Types of Insomnia
• Transient insomnia lasts from days to weeks. It can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, severe depression, or by stress. Its consequences - sleepiness and impaired functioning.
• Acute insomnia is the inability to consistently sleep well for a period of between three weeks to six months.
• Chronic insomnia lasts for years at a time. It can be caused by another disorder, or it can be a primary disorder. They include symptoms like sleepiness, muscular fatigue, hallucinations and mental fatigue; but people with chronic insomnia often show increased alertness.
Patterns of Insomnia
• Onset insomnia - difficulty falling asleep at the beginning of the night, linked to anxiety disorders.
• Middle-of-the-Night Insomnia - difficulty returning to sleep after awakening in the middle of the night or waking too early.
• Middle insomnia - waking during the middle of the night, difficulty maintaining sleep. Often associated with pain disorders or medical illness.
• Terminal (or late) insomnia - early morning waking. Characteristic of clinical depression.
Causes of Insomnia
Physical Causes
• Hormonal changes in women, caused by PMS, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
• Decreased melatonin, the hormone that helps control sleep, decreases as a person ages.
• Medical conditions, like allergies, arthritis, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and Parkinson's disease.
• Pain, Caused by a medical illness/ injury likely to interfere with sleep.
• Genetics, Problems with insomnia do seem to run in some families, although researchers have yet to identify how genetics play a role.
• Other sleep disorders, like sleep apnoea and periodic leg and arm movements during sleep.
Psychological Causes
• Anxiety, a condition in which individuals feel increased tension, apprehension, fear, worry, feelings of helplessness and uncertainty – due to work stress, financial worries, concerns over relationships.
• Stress or how effectively a person copes with any emotional, physical, social, economic, or other factors that require a response or change.
• Depression, a mood disturbance characterized by feelings of sadness, discouragement and despair, loss of loved ones.
Environmental Causes for Insomnia
• Time zone change
• Different culture
• Change of job or living situation
• Night shift or rotating shift work
• Newborn baby in the home
• Change of season
Physical Causes for Insomnia
• Change of diet
• Change of exercise or level of activity
• Menopause
• Hormonal changes, such as menstrual cycles
• Caffeine
• Illegal substances
• Many types of prescription drugs
• Some over the counter drugs, including aspirin
• Some natural supplements
• Quitting smoking etc…
Psychological Causes of Insomnia
• Stress – home, work, children, finances, all of these can gang up on you and have you unable to go to sleep at night or waking up and unable to get back to sleep.
• Anxiety – can be a real medical and psychological problem which you may have problems shaking all on your own, but anxiety can really disrupt your natural sleep cycle in all kinds of bad ways.
• Depression – is the big daddy of insomnia causes. Contrary to this affliction’s name, “depression,” the condition suppresses your body’s natural drives. One of those drives is sleep.
Emotional Insomnia Cause
• Depression
• Worrying
• Anxiety
• Anger and Resentment
• Mental Excitement and Overstimulation
• Post-Traumatic Stress
Figuring out why you can’t sleep
• Are you under a lot of stress?
• Are you depressed or feel emotionally flat or hopeless?
• Do you struggle with chronic feelings of anxiety or worry?
• Have you recently gone through a traumatic experience?
• Are you taking any medications that might be affecting your sleep?
• Do you have any health problems that may be interfering with sleep?
• Is your sleep environment quiet and comfortable?
• Are you spending enough time in sunlight during the day and in darkness at night?
• Do you try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day?
Symptoms of insomnia:
• Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired
• Waking up frequently during the night
• Trouble getting back to sleep when awakened
• Exhausting sleep
• Relying on sleeping pills or alcohol to fall asleep
• Waking up too early in the morning
• Daytime drowsiness, fatigue, or irritability
• Difficulty concentrating during the day
Coping with shift work
Working nights or irregular shifts can disrupt your sleep schedule, requiring you to sleep during daylight hours. But you may be able to limit the adverse impact by practicing the healthy bedtime habits above, and following these tips:
• Adjust your sleep-wake cycle by exposing yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, use bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wear dark glasses on your journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.
• Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation mounting up.
• Avoid frequently rotating shifts so you can maintain the same sleep schedule.
• Avoid a long commute that cuts into your sleep time. The more time you spend traveling home in daylight, the more awake you’ll become and the harder you’ll find it is to get to sleep.
• Make sleep a priority at the weekends or on your days off so you can pay off your sleep debt.
• Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or a soothing sound machine to block out daytime noise.
