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Wednesday, February 04th, 2009 | Author: admin

Insomnia Herbs - Nature’s Sleep Brew

Insomnia herbs are often still better treatments than drugs and sedatives that may produce undesirable side effects.

Worrisome events have plagued humans since society began, bringing about sleepless nights. Insomnia herbs have been a cure for just as long. When modern medicine came in, however, there came an onslaught of chemicals and sedatives to help give digital-age humans our craved-for rest–as well as other unwanted side effects. This brings us back to the insomnia herbs of the old days, and we have realized that old cures are often still the better choice.

sleep herbs, middle insomniaCaffeine is an addictive drug. While it makes you alive during otherwise drowsy mornings, it will likewise prevent you from having some needed rest at night. Because of restlessness, you’ll be lethargic again the next day, not to mention jittery and ill-tempered and you’ll desperately run towards the coffeemaker the first opportunity you get.

It’s a addictive cycle, and it must be stopped. If you can’t cut your dependency from caffeine completely, at least try to lessen your intake. Doing this includes stopping drinking and eating colas, chocolate, and yes, the ubiquitous Starbucks. Have some insomnia herbs instead.

Valerian root is the primary cure. It is "the safest and most effective sleep aid with no side effects," according to British scientist turned herbalist Dr. Malcolm Stuart, who says the best time to drink it would be around 8 PM. Thirty minutes before taking to bed, use one to two teaspoons of the dried root to make a sleep-promoting tea. Unlike pharmacy cures, valerian causes no heavy feeling the day after. And not like its equivalent synthetic cures, which may cause an addiction, you will not develop a dependency on this herb.

Substitutable for valerian root in terms of its sleep-enhancing effects is catnip. Not only is this herb used as a cure for insomnia, but it is also thought to help nervousness, anxiety, and even migraines. The administration of catnip is again just like valerian–one to two teaspoons of the dried herb for one cup of boiled water and set aside to infuse for around ten minutes. Do not boil the herb along with the water as this may deactivate some of its important ingredients.

Chamomile is milder and is recommended for children to consume, most especially when the young ones are hyper. The usual dosage is two teaspoons of dried chamomile flower for every cup of tea.

Lavender is also a very soothing brew at bedtime (three flower heads to one cup of boiling water, immersed like catnip), and sniffing a few drops of its oil or putting it in your bubble bath has a similar calm-inducing effect. It can be also rubbed onto your skin during a massage and its flowers and seeds stuffed into your pillows.

In Traditional Chinese medicine, the longan fruit and sour jujube seed are also known to soothe the soul. The former is used to treat insomnia, while the latter is used with stronger herbs.

While the insomnia herbs discussed above may be used alone, you may also mix an herbal cocktail if you like. Try blending valerian with chamomile, catnip, or some other mild herbs like hops and passionflower. Add a small amount of the natural sweetener stevia for flavor if you find the taste a bit too robust to your taste. Don’t drink excessively to spare yourself from sleep-disturbing trips to the loo.

While there is nothing basically wrong with depending on insomnia herbs, homeopathy, and aromatherapy to induce sleep, it is still best to let nature take its course and allow your body to drift off to sleep alone, the way it’s wired for. To let your body perform at its best, a lifestyle overhaul is in order.

To prevent sleep problems, having an exercise regimen, proper stress management, and sticking to a healthy diet made up mostly of fruits and vegetables is the the most recommended way of life, aside from consuming your favorite cocktail of insomnia herbs. In the meantime, why don’t you have a cup of relaxing Valerian-citrus brew? Cheers!

Get the amazing FREE course that reveals secret tips to cure insomnia and fall into energizing deep sleep at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/sleep-secret.htm courtesy of self-help expert, Michael Lee.

By Michael Lee
Published: 7/13/2007

Overcoming Insomnia with Herbs

Herbal treatment for insomnia

Insomnia is a type of sleeping disorder in which an individual is unable to sleep long enough to feel rested. It results in lack of sleep, irritability, stress, headache and indigestion.

Cure Insomnia With Herbs and Essential Oils

Many people will suffer from insomnia at some point and time in their life. Here is an easy natural way to combat insomnia when it comes knocking at your door.

