Insomnia and Homeopathy

Homeopathic treatment is different for each individual based on their body conditions, current medications, and more. Every individual is analysed completely before being given a homeopathic treatment since there is no specific medicine as such. So it is advised not to try any of the following without doing a thorough check up with a homeopathic doctor as the following is only information based on general symptoms of insomnia and should not be used for self-medications.

Coffee Cruda:

This remedy prepared from coffee beans is suitable for patients who are hypersensitive. These patients are found to be very restless and have nervous sleeplessness. They lie in bed with their eyes wide open and if they happen to fall asleep, they wake up to every sound or are disturbed by dreams. For patients who face sleeplessness due to emotions like fear, depression, surprise, etc., this may help.

Nux Vomica:

For patients who suffer from insomnia caused by stress, Nux Vomica, a drug prepared by potentizing seeds from a plant called “poison nut”, would be suitable. It has an effect on various organs & systems in the body like the nervous system, digestive system, respiratory organs, reproductive organs, etc.

Pulsatilla:

Pulsatilla is a homeopathic drug derived from the wind flower or weather-cock, a plant, given to the fact that it can be used as a remedy for various acute or chronic conditions. This drug benefits patients who are sleepless because of their mind filled with thoughts and who sleep in the early hours of morning which causes them to feel drowsy through the day. These patients are generally in a state of confusion and they talk, whine and scream in their sleep.

Sulphur:

This is commonly prescribed homeopathic remedy for insomnia which has an influence on the skin, digestive, nervous & urinary systems, respiratory and reproductive organs. People, who wake up during the early hours of the morning or sleep for a few hours, wake up and then sleep again and sometimes even wake up and eat at night may gain from this remedy.

These kinds of patients sleep on their left and are affected with nightmares when they lie on their back. They may have happy dreams, laugh in their sleep and wake up singing merrily in the morning.

Phosphorus:

Phosphorus is a homeopathic remedy used for various diseases. Phosphorus has an impact on the blood, bones, kidney, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, etc. Patients who cannot sleep continuously and are able to only take short naps, waking up every now and then are the ones who may use phosphorus for homeopathic treatment. These patients are often known to talk in their sleep and find difficulty sleeping on their left.

Passiflora Incarnata:

For insomnia caused in children and the old and for sleeplessness in individuals with mental stress and worries, Passiflora Incarnata, a homeopathic drug extracted from passion flower leaves can be used as a remedy. This drug calms down the nervous system resulting in good sleep.

Kali Phosphoricum:

Kali Phosphoricum is a homeopathic drug is made from potassium phosphate which is a remedy that may be used by those patients who are affected with insomnia due to business worries, overwork and stress. The patient may yawn but not be able to sleep.

How To Safely Take Sleeping Pills

Your doctor has probably prescribed a few aids to enhance your sleep, to reduce waking up frequently, to remain asleep for longer and to enhance your sleep quality. However, there are some important things you need to consider before you take sleep aids with respect to concern of your health.

• After you have tried behavioural changes in your normal routine and various other treatments apart from medicines for insomnia and still find that the results are still not satisfying and if your day-to-day activities are still being affected due to lack of sleep, then you may try sleeping aids.
• In case you are confronting insomnia due to change in work timings or other short-term insomnia caused by a jet lag or sudden anxiety, then it is alright to take sleep aids.
• If the source for your insomnia has been detected through thorough analysis by your doctor, then the cause can be treated with specific aids.
• Find out from your doctor if any psychological or other health effects have been caused due to your sleeplessness.
• Insomnia treatment requires good sleep habits rather than medication, especially if it is persistent for a long period of time. For some people, combining both medical as well as behavioural treatments could be done to attain the best results while, for others medicines are used in the beginning and then treatment is continued with behavioural changes for a long term cure.
• Over-the-counter sleep aids are not recommended since it may not be safe for all body conditions. It is best to consult your doctor and take prescribed medicines only in order to benefit your health.

Safe use of sleep aids

The following factors need to be considered to ensure that you are using sleeping aids safely.

