Insomnia

What you need to know

None of us can escape the occasional bad night’s sleep. Indigestion, Toothache, backache, Anxiety about something happening the next day, being too hot or too cold…these and many other factors can conspire to rob us of our usual beauty sleep. Real insomnia, however, is a state of habitual sleeplessness, repeated night after night, often for months or even years on end.

The most useful Supplements:

5HTP	100mg to 200mg with fruit juice an hour before sleep
Calcium	500mg to 1,000mg with the evening meal
Magnesium	250mg to 500mg with the evening meal
Niacinamide	500mg to 1,000mg an hour before sleep

Other supplements that could help:

B-Vitamin Complex (if the cause is Anxiety or stress)

The most useful Herbs:

chamomile	500mg 3 times per day
Hops	500mg 3 times per day
Lime Blossom	500mg 3 times per day
Passiflora	500mg 3 times per day
Valerian	500mg 3 times per day

Homoeopathy

The following homoeopathic remedies may also help:

Arsenicum album
Coffea
Nux vomica

Aromatherapy

The following oils can be used for massage or added to the bath:

Basil
Clary Sage
Geranium
Lavender
Marjoram
Orange

Dietary changes that may be beneficial:

What you eat plays a key role in the pattern of insomnia.

Going to bed too full or too hungry interferes with your normal sleep habits.
Eating too late, especially a meal based on animal protein, is a great mistake, as such foods are stimulating and trigger greater production of activity hormones.
Eating starchy foods, on the other hand, encourage the body to manufacture more of the non-active, growth and repair hormones, which function best during sleep. Ideally evening meals should therefore be based on foods like:

Beans
Pasta
potatoes
Rice
Root vegetables
Meals based on Meat are best kept for eating during the middle of the day.

Insomniacs should avoid all caffeine from lunchtime on, as it will keep you awake. Coffee is the obvious culprit, but don’t forget that caffeine is also found in tea, cola drinks, chocolate and cocoa.

Traditional Remedies:

A bottle of milk, a jar of honey, a loaf of bread and a lettuce are all you need! A glass of warm milk and honey is a time-honoured aid to sleep: with a lettuce sandwich you will off to the land of nod before you can count ten sheep. The carbohydrate in the bread stimulates the brain to release the relaxing natural substance known as tryptophan, while lettuce has been used as a sleep aid since the time of the ancient Romans.

Other useful advice:

There are many complementary therapies that might help, these include:

Acupuncture
Alexander Technique
Aromatherapy massage
Meditation
Reflexology
Yoga

If you are already taking tranquillizers or sleeping pills, please note that some may cause nutritional deficiencies. E.g Stelazine is detrimental to Vitamin B12 absorption and some barbiturates affect the uptake of Vitamin D. It is therefore sensible to supplement the diet with a Multivitamin and mineral to help correct any nutrient losses.

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The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.