Everybody loses sleep here and there, and your body can adjust for temporary shortcomings. But if you develop a chronic pattern of sleeping less than five or six hours a night, then you're increasing your risk of a number of health conditions, including:
• Heart disease
• Autoimmune diseases
• Arthritis
• Neuro-degenerative diseases
• Cancer
One of the most common symptoms of insomnia is a condition called "cognitive popcorn:"
"Cognitive popcorn is something that occurs when you put your head down, trying to go to sleep or trying to get back to sleep in the middle of the night, and suddenly your mind starts to produce all of these thoughts.
They're unwanted thoughts, uncontrollable thoughts. It's as if the mind has a mind of its own. That's a very common complaint that keeps people awake."
In order to understand why you can't sleep, you need to understand that sleep is the outcome of an interaction between two classes of variables: sleepiness and "noise.
1. Sleepiness – Under normal conditions, your sleepiness should gradually increase throughout the day, peaking just before you go to bed at night. This is ideal, as you want your sleepiness to be high at the beginning of the night.
2. "Noise" – refers to any kind of stimulation that inhibits or disrupts sleep. If noise is conceptually greater than your level of sleepiness, you will not fall asleep.
"Noise" occurs in three zones: the mind level, body level, and the environmental level.
"If you're energized during the day, you're feeling passionate, you want to move, be productive and so on, that's great. But if that experience occurs in the middle of the night, that becomes a kind of noise."
The most common type of mind noise, however, is the "cognitive popcorn;" unstoppable thoughts running through your mind at night.
Examples of body noise include pain, discomfort, indigestion, side effects from prescription drugs, or residual caffeine from drinking coffee too late in the day.
Environmental noise is usually obvious, such as noises in your room or house, a snoring partner, music, lights, or a bedroom that's too warm.
In order to get a good night's sleep, you want your sleepiness level to be high, and the noise level to be low.
Therefore, the FIRST thing you need to ask yourself when you can't sleep is:
• "Where/What is the noise (mind/body/environmental)?"
Two Common Problems that Can Keep You Tossing and Turning
Two very important contributing factors that can make sleep elusive are:
• Light
• Temperature
Why You Need to Sleep in Complete Darkness
Having too much light in your bedroom at night can interfere with your body's production of melatonin. Melatonin is both a hormone and an important antioxidant against cancer.
Disrupted melatonin production, caused by lack of bright light during the day, and too much light in the evening and at night, can also have a significantly detrimental impact on your health, aside from "just" disrupting your sleep. There's actually strong evidence showing there is a dose-dependent relationship between exposure to light at night and a significantly increased risk for breast cancer.
When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin (a hormone AND an antioxidant) and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.
Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary
1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio. Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.
All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock. Light signals your brain that it's time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep. When you sleep, your body's internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body's natural temperature drop.
3. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
4. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock, an alarm that combines the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc.) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, simulating sunrise.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.
Preparing for Bed
8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it's time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks to bed reduces night waking. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It's too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD. Another favorite is the Sleep Harmony CD, which uses a combination of advanced vibrational technology and guided meditation to help you effortlessly fall into deep delta sleep within minutes. The CD works on the principle of "sleep wave entrainment" to assist your brain in gearing down for sleep.
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful to keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my cortisol levels are high.
Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep
24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely affect sleep. In most cases, the condition causing the drugs to be taken in the first place can be addressed by following guidelines elsewhere on my web site.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep. Please refer to mynutrition plan forrecommendations.
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.
30. Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.
31. If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
Relaxation techniques that can help you sleep
• A relaxing bedtime routine. As a start to your relaxation practice, develop a calming bedtime routine. Focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music. Keep the lights low.
• Abdominal breathing. Most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, it can actually help our parasympathetic nervous system, which controls relaxation. Close your eyes and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You can try making each exhale a little longer than each inhale.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.
Ujjayi Yoga Pranayama
Ujjayi Yoga Pranayama, or the victorious breath, is a breathing technique worth having tucked away in your toolbox of valuable yoga exercises for optimum living.
Benefits of Ujjayi Pranayama:
• Relaxes the mind and calms the entire organism down.
• Promotes a sense of joy and peace.
• Prepares the mind for meditation.
• Rebalanced the internal systems, helps the body regain it’s equilibrium and promotes longevity.
• Excellent technique for those who can’t sleep and helps treat insomnia.
• Helps lower blood pressure.
Instructions for Beginner’s Ujjayi Breathing Technique:
You are welcome to do Ujjayi Pranayama, sitting, standing, lying down or even while taking a walk.
• Start by taking five long, deep, slow breaths to help relax you.