• Consult your doctor for issues regarding sleeplessness. Based on your age, body sensitivity, condition and several other health issues, your doctor will prescribe the most suitable sleeping aids for you.
• It is not sufficient to take the sleeping aids alone as a remedy for your sleeplessness. It is essential to use other non-medical remedies in combination with the sleep aids like light exercising, meditation, yoga and other behavioural treatments to bestow best results.
• Though sleeping aids may be helpful, it is recommended not to take them as a long-term use. Your doctor should advise you on the duration that it needs to be continued for so you may benefit out of it. Do not continue taking the sleep aids further than what has been recommended by your doctor.
• Over-the-counter medicines for insomnia may give you good results temporarily but they should not always be used for chronic insomnia in long-term patients or as long-term sleeping aids.
• It is highly essential to follow the safety guidelines as instructed on the packages and as recommended by your doctor to ensure that you are on the safer side.
• In conclusion, healthy sleep habits cannot be replaced with sleep aids at any cost since the base for treatment of insomnia are good sleep practices and proper sleep hygiene.

Diagnosing Insomnia

Various remedies are available to treat insomnia which can either be done through consultation with a doctor or at home. Each individual has unique symptoms which need to be analysed for the right kind of treatment.

Here are tips on when and how you should seek help and the kind of questions that you need to be prepared for, in case you have difficulty sleeping. There are several psychological and behavioral steps to treat insomnia. Cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBTi), guidelines to sleep hygiene and relaxation techniques may help improving sleep.

Diagnoses of insomnia

There are no specific tests as such for insomnia. Instead doctors analyse your condition through filling forms and questionnaires, asking oral questions, studying your sleep pattern overnight and doing few blood tests. Based on these results, your doctor understands the cause for your sleeplessness and suggests a suitable treatment plan, since each patient has unique symptoms.

Sleep log: This is like a dairy in which you jot down your sleep details like the time you slept and woke up or if you experience drowsiness through the day, etc. A track of these details helps your doctor detect the cause for insomnia that you are experiencing.

Sleep inventory: this is a questionnaire in which you will have to fill out your personal details like your medical history, sleep patterns, your personal health, etc.

Blood test: few blood tests are taken for detection of thyroid and other similar health issues that generally disrupt sleep. 

Sleep study: Also known as polysomnography is an overnight study that is done to monitor your sleep patterns by making you sleep with an EEG connected. Additionally, it also measures your body movements, heartbeat and breathing patterns and the oxygen levels in your body while you are asleep.

Prepare yourself

On general annual visits to the doctor, they generally do not ask you about your sleep. So, should you be facing any sleep related issues, you need to talk it out with your doctor first. Sleep problems need to be taken seriously as they have other adverse effects on your body. You could ask your doctor if your sleep is being disrupted by your past medical history by any chance.

Following are questions to make you think before you visit your doctor.

• What is your difficulty in sleeping, precisely whether it is difficult to fall asleep or you frequently wake up and are unable to go back to sleep or if it is difficult staying asleep? How often does this happen in a week?
• The time at which you sleep and wake up? How often do you take short naps through the day, in case you do?
• Does your sleep time vary between week ends and week days? Do you have to change your sleep timings with respect to your work?
• How do you keep yourself occupied on sleepless nights? Do you work with your laptop or watch the television or read? Have you ever experienced doing something that helped you fall asleep?
• Do you keep yourself occupied with thoughts or do you worry about tasks before you sleep or while you are awake in bed?
• Explain the environment in which you sleep; do you share your bed with someone or sleep alone? How comfortable is your bed? Do you sleep in a dark or quiet room? Is your sleep disrupted by others in your house like children, pets, etc.?
• How long is it since you been experiencing this issue?
• Has any drastic change occurred in your life recently? For instance, job change, financial stress or a breakup in a relationship, etc.
• Are you facing any other medical conditions?

Insomnia in Children

Child insomnia is a condition that arises when children do not sleep on time until they are forced to do so. If children are put to sleep at the right time, they fall asleep normally but if they do not follow strict bedtimes, they may stay awake for much longer hours during the night.

