Dealing With Insomnia

Sleep is essential - Dealing with insomnia

Many of us experience the occasional sleepless night but, for some, this can be a regular occurrence, causing fatigue, irritability and affecting memory and concentration.

Insomnia is often mistaken for a disease, but it is actually a symptom of some other ailment.

The natural fall out from this, is that treating the primary condition that is causing the insomnia will automatically cure your sleeplessness. For example; by treating depression you are more than likely to be cured of the accompanying sleep problems too.

Sedatives are the easiest way to induce sleep. A sleeping pill taken before bedtime is all it should take to make you fall into a deep slumber. The sedative acts upon your body quickly and within a few minutes drowsiness sets in.

The irony is that most people who use sedatives, don't realize that they have unnatural addictive properties. It's better if, as with depression, you use natural herbs when dealing with insomnia.

Natural herbs can help in Dealing with Insomnia

The herbs that are used for dealing with insomnia depend on the specific case. With some conditions a standalone remedy is required. In other conditions herbal preparations containing a combination of herbs that complement each other is used.

Herbs focus on boosting your energy levels, curbing stress levels and relieving mental and physical fatigue, in order to deal with your insomnia. Not only do these herbs cure your insomnia but they can also be effective in treating other contributing conditions.

For example;

1. Valerian root is a common herb used for insomnia, but it also eases anxiety and pain.
2. Lemon Balm, is used to treat insomnia and it has anti-bacterial and anti-spasmodic properties.
3. Lemon Balm, helps in maintaining thyroid health and promoting good digestion and appetite.

However, a small word of caution needs to be added here. Not all herbs are suited to everyone. Ensure you aren't simply jumping on the bandwagon of highly promoted brand name herbal products.

It can be difficult to sift the genuine products from the counterfeit and simply because you see an advertisement eulogizing the benefits of a particular herb or a formulation, should not be enough reason for you to use it in dealing with your insomnia.

Although herbs are better at dealing with insomnia than conventional drugs, because they don't cause health problems as they cure, the rampant use of herbs can be detrimental to your overall health and they should only be used when required. Only certain herbs will suit you and help in dealing with insomnia of the type that is particular to your condition.

Sleeping Well - Beating insomnia ....

During the night, human growth hormone triggers proteins throughout the body to build new cells and repair any damage. This hormone is only released when we sleep, so adequate daily (or nightly) rest is imperative to maintain a healthy body.

Stress and all stimulants, such as alcohol, tea, coffee and cola drinks, chocolate and drugs (both prescription and recreational), interfere with sound sleep patterns, as do heavy meals late in the evening, indigestion and poor blood-sugar management.

Dietary factors are also implicated, so if you do not sleep well, it is worth examining what you eat later in the day.

• Saturated fatty foods, such as dairy products, red meats and hard cheeses all take a considerable time for your body to digest, so it is advisable to avoid these in the evening. Instead it is preferable to choose grilled fish and vegetables, rice dishes and salads, as they are less taxing for the digestive system.
• After dinner, herbal teas such as peppermint (aids digestion) and camomile (relaxing) are perfect alternatives to caffeinated teas and coffees.
• Foods containing tyramine, an amino acid found in the nightshade family of vegetables, such as tomatoes, aubergines (eggplants), zucchini, potatoes and spinach, all stimulate the production of the hormone adrenaline, which may interfere with a good night's sleep. Tyramine is also found in alcohol, bacon, ham and sausage, so keeping these to a minimum at dinner is advisable.

The specific nutrients involved in sleep problems are the minerals calcium and magnesium. Any imbalance of these can precipitate mild to severe insomnia. When dealing with insomnia it can be beneficial to increase foods that contain them and see if your quality of sleep improves.