• Close your eyes if you like. Do close them if you can’t sleep and are going to use this breathing technique to help you conquer insomnia.
• Now comes the slightly tricky part. You can going to constrict the throat muscles slightly and visualize as if you are breathing through a hole in your throat. This slight constriction and visualization should lead to the air making a soft oceanic sound as it passes through your throat region. The sound should be that of the distant ocean surf. Steady and soft as you inhale and also, steady and soft as you exhale. Pretend as if you are breathing not through your nose, but your throat instead.
• Continue to breathe in this way and allow you entire mind and body to be consumed by this pleasant sound. Find a nice slow rhythm and lose yourself to it.
• Continue on for as long as you like, or until you fall asleep .
Instructions for Advanced Ujjayi Breathing Technique:
The advanced version of this technique incorporates breath retention into the cycle. Don’t use the advanced version if you are employing the technique to help you sleep. Simply use the beginner’s version and extend the time for inhalation and exhalation to a comfortable level.
For the advanced version, you are going to develop the inhalation, hold breath in, exhalation time cycle to a ratio of x-4x-2x. So if you inhale for 4 seconds, you will hold your breath in for 16 seconds and then use 8 seconds to exhale. But it is very important that you move towards this ratio slowly.
A good approach is to work up to 4-4-4 and then gently increase the hold and exhalation portion to 4-5-5 until, 4-8-8. Then work your way up to 4-9-8 and onwards to 4-16-8. Again, find an approach that suits you, but in all cases don’t strain or overdo it.
You can practice Ujjayi Pranayama for 11 minutes or more.
Buteyko holistic self-oxygenation therapy:
There is a simple breathing exercise for insomnia developed by Russian doctors practicing the Buteyko holistic self-oxygenation therapy. The exercise was used by many thousands of people in Russia and taught to them by over 200 doctors. The exercise helps to fall asleep much sooner.
In order to be successful, the following are preliminary requirements.
1. Go to sleep when you are really sleepy.
2. Before and during sleep breathe only through the nose (if you cannot, learn the breathing exercise to unblock the nose
3. Do not sleep on your back
Steps to follow
Relax all your muscles when you are lying in bed on your tummy or left side. Focus on your breathing for a minute. What do you feel? If the sensations are vague, take a deep but slow in-breath and relax to slowly exhale. Do you feel the airflow going through your nostrils? Do you have any sensations at the back of your throat? Are there any feelings about movement of air inside the chest and bronchi? What do you sense near your stomach?
Next, instead of taking your usual inhalation, take a slightly smaller inhalation (only about 5-10% less) and then immediately relax all muscles, especially upper chest and all other breathing muscles. Take another (smaller) inhalation and again completely relax.
With each breath, take a small or reduced inhalation and then completely relax. You will soon experience light air hunger. The goal is to preserve this light comfortable level of air hunger for 2-3 minutes.
The breathing can be frequent during this reduced or shallow breathing but this is OK. If you do the exercise correctly, you will notice the following signs:
- The arms and feet will get warm in about 2-3 minutes after starting the reduced breathing (this is the central sign);
- The nasal passages will become moist and the nose colder in about the same 2-3 minutes.
A more advanced version
A more advanced version of this exercise involves stress-free comfortable breath-holds for faster results. However, people who suffer from heart problems, hypertension, panic attacks, or migraine headaches should avoid any breath holds. These people can stick with the above-described version. How is this version with breath holds done?
After your usual exhalation, pinch the nose and hold your breath only until the first discomfort. Immediately release your nose, but instead of your usual inhalation, take a small inhale, and then relax for exhalation. Continue the reduced breathing as it is described above.
BREATHING EXERCISES FOR INSOMNIA
BELLY BREATHING
Belly breathing is the conscious use of the lower part of your lungs to breathe. When done properly your stomach, as opposed to your chest, will rise and lower as you breathe. In a report for NPR, Allison Aubrey likens this to baby breathing because it emulates the pattern of a sleeping infant. The article goes on to cite Jon Seskevich, a stress management educator at Duke University, who promotes this technique. The relaxing effect of proper breathing enhances calm, takes stress off of the heart and can help ease you into sleep.
COMPLETE BREATH
An article by James Kennedy on yoga breathing techniques describes another type of breathing that will enhance calm and contribute to falling asleep. The technique is called the complete breath or three-part breathing technique. The article also points out that yogic breathing has even been shown to alter brainwave patterns, improving anxiety and response to stress. In order to perform this technique, the individual expands the chest in three stages: first the lower area, then the middle and finally the top. Exhaling in the reverse order achieves a breath that makes maximum use of lung capacity. Singular focus on the task as well as the deep rhythmic breathing can help overcome nagging thoughts that may keep you awake.