Get Help for Insomnia

People have been treating their insomnia with this herb for countless generations. Because of its natural sedative abilities, it’s become one of the most popular herbs for the treatment of insomnia.

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Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 | Author: admin

Chronic insomnia can be caused by a variety of reasons. Sleep deprivation caused by insomnia can have many deleterious effects. Read more about this condition here.

fatal insomnia, deep sleep disorderThe amount of sleep required by each person is dependent on the individual. While 71/2 hours is considered the average, many do very well with far less than that, while others seem to need 9-10 hours. Almost everybody experiences sleeplessness some time or the other. The occasional night of tossing and turning, and the inability to get that shuteye despite trying everything is a phenomenon that most of us are familiar with. It is usually caused by stress, indigestion, or consuming too much alcohol or caffeine.

It is when sleeplessness continues to be persistent and the normal patterns of sleep keeps being elusive, night after night, say, for three to four nights each week, which lasts for a month and even more, that the condition is regarded as chronic insomnia.

What are the effects of chronic insomnia?

When chronic insomnia is diagnosed, the sleeplessness such people experience seems to have no ostensible reason. However, the sleep deprivation is so acute that it leads to a corresponding decrease in the energy levels of the body accompanied by mood swings, making the affected person high-strung and irritable. This can lead to marital discord and a disagreeable home environment, which, in turn, can aggravate the insomnia even further.

But, mood swings and low energy levels are not the only deleterious effects of chronic sleep deprivation. According to research, it is known that sleep is essential for reinforcing the immune system. Hence, chronic sleeplessness can have an adverse affect on the health too, by reducing immunity to diseases caused by bacterial and viral attacks.

When sleep deprivation is caused due to insomnia it often results in the lack of mental alertness and concentration, accompanied by chronic fatigue, which is cited as being one of the main causes of accidents, at home, on the road, as well as at the workplace.

Chronic insomnia can also lead to poor performance at the workplace, sometimes even resulting in the loss of the job. The financial stress that is caused by this can exacerbate the sleeplessness even further.

What are the causes of chronic sleep deprivation?

Chronic insomnia can be caused by a wide variety of conditions like: chronic stress; psychological reasons, for example a highly strung personality; psychiatric reasons such as paranoia, anxiety, or depression; and chronic illnesses such as respiratory problems, allergies, asthma, and arthritis which can cause sleep deprivation.

It has been found, however, that most of the cases of chronic insomnia have psychiatric or psychological roots. Some of the most common psychological disorders that lead to chronic sleep deprivation are: manic depression; schizophrenia; chronic anxiety; and chronic depression. It has been found that up to 70 percent of the people that suffer from psychological disorders are also afflicted by insomnia. This is because such people have abnormally low levels of melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep, as well as high levels of stress hormones.

Occasionally, it is found that there may be no medical condition that causes chronic insomnia. In such cases, the condition is referred to as primary insomnia. For instance, in women primary insomnia can be caused by the fluctuations of progesterone, a female hormone produced in the ovaries.

The primary kind of chronic insomnia can also be caused by lifestyle and behavioral elements such as the overuse of stimulating substances like caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, drug abuse, irregular habits, disruptive sleeping and waking cycles caused by continuous late-night socializing or irregular working schedules, and so on.

How is chronic insomnia treated?

If the insomnia is not responsive to behavioral therapy or other natural methods of treatment, the primary means of treating it is by using antidepressant, hypnotic, and sedative drugs. However, these drugs are usually addictive and with time lose their effectiveness; hence, they are usually used as a short-term means of treating chronic insomnia.

Subsequently, it is recommended to make positive behavioral and lifestyle changes, and also to adopt techniques of relaxation like meditation that help in inducing sleep. If the chronic insomnia is caused by a medical condition, that disease will have to be treated in order to alleviate the sleep deprivation caused by it.

By Rita Putatunda
Published: 11/16/2007

Chronic Insomnia

CHRONIC INSOMNIA Every night is a sleepless night for me. Tossing and turning, flipping and flopping - never out for more than a few hours at a time.

Chronic Insomnia: A Practical Review

Chronic Insomnia: A Practical Review Insomnia has numerous, often concurrent etiologies, including medical conditions, medications, psychiatric.

How To Manage Insomnia in Children

Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease[...]

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