8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Robubba — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:25:41 GMT

L-theanine is highly related to glutamic acid, which you shun completely. But I certainly know that the smallest differences make the largest changes.

Yoga should never be done by those not wanting to compromise their religions. Simple stretching and inversion plus meditation will do. Not yoga. But one thing they fail to realize is that even the more stressful yoga will relax you as well. What's interesting in stretching energizes you, but that energy can be used to help you fall asleep comfortably.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

WillTrekkie — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:32:08 GMT

Recommend either: (1) European Night Time Rest Formula (from- Herbalremedies.com or your local health foods store); it contains many of the natural sleep remedies (mentioned above) all in one capsule; (2) -Heel/BHI, (premier Homeopathic Meds Supplier) has a couple of remedies that I have seen work wonders on the MOST difficult of cases!!; & (3) Practice just plain good "Sleep Hygiene"--which MOST people do NOT practice--along w/going to bed when tired & 'missing' the body's Melatonin surge (naturally puts one to sleep); many NOT are 'hopped up' on caffeine, nicotine, electronic devices (EMR?) & internet, TV, media, etc.; & know which meds/herbals/supplements NOT to take > 2pm--many cause insomnia (Singulair!) &/or prevent REM (Benadryl!). Deep breathing, meditation, prayer, relaxing reading or sounds, etc.

Chronic pain causes insomnia &/or prevents good duration of quality sleep (i.e., waking up & blocks REM) Solutions: (1) an accomodative, supportive quality mattress--a modality Dr.'s & we fail to appreciate!--E.g., a Tempurpedic top mattress-->King's Down brand = gold standard & worth every penny--Hand-made in USA, + based on a computer analysis of your pressure points, comfort level, body type/weight, etc. (2) Chiropractic Care (initial prgm of adjustments & physical therapy (stretching & strengthening) 2-3x/week tapering down x 6-8 weeks; then, maintenance q 1-2 mos. (3) Spinal Decompression (Traction) Therapy Unit--too many have 'squished' discs -for which NOTHING is being done...yes, it interferes w/sleep! A home horizontal (not gravity) unit is best, works well, is safe, health plans pay for it, & saves $25-$90/in-office treatment (digital decompression =gold std) + FYI: should NEVER hurt; if it does, it's NOT being done right !!--so, careful NOT to go >50 psi (1st few times), then go up 1-2 lbs psi every other treatment till 60 to 80 psi over a yr (as tolerated)<---this is horribly UNDER-utilized -'cuz Dr.'s don't know about.

And CPAP for OSA!

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Linda B. — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:59:34 GMT

Julieanne, a couple more ideas for you. Since it's the blue light in the spectrum that inhibits melatonin production, I got some blu-blocker type dark glasses (big ones, with top and side coverage) and put them on about an hour before anticipated bed time; gets the process rolling while I continue doing whatever needs doing. Yes, I look goofy with 'em on. Another thing I've found helpful is to rub in some natural (from yams) progesterone cream, also about an hour before bed. Even just a small amount helps.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Skys the limit — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:19:09 GMT

I always learn something new from Dr. Mercola & love reading all of his articles & sharing them with others but now I am also learning from the comments! I am a Shaklee Independent Distributor & have learned a lot from at director's meetings & Dr. Mercola is right about the stress factor. I have been suffering from stress for years & have been using both yoga & relaxation tapes with some success. Those really help but now I also use Shaklee Stress Relief when I am having a really stressful day and I have also recently added our magnesium but I now am thinking maybe I should take it at night instead of in the morning . Dr. Mercola also mentioned Valerian which Shaklee has in our Gentle sleep but I have not tried that yet....it has worked for my friend so I guess I'd better order some . Thankyou Dr. Mercola for all the great info..Judy Fisher

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

emmytiel — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:31:33 GMT

Valerian root does double duty for people with nocturnal seizures, it lessened mine when medication didn't even touch them. On a similar vein, melatonin does double duty for people with Tourettes Syndrome because it is one of the hormones that most people with Tourettes Syndrome are deficient in. I take both of those (along with chamomile tea, but that's mostly because it's so enjoyable and soothing) before bed and not only fall asleep faster but I sure get better sleep when I'm not moving all night!

My husband has no problem sleeping or staying asleep but he will take a valerian root capsule if his muscles are sore; by morning he feels great!

