of essential oils like lavender, marjoram, or ylang-ylang can help. Or you can drop these oils directly on your pillow.

2) Flower essence therapy. White chestnut particularly helps cure insomnia gradually, usually in just a few weeks. Flower remedies can be bought in some health food stores or via mail in some websites.

3) Herbal therapy. Valerian is known as the best herbal treatment for insomnia, as it decreases nervous system activity. Use as per dosage instructions in the pack.

4) Relaxation therapy. This involves progressive muscle relaxation training, imagery training, hypnosis among others. This can be learned alone or with the help of a qualified practitioner. These techniques can relax your body and mind and make you feel drowsy and ready for bed.

5) Reconditioning. This method involves re-associating the bedroom and bed with sleep only. In applying this technique, activities like eating, reading, and watching TV cannot be done in bed. Napping for more than 30 to 45 minutes during the day is also discouraged. A fixed wake-up time is also scheduled to train the body.

Knowing these facts about insomnia, you and your loved ones can deal with the condition better should it come.

Insomnia : the Frustration and the Danger
 by: Jane Morris

To many people, insomniacs can be the butt of many a cruel joke – somebody who is always yawning, always bumping into things, a ‘clumsy oaf!’, not being very aware of their surroundings, and generally ‘not with it’.

But such behavior, rather than being perceived as funny, can in reality cause death and destruction on a very wide scale. It is bad enough that over 200,000 car accidents a year in the United States alone are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel – but what if you are a passenger on a crowded train with an insomniac as the driver?

Insomnia is a common sleep sickness that has bothered many people around the world. But the consequences brought about by this disorder may not be as ordinary as it may seem. It can be downright punishing. However, like many previously dismissed conditions it has its roots in definable medical conditions, and if treated correctly, can be cured.

Lack of sleep actually poses dangers to your brain, and as your brain controls all of the functions of you body, sleep depravation may also damage them. For instance, studies have shown that sleep deprived person get sick more often, and may in many instances suffer financial hardships, as they are not capable of making clear, concise decisions.

You know the frustration of looking repeatedly at your clock while endlessly moving around in your bed. It’s mental and emotional agony to say the least. The tension builds up to its peak when you see the sunrise, and you have to go to the office lacking so much energy after spending a sleepless night.

The problem is, most people reach for the pills when they can not sleep, thinking that this is the cure-all. However, lifestyle, stress, what and when you eat and drink, and even the amount of sunshine you get can all be contributory factors.

You don’t have to suffer anymore. Here are some tips to help you snooze faster than you could ever expect.

1) Wake up and go to bed at the same time everyday, even during the weekends. Some insomniacs tend to sleep at any time of the day to catch up on some sleep they lose during the night. Now this is the biggest mistake you can make. It ruins your body clock and will only worsen your insomnia. If you can’t sleep one night, get up the usual time the next morning. You’ll be sleeping soundly like a baby the next night.

2) Don’t eat within 4 hours before you go to bed. If in case you went hungry, try some crackers or light snack. But don’t indulge in an “eat-all-you-can” feast right before bedtime. Your food won’t be digested well, resulting in poor and uncomfortable sleep.

3) Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol. Caffeine can obstruct your ability to sleep. Alcohol can make you drowsy, but it can wake you up in the middle of the night and bring you side effects that will hinder a continuous sleep process.

4) Relax and stay fit. Avoid having a stressful lifestyle. Exercise daily to release tension. Engage in breathing exercises to relax your body. Most important of all, don’t carry your problems or emotional baggage to sleep with you. Forget about it for the mean time. You can go back and solve your dilemma better the next day after a restful sleep.

5) Never force yourself to sleep. Trying your best to sleep requires some work. You don’t want to work when you want to doze off. Sleep comes best if you are in a relaxed and comfortable state. Just lie down, relax, and let the sleeping fairy cast its spell upon you.

How To Give Up Insomnia
 by: Elaine Currie, BA (Hons)

I am writing this on a Sunday morning following a very restless night when sleep just didn’t want to be my friend. I have suffered with insomnia for many years but, by using a combination of techniques, it is more or less under control.

