A specific disorder that interferes with sleep is known as “sleep apnea.”  Sleep apnea is an absence of breathing periodically during the night.  Although it can occur in children, this is more common in adults.  Obesity is the primary factor associated with sleep apnea.

Other causes of insomnia include alcohol, anxiety, an uncomfortable or noisy environment, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, indigestion, medications, nutritional deficiencies, pain or discomfort, socially accepted poisons (e.g., alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco), recreational drugs and stress.

While sleep is a natural physiological phenomenon, it’s also a learned behavior.  Fortunately, there are quite a few common sense approaches you can use to try to correct the problem yourself.  It may take only one therapy for you!  Let’s get started.

Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment

1. Avoid eating too close to bedtime, especially foods that contain tyramine, a brain chemical which increases the release of the adrenal stimulant norepinephrine.  These include caffeinated products, cheese, chocolate, and foods from the deadly nightshade family (e.g., eggplant, potatoes, tobacco, and tomatoes), pork, and red wine.

2. Consider the effect of medications such as beta-blockers (used in hypertension--See “Blood Pressure”) and birth control pills.  These, and many others, can interfere with sleep.  Be wary of other compounds such as alcohol, coffee, marijuana and other recreational drugs, and tea.

3. Check your thyroid.  While too much thyroid hormone may make you jittery, not enough can make it difficult for you to relax.  Take your basal body temperature by placing a thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes before arising in the morning on two consecutive days.  Your basal body temperature should be greater than 97.8.  If not, then you could probably benefit from natural thyroid supplementation.  DHEA, pregnenolone, and progesterone should be considered as well.  (See “Hypothyroidism.”)

4. Regular physical exercise is known to improve general well-being and sleep quality.  20 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise with increases heart rate, performed in the morning or early evening (but not just before bedtime), is usually best.

5. Some patients have what is known as “restless legs.”  This is a nerve and muscular disorder characterized by repeated contractions of leg muscles during the night.  Those who have a mal-absorption syndrome and/or caffeine sensitivity commonly are affected.  It may result in frequent awakenings or daytime sleepiness and the patient is often unaware of the cause.  Often, such individuals respond well to high doses of folic acid (up to 60 mg daily) and Vitamin E (up to 2400 units daily).

6.      Consider your environment.  Linen bed sheets disperse body heat better than cotton and other fabrics.  If cold, dress warmer or use a heating blanket to pre-warm the bed.  (Be sure to turn it off after you’re in.)  Or take a warm bath in the evening to relax your muscles. 

7. Certain colors in the bedroom are more calming and tranquil than others: blue, green, pink and violet have been found to be best.  If stressed during the day, involve yourself in another project or hobby to distract you from your troubles.  A late night snack of warm milk can induce sleep, as can alcohol; but alcohol at night should be avoided as its effect wears off quickly and you’ll be waking up during the middle of the night.

8. Avoid watching television, reading, or playing computer games in bed and using your bedroom as a workplace.  If possible, only use your bedroom as a place to sleep.  While there is no “normal” amount of sleep per night, most people need between 7-8 hours.  If you are having trouble sleeping, try retiring and awakening at the same times each day.

9. If you find yourself concentrating too much on sleep, you may be trying too hard.  Biofeedback, deep breathing, muscle stretching, yoga, and self-hypnosis with audiotapes can all help you to progressively relax your muscles (See “Stress.”)  Sex before bedtime is another way of relaxing for many people.  Provided that sex is a pleasurable activity for you mentally and physically, the hormonal mechanisms triggered during sexual activity will help enhance sleep.

10. Supplements found to be useful in the treatment of this condition are calcium and magnesium, 1-2 grams daily of each.  These are best absorbed when taken in the chelated aspartate form after meals.  Vitamin B-complex has a calming effect on the body.  Take this with additional B₅ and B₆, which support adrenal function and blood sugar regulation.  Niacin, or Vitamin B₃, taken approximately 1 hour before bedtime, also has a sedative effect.  However, niacin also has a flushing effect and the dosage may need to be reduced if this becomes uncomfortable or interferes with sleep.

11. Melatonin, a natural hormone and potent antioxidant, is produced in greater amounts by the pineal gland when the sun goes down.  It helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle (which is often out-of-balance in chronically fatigued patients).  Because of its natural sedative effect, it should be taken at night.  5 mg is usually enough.  If taken a few days before and after traveling long distance, melatonin can also prevent jet lag.

12. Tryptophan was one of the first amino acids to be marketed as a supplement.  It was available as a natural sleeping aid.  It helps to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter often deficient in depressed patients, and vitamin B₃.  It also works well for depression because it increases serotonin, the brain neurotransmitter that is often found deficient in depressed patients.  It also has an appetite suppressant effect.  Hence, it has been used not only in the treatment of insomnia but in depression and obesity as well.  NOTE: When tryptophan was removed from the market for political reasons, it could still be obtained in the form of its precursor known as 5-hydroxy-tryptophan or 5-HT.  The standard doses of tryptophan for insomnia are between 500 and 2000 mg at night.   If you are taking 5-HT, which is 10 times more potent that tryptophan, the standard doses will range from 50 to 200 mg at night.  This should be taken with magnesium and vitamin B₆ to ensure tryptophan’s conversion to serotonin.  This can be ordered from a compound pharmacy.  Food sources of tryptophan which promote sleep include bananas, cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, figs, goat’s milk, nut butters, pumpkin, brown rice, soy, turkey, tuna, and yogurt.

13. Herbs good for insomnia are chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap, and valerian root.

14. Homeopathics often recommended for insomnia include:  Avena Sativa (if insomnia is a result of mental overexertion), Chamomilla (especially in children or if overly sensitive and irritable), Cocculus (for exhaustion--often the result of caring for someone else), Coffea (unable to shut off mind when sleeping, good for coffee drinkers), Ignatia (exhaustion from chronic worry or grief), Nux Vomica (in excessive drinkers of alcohol or tea, and smokers), Passiflora (best in the children and elderly), Sepia (in women who are moody and irritable--especially during menopause or the menstrual cycle), Valeriana (if sleep is light and non-refreshing).

To learn more about healing and health optimizing therapies, go to www.NewHopeMedical.org or call NEW HOPE MEDICAL CENTER at (702) 476-0000 (direct line) or toll free (866) HEAL-NOW!