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

babyfish — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:38:05 GMT

Insomnia can also be due to very bright fluorescent light. Read "24 Hours Not Enough? See the Light" at <www.medicinenet.com/.../art.asp The participants in the experiment adjusted to a 25-hour lifestyle and went to sleep one hour later. This was what happened to me after I moved into this room with extremely bright 2 light bulbs of fluorescent light. I suspect there is something wrong with fluorescent light, a problem that incandescent or other types of light do not cause.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

babyfish — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:41:21 GMT

I never had insomnia until I moved to another house. One of the causes is dehydration--not from not drinking water but from low humidity. The house I moved into has very low relative humidity and I couldn't sleep. I think this is why it is so hard to sleep on airplanes-dehydration.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Gaijin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:09:08 GMT

My father has sleep apnea and therefore doesn't sleep much [[and the quality of sleep he gets....well...isn't too great]]

I'm wondering if any of these remedies could potentially benefit him. I'm wary about letting him take sleep medication [[in fact, I don't let him take any at all]]

Any suggestions, comments, etc?

Thanks!

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Feydor — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:18:06 GMT

I just started seeing a chiropractor summer of last year and this has helped majorly in me getting a proper sleep. I didn't go to him for this but this is one of the many great results from getting adjusted.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Keith Lurie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:27:51 GMT

Drugs, herbs, meditation etc. what for? sleep is natural, necessary, and can't be avoided. Work hard, and dont even bother to try to sleep untill you're so tired that you cant help it.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

northernherbalist — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:23:36 GMT

Just a slight warning about hops--it is a sedative but can cause depression in some people when used over a long period of time. Valerian has worked well for me with no hangover effect. Passionflower is also a good herb for insomnia. Lemon balm and scullcap are also very relaxing.

I suffered from insomnia for many years, mostly from living in thin-walled apartments where neighbors would blast their T.V.s or stereos all night and garbage trucks would tromp through the neighborhood at 4 a.m. waking up my kids and every baby in the area. (In my crowded neighborhood I could hear them all crying through the opened summer windows right after the crash, smash, beep-beep-beep truck noises). Sometimes the anger at having to deal with the artificial night-noise would keep me up for the rest of the night.

If insomnia is caused by your restless mind, try herbs or other alternatives, but if it comes from the outside world, all you can do is try to move to a quieter location. I think a lot of insomnia is caused by people living in overcrowded, over-noisy, over-lit situations that are completely unnatural to getting a natural night's sleep.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

gardenut — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:16:55 GMT

University of Texas recently confirmed what I learned long ago from my herbalist grandma (I'm 72). Sour cheery juice contains large amounts of melatonin and many other beneficial phytogens. I'ved used it for years with vitamin C to reduce muscle fatigue after hard physical labor and to assure a good restful sleep. My guess is would be hard to overdose on melatonin in cherry juice.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Mama2boys — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:18:01 GMT

I sleep really well at night. I attribute a lot of the reason why to working out at the gym or outside almost every day.

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

Islander — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:22 GMT

One cause of sleep disturbance not mentioned here is adrenal fatigue (hypoadrenia), a frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed condition. Most doctors, if they look for adrenal malfunction at all, are testing for Cushing's Disease (hyperadrenia) or Addison's disease (extreme hypoadrenia). But adrenal fatigue, falling somewhere in the middle of the 7 stages, can have life-changing effects. It did for me, until I read an article that enabled me to self-diagnose and seek treatment. Key symptoms for me were morning fatigue, nighttime sleeplessness (sometimes until 3-4 a.m.) and odd energy fluctuations. Due to cortisol disruptions, I couldn't get out of my own way until about 5 p.m. - the close of business! I went through 28 months of unproductiveness, exhaustion and frustration. Look here for more information:

http://tinyurl.com/6wu3w9

re: 8 Natural Remedies That May Help You Sleep

BrigidAK — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:55:00 GMT

I noticed trouble falling asleep and then I noticed that it was particularly problematic when I would take my second dose of thyroid replacement too late at night. That is the Mercola recommendation, to divide the dose and take it twice a day. Well, since I can't be reliable in taking the second dose early enough to avoid the insomnia, I've gone back to taking it all in the morning. I believe it has made a difference in my sleep. I've also added melatonin but I'd added that before I switched to the single dose of thyroid. Now I just have to remember not to take the Melatonin too early in the evening (since I deal my supplements out once a week into a dispenser) or I might find myself getting sleepy before I can get to bed!