Children with insomnia may face the following:

• When they are forced to bed, they have no problems falling asleep
• When they are not forced to bed, they stay awake for a long extent as much as they can
• They wander around the house or frequently drink water during bedtime

Children with this condition push their parents so that they follow this pattern while the parents hardly realize the problem within and later wonder how it started.

To start with, consider setting a strict bed time and do not encourage your child to drink water or tell tales beyond this time. Once they get into bed, they should stay there till morning. When a bed time is enforced, the disorder should automatically stop. So the need for a doctor at this point is not really necessary. You just have to ensure that you do not get carried away with the little tricks your child plays to postpone sleep.

In case you want to discuss this issue with your doctor, keep a diary with complete details of the child’s sleep pattern. You also need to note down the times at which your son/daughter wakes up at night. Maintain this diary for two weeks and list down the different ways he/she tries to keep awake. You also need to include your reaction to the child’s needs since the doctor should know whether you allow your child to wake up and drink water ten times during the night. Based on these details, the doctor will know how to treat the child’s disorder.

Tests are generally not required to identify child insomnia. It can be understood with the history of the child’s sleep pattern, i.e., the time the child sleeps or wakes up. Only for extreme cases, an actigraph may be used, a kind of wrist-watch which records when a person is sleeping or awake. This is barely required.

The best treatment for child treatment is to set very strict bed times which will provide an improved and quality sleep pattern for the child. If you have set 08:00pm, then you must ensure that your child is in bed at 08:00pm.

Do not allow your child to give excuses so that they can postpone their sleep. The firmer you are the more you and your child will benefit.

It is important not to rock children to sleep because once they get accustomed to sleeping on being rocked; they will always expect the same. Their sleep pattern will change in a way that they will only fall asleep if rocked. This will affect the child as well as the parent since the parent will also wake up each time the child wakes up and both end up with a much disrupted sleep.

What Are Sleep Cycles

Have you wondered why some nights are full of dreams and others are not? Or have you ever thought about whether your brain is resting while you are asleep? The brain waves are made up of several sensor waves alpha, beta, gamma and theta. Some of your questions may be answered if you understand the stages of sleep. Sleep has a cycle of different stages. A normal adult requires 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to carry out a normal routine the next day. The duration varies with age.

Stage 1

The beginning stage of sleep is when we just drifting off and experience something similar to day dreaming is when we go through alpha waves and theta waves. These waves vary with people. Some may experience more of these than others, i.e., a state in which some people may experience even through the entire day. People who engage in deep prayers or meditation often experience the resting phase, Alpha. During this phase, people often feel like they are free-falling after which sudden contractions of muscles can be felt. You may also hear noises like the phone or alarm ringing. These are called hypnogogic hallucinations. Following this, we enter the Theta phase which lasts for 5-10 minutes and is a thin line between being asleep and awake. Research shows that it takes 7 minutes for a normal sleeper to fall asleep. This may vary with person.

Stage 2

This is the stage when the brain starts sending short rhythmic, rapid signals called the Sleep Spindles to help the mind and body disconnect from its surroundings. The body temperature and heartbeat rate begin to reduce and this period lasts for around 20 minutes.

Stage 3

This is the intermediate phase amidst light sleep and deep sleep where the brain begins to send Delta waves through the body.

Stage 4

This is known as the Delta Sleep since these Delta waves are fully flourished during this stage. This is the phase where body energy is replenished, stress is reduced, muscles are relaxed, hormones are released and tissue repair and growth occurs. This stage lasts for about 30 minutes. Sleep-walking & bed-wetting occur during this stage of sleep.

Stage 5: REM (Rapid Eye Movement)

This stage is commonly called Paradoxical sleep or REM sleep with reference to the fact that this is the deepest stage of sleep where the brain and body systems increase their activity and the voluntary muscles like the legs, arms, etc. begin to relax or paralyze. This is the phase where the dream actually occurs. This state of paralysation occurs to protect you against involuntarily injuring yourself while you are in your dream which is why you actually can’t run or escape in your dream even if you really wanted to. At this stage your body gets as much deep sleep as possible and this generally occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep.

