Well Women Guide to Insomnia and Sleep Problems

There has to be an end?

Many of us suffer from sleep problems for whatever reason. Stress and anxiety, hormonal problems like menopause, medication like anti depressants, illness and pregnancy, traffic noise, recreational drugs and nicotine, sleeping medication and tranquillisers which can also cause insomnia amongst others. It can become habit too especially after a long period.

Insomnia causes more stress and is frustrating and debilitating and can cause health problems, further exacerbating the process.

There are various types: Difficulty in falling asleep (taking more than 40 minutes, difficulty in staying asleep, repeated waking during the night. Waking up too early and not being able to get back. Inability to get off to sleep without medication or alcohol.

What can be done?

Well, doctors can give you sleeping tablets but these are more than likely addictive and are not a cure for insomnia as they treat the symptom and not the condition. There are also many herbal sleeping tablets that are quite good but don’t always do the trick and can leave you feeling groggy the next day in the same way as sleeping prescription medication. Alcohol is a very bad idea as you do not reach deep sleep when alcohol is used and therefore whilst you appear unconscious, proper restful sleep is not achieved. Alcohol suppresses REM sleep which is what we all need most.

Essential oils like lavender help you relax but are not the answer on their own for severe insomnia although I recommend them as a relaxation therapy prior to going asleep.

Dr Jacob Teitelbaum's Enzymatic Therapy Fatigued to Fantastic Revitalizing Sleep formula or Melatonin 3mg time release capsules. (not necessarily together!) are worth a try. The main thing is not to get too dependant and abstain from them for a while. Sometimes, especially with menopausal women, the insomnia is at certain times of the month so the products could be used then.

Other remedies worth trying are:

5-HTP (hydroxy l-tryptophane) Serotonin levels in the brain are responsible for feelings of wellbeing and normal sleep patterns. Many other conditions have been related to low serotonin levels such as anxiety, depression, addictive behaviour, PMS, insomnia, obersity, to name just a few. Drugs are prescribed by the GP which raise serotonin levels artificially and have many side effects.

5-HTP raises serotonin levels naturally as it is the natural pre-cursor to serotonin in our body. In clinical studies, 5-HTP reduced anxiety, depression, food cravings (carbohydrate) and regulated sleep patterns.

Do not take if you are already taking anti-depressants, MAO inhibitors, tranquillisers, sedatives, or being treated for Parkinson's Disease or a neurological disorder, consult your GP first.

Magnesium will help sleep when used at bedtime alongside calcium. (Calcium supplements should be taken at least 6 hours before or after thyroxine as absoption is affected.)

Passiflora

The tips I would give on this are as follows:

1. Do not drink tea coffee or drinks containing caffeine after 6pm. Try herbals teas instead like Camomile, Valerian, and lavender may help soothe. A warm Milky drink immediately before going to bed together with a magnesium supplement can help induce sleep.

2. Use lavender essential oil on your pillow or spray in a mist above and on your bed and pillows as a relaxing and sleep inducing way to combine the above.

3. Deep breathing exercise when lying in bed prior to going asleep. Lie on your back and breathe in through your nose keeping your chest still and breathing through your belly and out through your mouth. Put one hand on your chest so you can ensure it does not move, the other hand on your abdomen. Feel your abdomen rising. The air feels warm in your belly area which is very soothing. Sounds like hard work? Once mastered this is a brilliant method to use and is beneficial in treating the difficulty in getting to sleep.

4. Lie on your back and consciously relax each part of your body starting with your toes, feet, calfs, knees, thighs, hips, spine and ribcage and especially your stomach as this can get into knots if you are anxious. Then chest, collar bones and shoulder blades, neck, head and face. Be aware of the mattress beneath you and your deep breathing. Be aware of the scent of the lavender as you breathe. Keep the breathing slowly and rhythmically.

5. Sometimes it is also good to force yourself to stay awake. Keep telling yourself while you are doing the above “I must keep my eyes open” This does work. Reverse psychology. This works well for insomnia.