LEFT NOSTRIL BREATHING
Another breathing technique that can help bring on slumber and finds its roots in yoga is alternate nostril breathing. Kundalini Yoga states that the two nostrils are tied to different kinds of energy. Breathing through the right nostril causes stimulation and the left relaxation. In this technique, place a finger against the right nostril and breathe deeply though the left. If possible, slow your breathing to a rate of four breaths a minute, which is a count to seven or eight for each inhale and then again for the exhale.
QUICK RELAXATION
A method promoted by the Cleveland Clinic combines controlled breathing with a mental exercise that can help you relax. It begins with a few deep breaths after which you begin a metal exercise. Consciously scan your body for tension and lets it go one area at a time. Roll the head slowly, then the shoulders. Finally spend a few moments thinking of something pleasant. Finish with more slow controlled breaths, possibly using another relaxing breathing technique.
BREATHING DISORDERS AND INSOMNIA
Insomnia is linked to breathing patterns. A large amount of research links problems such as sleep apnea, which is when an individual stops breathing during sleep, to other health problems such as insomnia, depression and even cardiovascular disease. The University of California, San Diego even has a sleep medicine center that can help sufferers achieve normal breathing patters that allow normal, restful sleep. Consult a physician right away if you are suffering from any of these conditions.
Home Remedies For Insomnia
• An effective way to treat insomnia would be to have milk form the poppy seeds. Extract 30 grams of milk from poppy seeds and add some sugar to it. Have this mixture everyday after dinner.
• Grind four nutmegs to make a fine powder out of it. Have this powder every night before going to sleep.
• Insomnia can be treated following the same routine i.e. try to sleep at a fixed time every night and wake up at a fixed time in the morning. This would set a sleeping schedule.
• Hot fomentations help to solve the problem of insomnia. Apply hot packs to the spine and have hot footbath before going to bed.
• Intake a cup of milk with honey. This is effective in curing insomnia.
• Grind the root of pippali (Piper longum) plant to make a fine powder. Every night, have 1 tsp of this powder along with jaggery and a glass of warm milk.
• Take a ripe banana and mash it. Add roasted cumin seeds to it and mix properly. Consume this mashed mix before going to sleep.
• Extract fresh juice of valerian wallichi. Intake 1 tsp of this every night before going to sleep.
• Do regular exercise or partake in some physical activities everyday. This would /solve the problem of insomnia. Walking, jogging, skipping and swimming are the good exercises for treating insomnia.
• Mix 1 tsp each of juice of celery leaves with stalks and honey. Consume this mixture everyday.
• Consuming raw onion salad everyday can solve the problem of sleep.
• Combine 2 tsp of fenugreek leaves juice with 1 tsp of honey. Have this combination at bed times daily.
• It is advisable to have 3 cups of curd everyday for people suffering from lack of sleep.
• In a cup of boiling water, add 1 tsp each of chamomile flowers, hops and valeria. Let it steep for 45. Thereafter, strain the drink and have it an hour before sleeping.
• Combine bottle gourd juice and sesame oil in equal parts. Massage this combination on the scalp every night.
• Alternatively, cooked leaves of the bottle gourd can be taken as a vegetable. This is also helpful in curing insomnia.
• Increase in the consumption of vitamin B foods such as wholegrain cereals, pulses, and nuts. These are effective in treating insomnia.
• In half a liter of water, ad one tablespoon of lettuce seeds. Boil this concoction until it reduces to 1/3rd quantity. Have this decoction when warm.
• Boil 375 ml of water. Add a tsp of aniseed and cover the lid of the pan. Let it simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the decoction and drink when warm. Hot milk and honey can also be added to the tea.
• Mix 0.25 gm to 0.5 gm of rauwolfia with some scented substance like cardamom. If the problem is chronic, double the intake, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Homeopathy
• Aconitum -- for insomnia that occurs as a result of illness, fever, or vivid, frightening dreams; commonly used for children.
• Argentum nitricum -- for impulsive children who are restless and agitated before bedtime and cannot fall asleep if the room is too warm.
• Arsenicum album -- for insomnia that occurs after midnight due to anxiety or fear. This remedy is most appropriate for demanding individuals who are often restless, thirsty, and chilly.
• Chamomilla -- for insomnia caused by irritability or physical pains; sleep may be disturbed by twitching and moaning. This remedy is appropriate for infants who have difficulty sleeping because they are teething or colicky, and older children who may demand things, then refuse them when they are offered.