Cycles

The stages of sleep do not generally proceed through all sequences in order. We start with stage 1 and advance to the next three stages, after which stages 3 and 2 are repeated followed by REM sleep. When the first REM is complete, stage 2 reoccurs and the cycle continues. We go through 4-5 REM sleeps in one night. However, the length of each REM cycle increases as we proceed when compared to the previous. If you are thinking, your dream is taking time. Well then, it is!

Causes of Insomnia

Insomnia has various causes which may be psychiatric or medical causes, unhealthy sleep practices, biological factors, etc. Several studies are being done on the causes of insomnia. Following are a few common causes that we need to understand.

Insomnia caused by medical effects

Sleep may be disrupted due to certain mild or serious medical conditions or symptoms of certain conditions. Some of the health disorders that lead to insomnia are nasal allergies, gastrointestinal issues, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pains and lower back pains. Medications are taken for insomnia caused by these disorders.

On the other hand, insomnia may also occur as a symptom for diseases like Restless Legs Syndrome, a nervous disease wherein an individual has a sensation of wanting to move their legs and Sleep Apnea, a disorder in which a person’s airway gets blocked while sleeping.

In case you frequently find trouble sleeping, you need to trace the cause first before you go for a treatment be it behavioural treatment or a doctor’s treatment.

Insomnia caused by depression

Psychiatric conditions like depression, anxiety, etc. also lead to insomnia.  Insomnia can make depression worse and vice versa. However, you do not have to worry since both are curable.

Insomnia related to anxiety

Adults are filled with fear or worries about several things which in turn affect their sleep pattern as these thoughts continue to run in their heads as they lie in bed. Insomnia is caused by tension from work or home, thoughts about the past or future, pressure of responsibilities, etc. Fears caused by these thoughts keep the person awake or keep them up waking up frequently. When this continues, these fears and thoughts turn into panic and dread making the disorder worse. Cognitive mind-body techniques and hygiene sleep habits may aid in getting rid of the disorder.

How lifestyle affects sleep

Unhealthy lifestyles may also trigger insomnia. Following are a few examples of an unhealthy lifestyle.

1. Working in the evening after you get home. After a whole day’s stress, it is important to take time to relax to follow with a good night’s sleep rather than being exposed to lights emitted from the television, laptop or mobile phones.
2. Taking short naps during the day. For some, it is hard to get sleep at night after having slept in the afternoon. It may not be the same for all.
3. When you sleep to compensate lost sleep of the previous night, it may confuse your body and disrupt sleep the next night.
4. When your work is such that your shift keeps changing (day and night shifts), again your body gets confused and you lose out on sleep.

It is thus important to address your issue rather than making it a habit and deteriorating your body conditions.

Effect of food on insomnia

Alcohol, increased amounts of caffeine through the day, nicotine before bed time and heavy meals before sleeping could disrupt your sleep big time.

Alcohol, being a sedative, initially makes you fall asleep but affects your sleep later with you waking up frequently.

Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants which keep the body awake and disrupt sleep.

Heavy meals and spicy foods may cause heartburn and gastrointestinal issues while sleeping.

Insomnia caused by the brain

In some cases, patients are not able to get rid of insomnia even after following strict healthy sleep conditions. The reason has not been identified but this could be because of certain chemical interactions or neurotransmitters in the brain.

Eleven Tricks For Quick Sleep

Unable to sleep even after a warm tub bath? Here are some natural tips that may help you accomplish the same.

Left nostril breathing

This is a Yoga technique. In ancient science, it was found that both the nostrils denote a different energy, which is why the body is designed with two nostrils rather than one. The left nostril denotes the moon energy (Ida) which is a cooling, calming and reflective female energy while the right nostril denotes the sun energy (pingala) which is a bright, fiery and awakening male energy. For this reason, when you need to calm down or when you are trying to sleep but cannot, block the right nostril and breath through the left. It automatically calms the system and begins putting the body to sleep.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Relaxing muscles progressively starting from the lower extremities and working all the way up to the face, abdomen and chest regions controls anxiety and stress and thus helps patients with insomnia into a sound sleep.

