Getting the sleep you deserve
This Week In The HSI Healthier Talk Community
The title says it all: “INSOMNIA! – INSOMNIA! – HELP!”
With obvious desperation, a member named Ploutos used that phrase to title a thread she started on the General Health Topics forum in the HSI Healthier Talk community. She writes: “Help – insomnia for many months -now it’s worse than ever – I stopped taking sleeping pills because I did not want to take drugs – the herbals plus Tylenol PM work more or less but I have a headache all day and still not a “good sleep” – I cannot function and don’t know what to do!”
In no-nonsense fashion, a member named Timco lists six steps for Ploutos:
- Quit the Tylenol PM
- No naps during the day
- Spend time in the sun every day
- Aerobic exercise during the day (Early in the day, every day)
- Eliminate sugar and lower carb intake overall
- If you need, try melatonin, or other natural products – only if necessary”
“Only if necessary” is good advice. Melatonin is a hormone that’s known to aid sleep. But while melatonin supplements may be effective for some, they should be taken with great care. Ploutos would be wise to thoroughly read up on melatonin and then talk to her doctor before using it.
A member named Rosezs suggests valerian root, and adds: “Are you on any other medications at all? Sometimes drugs can have the opposite effect, making you wide awake instead of putting you to sleep. I believe calcium is a good relaxant too, and I’d throw in some magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin D3.” Rosezs is on the right track with calcium. As a member named Rosie points out, calcium deficiency has been linked with insomnia.
In one of her postings Ploutos mentions that she’s a vegetarian, and a member named Renbert responds with this opinion: “I’m afraid that it may be your vegetarianism that’s causing your insomnia trouble, especially if you are of Northern European ancestry. Red meat (beef and lamb) have a perfect form of the amino acid L-Carnitine, which is essential for balancing brain chemistry. Introducing red meat back into my diet cured my insomnia in 3 days. I know this is hard for vegetarians to accept, but I’d like to encourage people to choose health over belief, especially if that belief puts you unwittingly at odds with your body.”
And a member named Rick has another dietary suggestion: “If you eat a lot of sugar or carbohydrate (which is just sugar in another form) then your blood sugar level shoots up; so your pancreas secretes insulin which brings your blood sugar level back down; if your blood sugar level goes too low then you feel tired & sleepy; so your adrenals kick in to get your blood sugar level back up again; now you go to bed but you can’t get to sleep because you are pumped up with adrenalin; it takes time to get your adrenalin levels low enough so you can get to sleep. The solution is to keep your blood sugar level even by cutting out sugar, carbohydrates, caffeine, alcohol & nicotine.”
Anne: “When I suffer from insomnia I find that a good hard physical workout with lots of ‘sweating’ helps me sleep like a baby. Reading a boring book in bed also helps me fall asleep fast.”
Emster: “I don’t think I saw anyone mention relaxation techniques, yoga, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, reading, chamomile tea or valerian tea. Another thing that helps me get a good night’s sleep are using these little foam earplugs called Hearos.”
And a member named Sally brings us around to melatonin again with this tip: “About B12, another reason it helps you sleep is because your body can’t make melatonin without it.”
Other topics being discussed this week in the Healthier Talk community forums include:
- General Health Topics: Replacing electrolytes
- Diabetes: Improved circulation and decreased neuropathy
- Allergies: Allergy testing
- Fibromyalgia: Vitamin D deficiency?
- Hormones: Peri-menopause
- Auto-Immune Diseases: Sunlight cuts risk
To reach the HSI Healthier Talk community forums, just go to our web site at www.hsionline.com, choose “Forum,” and add your comments to the wide range of topics concerning health care and nutrition.