Yesterday, I spent much too long working on changes to my website. I was enjoying it, so the time shot by. I ended up sending out for a big Chinese meal late in the evening. A vast quantity of spicy food was washed down with several glasses of wine. If you want to lie awake half the night, just do as I did. The remedy is simple and obvious. Time to get a grip on the lifestyle.

Self-inflicted insomnia is easily cured. What I call “real” insomnia is a beast of a much deeper hue, debilitating and much harder to defeat. Even so, it is not impossible to overcome and there is a whole range of things you can do to get the upper hand.

Here I should state that I do not pretend to have any special medical or therapeutic knowledge and I would not advise anybody to stop taking their prescribed medication. I am just sharing my experiences in the hope that they might help other people who are struggling through wakeful nights.

The following tips for getting off to sleep are pretty well known but I think they are worth repeating.

 
1. Keep the bedroom just for bed with no reminders of daytime activities like work or study. Decorate the room in restful colours and use soft lighting. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and the ventilation adequate. Hang curtains which are heavy enough to block out the early morning light. 
2. Have a bedtime routine. This does not involve doing anything special, it is just a matter of doing the same things in the same order each night. We all have things we do regularly: empty the dishwasher, put out the cat, lock the front door, set the alarm, brush teeth etc. These routine things are our steps away from the activity of the day, towards the restful night. 
3. Make a soak in a warm bath part of your nightly ritual. Adding a few drops of aromatherapy oil to the water makes it doubly relaxing, soft background music makes the experience positively decadent. 
4. Don’t drink alcohol late at night. A nightcap might make you feel drowsy but it will disrupt your natural sleep rhythms and exacerbate your problem. 
5. A warm milky drink is the best thing to have last thing at night. (Yes, our mothers were right when they made us drink cocoa.) There are tons of instant milky drinks available and most ranges have low fat options. If you don’t like this milky, chocolatey type of drink, try out herbal teas but avoid anything containing caffeine. 
6. Exercise is important but should be performed several hours before bedtime otherwise the adrenaline will still be pumping around your system and keeping you awake.

What if you follow the above tips, fall peacefully asleep and then wake up three hours later, in the dark middle of the night? To me, this is the most distressing type of insomnia. I know how it feels to wake up at 2.00 am, listen to the clock chime every hour round to 7.00 am, fall asleep and be rudely awakened by the alarm at 7.30. I always feel worse after that final snatched half hour of sleep than I felt in the middle of the night and sometimes get up insanely early to avoid it. The following tips can help you get back to sleep.

 
1. Recognise why you are awake. If you are too hot, cold or uncomfortable in any way, fix that problem. I often wake up thirsty, so I always have a jug of water at my bedside. Sometimes a drink of water is all that’s needed to get back to sleep. 
2. Relax by breathing slowly and deeply and by concentrating on tensing and then relaxing every muscle in your body, one by one, starting with toes and working upwards to your head. 
3. Keep a pen and paper by your bed so if you are worrying about things you have to do, you can write them down in a list. This way you can stop worrying about forgetting anything important. As you write each thing down, visualise it leaving your brain and lodging itself on paper where you will find it safely in the morning. I find this exercise helps a lot if I have things on my mind.

If all this fails, you have been awake for over half an hour and know you are in for a long wakeful night; give up, get up, go do things. You won’t feel any worse and you will probably feel better. There is no point in wasting those hours just lying there worrying about insomnia. If you feel sleepy further into the night, you can always go back to bed.

I gave up insomnia by sleeping whenever I could and getting up and doing things when I was wide awake even if it was the middle of the night. I decided to sleep when I could, not worry if I woke up at strange hours and not waste time tossing and turning in search of sleep. The decision to stop worrying was the key to my recovery.

I was fortunate in that I was not tied to a 9-5 work schedule, most of my work was done at home or in the library. All I had to do was make sure I was there for my children who were all school age.