This technique focuses on bringing in calmness to the body and mind by lying down and contracting and relaxing muscles alternatively, starting from the toes. While inhaling, contract the muscle and hold it for 5-10 seconds. While exhaling, give the muscle a sudden release. With practice, this technique will help you identify how to stress your body out and gain a good sleep.

Stay awake!

Lie in bed with your eyes open and constantly tell your mind you will not sleep. The mind tends to rebel to this thought. The eyes muscles will slowly get tired and you begin to fall asleep with time.

Recall your day

Recall the entire day’s routine backwards including all the sights, sounds and conversations. This frees your mind and puts you to sleep.

Close your eyes and roll them

When a person drifts to asleep you will notice their eyes roll before they enter into the phase of deep sleep; this happens naturally. By rolling your eyes with your eyes closed, you can imitate the natural process which actually helps in taking you into a sleep mode and you doze off.

Imagine

What are the pleasant things you like that give you complete peace of mind? Think of those and imagine that you are in a place with all these pleasing things. It could be a pleasant sight, sound or smell, like the sight of greenery, smell of flowers or the sound of water. Try to feel these around you, it will help your body relax and give you a peace of mind. Soon you will drift to sleep.

Yoga

Sit comfortably, eyes closed, relax you muscles and jaws and inhale as deep as possible so that you abdomen rises. Now gently exhale through your mouth with your lips only slightly open so that you hum as you breathe out until you have completely exhaled. You should be able to feel the vibration inside your chest as you do this. Continue this for six breaths and focus on the vibration of the chest. After you have completed this process, remain quiet for a moment; slowly get up and get into bed. Goodnight!

Pressure points for sleep

There are various pressure points in our body that help in falling asleep easily. The dented part between the eyebrows, the dented point between the second toe and the big toe, the point beneath the nail on the second toe, the point below the base of the small finger near the crease of the wrist and the point right before the ear and above the jaw line. Apply pressure with your thumb or index finger on these points for 20 seconds gently but firmly so that it does not hurt and then release. Repeat a few times to help you fall asleep. You could find the point that is most effective for you to continue with.

Practice a trick

During the period where you are going through a normal sleep pattern, start any unusual habit like stroking your cheek or something similar, focussing completely on the feel of the movement. Over a few days, your body gets accustomed to falling asleep with this movement. You could then use this to trick yourself to sleep during your sleepless nights.

Rhythmic breathing

Lights are available which slowly rise and fall. Use this light and sync your breathing along with the rhythmic wave of the light. As breathing becomes slower, you will fall asleep since, by nature, breathing slows down as a person falls asleep. Here again we mimic the natural process to fall asleep.

List it out

Some people go to bed and start thinking about their work for the next day. When they worry about the things undone and fear that they might forget to do some work, their sleep is disturbed. In this case, it is best to list out the things that need to be done for the next day on paper so that the mind is a little relaxed. This makes it is easier to fall asleep.

Foods For Sleep

People fight sleepless nights with the use of various sedatives. It is very important for patients suffering with insomnia to have the right food at the right time.

It is also important to know what foods can be consumed before retiring to earn a good night’s sleep.

Many of you may have experienced falling asleep right after the heavy turkey that was served during lunch for thanksgiving! The reason is not because of the overload in your stomach but because of the turkey which is rich in tryptophan.

Foods containing Tryptophan, which is an amino acid, are the best sources for sleep. Other foods that contain this amino acid are meats, poultry, cheese, eggs, fish and yoghurt. However, these foods may not give you the best results unless they are consumed along with an adequate amount of carbohydrates. It is best to have low protein and high carbohydrate foods like whole wheat products, oats, fruits & vegetables, sprouts, low-fat milk & yoghurt, etc.