6. Do not play video games, read stimulating books or watch films immediately before going to bed. Whilst reading a book can be helpful, if it is too stimulating, it can have a detrimental effect. Listening to soothing music can help you to relax. Sex is the only exception and can actually benefit sleep.

7. Try to maintain regular bedtimes at least by midnight. Staying up later over stimulates you and you no longer feel tired…..until the next day when the fatigue is crashing. A real side effect of insomnia.

8. Try not to eat too late at night as this can cause indigestion. However, don’t try to go to sleep feeling very hungry either.but eat a couple of hours before settling down.

9. A warm (not hot as this is overstimulating) bath with essential oils like lavender before bed is a lovely way to unwind. Relax and inhale the aromas for complete benefit. Don’t stay there too long, tempting though it is. As the water cools down the effect will be reversed.

10. Reduce day time naps. If you have an autoimmune disease, this may not be possible but try to limit the amount of time you actually spend asleep. Insomnia is often a side effect of auto immune disease. Set an alarm to wake you after 30 mins to 1 hour. You will then find it easier to sleep that night. Falling asleep in front of the television in the evening is a big no no as your chances of settling down again at bedtime are probably nil.

If you need to nap in the day, do it as early as you can preferably before 3pm. Naps can refresh you but too long and you feel groggy. I have napped for 4 hours in the afternoon only to feel like I had been drinking alcohol and had a huge hangover and a crashing debilitating headache when I woke. If you need to take a rest often just relaxing with some soothing music and putting your feet up may be just what you need to replenish yourself. Too much daytime sleep is guaranteed to make insomnia worse.

11. Using Natural Progesterone can rid you completely of the night sweats, and I can honestly vouch for this, thus promoting restful undisturbed sleep if this is your reason for insomnia. Also proto col collagen capsules may help restore sleep patterns as well as helping joint pain and claim to be anti ageing. I certainly noticed a change when using them, but can’t particularly say what. Skin and wrinkles appeared better but not hugely so. I found them worthwhile in making me look well and need to be taken over a long period of time so that the collagen can build up in the system. You take 3-4 capsules at night, immediately before settling down for the night and you should drink lots of water during the day as this accelerates their effect.

12. Drink some water before you go to sleep to prevent dehydration. Keep a small glass of water on your bedside table so that you can sip in the night if you feel thirsty or anxious.

13. Make sure your pillows are soft. Hard pillows give you a neck ache which in turn will cause insomnia.

14. Keep a window slightly open for fresh air unless you can be disturbed by street noise. Alternatively use soft sponge ear plugs.

15. Keep your bedroom an oasis of peace and tranquility. There is no room for televisions in your peaceful area. A CD player for playing tranquil sleep inducing music is enough.

16. Keeping some paper and a pen by your bedside will stop you worrying about forgetting things that come into your mind while you are trying to get off to sleep. When you think of them, simply write them down. You could also keep a small torch handy instead of switching on a very bright light to do this.

17. Wear loose comfortable nightwear, preferable in a natural fabric, or better still, nothing at all.

18. If, like me, you use natural progesterone for controlling night sweats, dabbing some on your wrists when the night sweat starts will aid in stopping it quickly.

19. Ask your husband or partner to give you a soothing massage using a 2 tablespoons of a base oil like sweet almond oil (unless you have a nut allergy, then use apricot kernel oil or jojoba oil) and 6 drops of lavender oil and perhaps another like chamomile or ylang ylang. Massage neck, back and feet for best relaxation. Then massage your partner. Do not use essential oils excessively.People with liver or kidney disease should speak to their doctor before using

If you have a medical condition

Combine all of the above for the ultimate solution and all without sleeping medication too!!

Try not to resort to prescription medication which you will become dependant on in order to get sleep as well as making you feel groggy and polluting your system. They can also cause more problems than they actually solve.

Try the above methods first. Most of all, try not to worry about it as this will certainly prevent you from falling asleep. Good luck.