• Coffea -- for insomnia due to excitable news or sudden emotions. This remedy is most appropriate for individuals who generally have difficulty falling asleep and tend to be light sleepers. Often used to counteract the effects of caffeine, including in infants exposed to caffeine through breastfeeding.
• Ignatia -- for insomnia caused by grief or recent loss. This remedy is most appropriate for individuals who yawn frequently or sigh while awake.
• Kali phosphoricum -- for night terrors associated with insomnia. This remedy is most appropriate for individuals who are easily startled and restless, often with fidgety feet. Anxiety is often caused by both nightmares and events in the individual's life.
• Nux vomica -- for insomnia caused by anxiety, anger, irritability, or use of caffeine, alcohol, or drugs. This remedy is most appropriate for individuals who wake up early in the morning, or for children who often have dreams of school or fights and may be awakened by slight disturbances. Nux vomica may also be used to treat insomnia that occurs as a side effect of medications.
• Passiflora -- for the elderly and young children with often overactive minds.
• Pulsatilla -- for women and children who are particularly emotional and do not like sleeping alone. Also used when sleeping in a warm room tends to worsen insomnia or when the individual may cry due to the inability to fall asleep.
• Rhus toxicodendron -- for restlessness and insomnia caused by pains that occur when the individual is lying down.
How to Use Reiki for Better Sleep
1. To begin, just tell your body to relax as you take a long, deep inhalation in. Think peace as you slowly, slowly exhale out. Repeat thinking peaceful thoughts as you inhale in and releasing thoughts as you exhale out. Close your eyes and concentrate on the breath. Place both of your hands, palms down, at the top of your head. Hold your hands there for 3 minutes as you continue to breathe in peaceful thoughts and exhale tension in your body. Think of Reiki energy coming through your hands into the top of your head. Allow your worries and concerns to melt away.
2. Place the palms of your hands over your eyes and hold there for three minutes as you breathe. Feel Reiki healing energy flowing through your hands into your eyes. Feel the stress and tension leaving your body with each exhalation.
3. Place the palms of your hands over each of your ears. The left palm of your hand should be covering your left ear, and the right palm of your hand should be covering your right ear. Hold there for three minutes as you continue to breathe in peace and exhale worry or pain. Know that Reiki energy is flowing from your hands into your ears. Feel the warmth.
4. Move your hands to your chest and place the palms of your hands on your chest. Feel your breath begin to slow even more as you breathe peaceful images and loving thoughts into your body. Feel your body sink into the mattress more and more with each exhalation you take. Slow your breath and relax your body. Hold this hand position for three to five minutes.
5. Place the palms of your hands over the bottom of your ribcage. Continue your slow breathing in and out as you hold your hands in this position for three minutes. Feel the Reiki energy warm your body as you release the pain and worry of the day.
6. Move your hands to your navel and place the palms of your hands on either side of your navel with the tips of your middle fingers touching. Hold this position for three minutes as you breathe in and out. Feel your stomach rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation. Try to slow the inhalations and exhalations down even more. Find the breaths peaceful and loving.
7. You will now move your hands into the last hand position by sliding your hands down to your 2 inches below your navel. This is your Hara, the center for the breath. Feel peace and tranquility fill your Hara center as you continue to breathe in and out for three minutes.When you have finished the hand positions, lay your arms at your sides. With your eyes closed, continued to breathe in and feel the breath as a wave of loving energy over your body. Exhale the breath down your body to your toes and inhale the breath back up to your head. Continue the breath until you are sufficiently tired to fall asleep. Some people have trouble when they first begin to practice breathing techniques. This is normal. Don’t give up; help is only a Reiki breath away.
Acupuncture point treatment for insomnia
Common causative factors are :
1. Xu of Spleen and Blood insufficiency resulting from anxiety
2. Flaring of the Heart fire due to insufficiency of yin in the Kidney causing disharmony of Heart & Kidney.
3. Upward disturbance of the Liver fire resulting from mental depression.
4. Retention of Phlegm-heat due to indigestion (Stomach excess).
Treatment Points :
DU20,11,24,H7,P6,SP6,GB12,Ex6,8,9UB62,
• Xu of Spleen & Blood insufficiency : UB20,15,SP1
• Disharmony of the Heart and kidney : U15,23,K3
• Disturbance of Liver : UB18,19,12
• Dysfunction of Stomach : UB21,St36
(Always Consult Your Doctor Before Taking Medicine)
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