Insomnia

Insomnia
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG) & Kimberly Balas, ND

Insomnia, the inability to fall asleep or obtain a good night's rest, can be caused by anxiety and stress, depression, adrenal exhaustion or liver congestion. Sometimes, just taking something that helps relax the nervous system shortly before bedtime is enough.
Herbal Sleep formula may be helpful here. Take 3-6 capsules about one hour before bedtime to help you relax.
If you have a lot of muscle tension, add 1 -2 capsules of Kava Kava.

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland to induce sleep, can be helpful for resetting your biological clock when crossing time zones due to travel or when situations have disrupted your normal sleep pattern.

If sleep problems are accompanied by depression and carbohydrate cravings, you may be low in serotonin.
Seratonin is the building block for melatonin in the brain.
5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and helps increase serotonin levels in the brain. Try taking 5-HTP Power about one hour before bedtime. Since the pineal gland converts serotonin to melatonin when dark, simply darkening the room helps improve the sleep patterns. Light pollution (excess light at night) is a common cause of sleep disturbances.

Watching TV or playing on the computer (in your bedroom) doesn't help relax and get to sleep because you are staring at a source of light, which inhibits melatonin production. Try reading with a reading lamp or listening to music in a darkened room instead.

If you have trouble staying asleep or have disturbed sleep with restless dreams, this can be a sign of adrenal fatigue or blood sugar problems. Nervous Fatigue Formula or Adrenal Support can help.

If you wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, wide awake and unable to go back to sleep, then your adrenals are kicking in gear with a shot of adrenaline to boost a very low blood sugar at night. Get off of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates and try eating a snack containing some fat and protein about one hour before bedtime. Good choices would be a few spoonfuls of organic cottage cheese or nut butter, nuts or a spoonful of coconut Oil.

If you're a coffee and/or sugar addict, then it's time to start breaking these addictions. Replace coffee with Chicori or other natural beverages and replace sugar with complex carbohydrates such as whole grains.

Hormonal imbalances may be a culprit in disturbed sleep patterns in women. Consider getting a saliva hormone test to determine your hormonal balance (or go to this page for help)

If you have a difficult time getting to sleep, then wake up groggy in the morning, you have a toxic liver. Liver formulas like Liver Balance can be helpful in this case.

Below is a list of suggested products. Those in bold are key products for the health issue explained on this page.
For details and ordering simply copy a product's name in the search box above or click on the bold name.

Therapies: Aromatherapy, Avoid Caffeine, Eliminate Allergy-Causing Foods, Epsom Salt Bath, Hydration,
Low Glycemic Diet and Stress Management

Herbs: Blue Vervain, Catnip, Chamomile, Eleuthero, Hops, Kava Kava, Lobelia, Passion Flower, St. John's Wort and Valerian Root

Herbal Formulas: AdaptaMax, Herbal Sleep, Liver Balance TCM, Mood Elevator, Nervous Fatigue TCM and Stress Relief.

Nutritional Supplements: Nutri-Calm and Vitamin B-Complex

Nutrients: Calcium and Magnesium

Nutraceuticals: 5-HTP Power, Adrenal Support, GABA Plus and Melatonin Extra

Essential Oils: Frankincense, Jasmine Absolute, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Rose Bulgaria and Ylang Ylang