The science behind this is that, though tryptophan has the ability to create high levels of serotonin (a brain chemical which helps soothing the mind by altering the individual’s mood to a lighter side), it is unable to reach the brain due to the hindrance of other amino acids present alongside that are waiting to enter the brain. This is when carbohydrates play a role. The carbs that are consumed stimulate insulin production that diverts all the other amino acids to the muscle tissues thus aiding tryptophan to enter the brain with ease, where serotonin is produced and it begins to act. The serenity created by serotonin enables the body to gain a good sleep.

Thus, consuming foods that contain tryptophan alone will not suffice. It needs to be consumed along with a rich source of carbohydrates in order to put this natural remedy to work! Now that we know the kind of food that we should eat to trigger sleep, it is equally important to know what we ought not to eat before going to sleep.

I remember the times when I used to stay awake the whole night to study during my exams. The only thing that kept me up through the night was 2-3 cups of coffee. Coffee containing caffeine arouses the CNS (Central Nervous System) and keeps the body awake.  Exactly! Do not have high caffeinated foods before you sleep. For people with insomnia, it is best to avoid coffee since the number of hours you may consume caffeine before going to bed without affecting your sleep differs for each individual based on the severity of the disease and sensitivity of the person. Try avoiding alcohol before you sleep since it may also be a cause for your insomnia.

Eating a heavy dinner just before sleeping could cause gastrointestinal issues or heartburns which may disrupt sleep. Doctors generally recommend patients to eat 3-4 hours before sleeping.

For patients who face difficulties in going back to sleep after waking up, it is recommended not to drink water at least 2 hours before you sleep so that you would not have to wake up to use the bathroom during the night and disrupt your sleep.

Insomnia Basics

Surveys show that millions of people are affected with Insomnia – i.e., Lack of sleep or lack of the ability to fall asleep. This condition is mainly triggered by mental stress – to put it short. Insomnia could be acute (inability to sleep or maintain sleep consistently for less than a month) or chronic (when the condition extends for more than a month).

People experience different kinds of Insomnia. Some find it difficult to fall asleep, others have difficulties in sleeping at a stretch through the night and yet others wake up during early hours of morning or maybe even during the night and find it difficult to go back to sleep. Poor sleep through the night could affect the whole day keeping one feeling dizzy and tired through the entire day causing a feeling of restlessness which disturbs the day’s work. All this leads to frustration and irritability which finally ends up in depression. It becomes very difficult when this condition continues for days since it weakens the body’s immune system. Soon the person becomes prone to various kinds of other diseases. The causes for insomnia are various. To name a few, usage of certain drugs like caffeine, cocaine, nicotine, etc., excessive consumption of alcohol, withdrawal of certain painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs, gastrointestinal issues, mental disorders, mental stress caused from work, events in life that have affected a person in terms of fear, emotions and problems in life, drastic shifts in one’s work timings, etc. Even excessive physical exercise could cause insomnia.

Other causes based on medical backgrounds are hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, previous thoracic surgery, brain injury, heat diseases or restless leg syndrome.

Though, Insomnia could be acquired by anybody, certain groups of people are at a higher risk, like, those working at late night shifts, those with a history of any kind of mental disorder, those with high emotional stress and those who are above the age of 60. However, Insomnia can be prevented by sleeping and waking up at the same time every day to make it a habit and by avoiding caffeine.  It is also important not to exercise just before sleeping which arouses the body rather than giving it a calm environment to sleep. Though treatments are available for to recover from this condition, many people use sleeping tablets and sedatives to get rid of the condition as a short-term use. However, it is important to first identify the cause for insomnia and the treatment for these causes need to be addressed instead of taking sleeping pills which will have a long-term effect of the body.

Various studies have proved that Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) work better than regular medications in the long term since these medications tend to cause the body to become immune to the drug and no longer react to it. However, it is not the same with CBT, which is now much relied on due to its positive results and long lasting effects.

Thus, it is extremely important to treat the disease before it gets out of hand since leaving the disease untreated could further increase mental stress and depression.