Over a few weeks I “enjoyed” a strange lifestyle. I would go to bed at my normal time, get up at any time of night when I couldn’t sleep (usually between 3.00 am and 5.00 am) and read or write essays or do quiet household chores. Then I would get the children up and see that they had breakfast and got off to school. I would then, depending how I felt, carry on working or go to bed. My alarm would be set so that I did not have to worry about being asleep when the children came home from school (I never was: I think mothers have an internal alarm clock). I would sleep for as long as I needed and then get up and carry on with my day. At weekends I could sleep while the children were doing homework or out with their friends.

Gradually, my night-time sleep became longer and my spells of daytime sleep grew shorter. Without any effort or worrying, I reverted to a normal sleep pattern and resumed a conventional timetable.

Several years afterwards I came across this quotation: “If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep”. — Dale Carnegie. I couldn’t have put it better myself!

If you have commitments which prevent you from using this “cure”, I suggest you give it a try over a holiday weekend or any other time you can manage to be home for three or more consecutive days. You will not find sleep if you search for it or worry about it, relax and it will come to you.

3 Surefire Ways To Cure Insomnia While Sleeping Less!
 by: Ebe Heng

Seems like you never get enough rest even after sleeping long hours? You would know part of the reasons for this fatigue, as you suffer from insomnia. But the other part on waking up tired even after a good long sleep eludes you.

A good example of how insomnia wreck havoc in a person live can be found my friend, Darren. Suffering from insomnia, he finds it very difficult to concentrate and stay awake during the day. This leads to a couple of failed relationship and lost opportunities for promotion, because his tiredness is seen as insincerity and no interest.

Highlighted above shows the mild effects of insomnia, the tragic ones with many lives lost would be traffic accidents where the drivers doze off.

Okay, now we succeeded in making you sit up and realized that sleep disorder can disrupt your life, here’s 3 surefire ways to sleep once your head touches the pillow: -

Following a routine:

Following a routine would assist us to sleep better because of our sleep cycle. 1 sleep-cycle contains 4 stages of sleep with the last stage being the REM rapid eye movement sleep, which is the easiest to wake up.

Getting up before or after REM sleep would make you very drowsy and not rested. The former happens because you have not completed 1 cycle, the latter because of the halting of a new cycle. Therefore, from this experiment with your waking time, you would know what time you are the most alert and that would be the end of your REM.

And by the way, to get good sleep, you would need at least 1 cycle, which range between 5-6 hours depending on individuals. So, to get quality sleep and to feel energetic for the entire day, you do not need more sleep but waking at the right time (6 hours versus the recommended 8 hours).

Sleeping Environment:

Now, not all of us would enjoy the ‘correct’ sleep cycle. If you suffer from insomnia, chances are, you might have a disrupted cycle. So, we need to ‘persuade’ your sleep-cycle on when is the right time to sleep and wake.

To do that we need to lowered our body temperature. Low temperature makes one drowsy while high temperature makes one alert.

Creating an environment would give the body the low temperature (drowsy), sleep experts say that the ideal room temperature is 65 to 70 degrees F. This would give your body the low temperature to fall asleep.

To make sleep even more effective, we should encourage the production of a chemical known as melatonin, which induces sleep.

A darkened room (darkness) would release melatonin. These two prong approach would slowly conditioned your body to feel drowsy for you to begin your sleep-cycle

Exercise:

To even better your sleep-cycle, you need to exercise, and preferably in the daytime under the sun. Exercising under the sun contributes to raising your body temperature.

As a rule of thumb, if you maintain a high body temperature through the day, as night approaches, your body temperature would drop and you would fall asleep easily (that’s assuming that you want to sleep at night).

Go ahead and learn more about sleep disorder and quality sleep. Without reading this article, would you have known that sleeping more does not mean better rest or feeling more energetic? So, to effectively cure your insomnia and get more quality sleep, try to see insomnia as your enemy, something you need to know more in order to defeat it.

“Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you can win every battles”
Sun Tzu
Art Of War