Holistic healing

Self help: Natural cures for insomnia

Spend your night tossing and turning instead of drifting gently off to the land of nod? Here’s how to banish those insomnia blues for good…

Spend your night tossing and turning instead of drifting gently off to the land of nod? Here’s how to banish those insomnia blues for good…
It’s not rocket science, but sleeping properly is one of the most important steps you can take towards optimum vitality, glowing skin and a longer, healthier life. On a physical level a decent night’s shut-eye promotes cellular rejuvenation and boosts the immune system while on a mental level it helps us to process thoughts and experiences. Without sleep our bodies quite literally shut down. “Sleep is an essential part of circadian rhythm which dictates that we should be awake for 16 hours and asleep for eight hours every night,” says Professor Ian Hindmarch, Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey.
“For anyone who wants to be healthy and successful, quality sleep is an essential, not a luxury,” says Sammy Margo, physiotherapist and author of The Good Sleep Guide (£9.99, Vermillion). “When well rested we can live our lives to the full and perform at our peak: a bad night’s sleep, however, will release the demons inside all of us.”

So how much sleep do you actually need?

When pinned down, scientists say that between six and eight hours a night is enough for most of us. “This is the basic amount of sleep we need to function comfortably in our daily life,” says Sammy, “beyond that, sleep is an enjoyable time filler but is not essential.” Just like sex and food, most of us would like to have more sleep than we need simply for enjoyment. However, sleep needs vary according to each person. The key is finding out what works for you. If you feel alert and energetic during the day, you are getting enough sleep, even if you have only slept for five hours. If, however, you feel drowsy during the day and lacking in energy, you need to improve the quality of your sleep.

Most of us try and make up for lack of sleep by having long lie-ins on days off and weekends, but Sammy believes these may do more harm than good. “This isn’t just because they disrupt your biological clock and make you prone to headaches, it’s also because recent studies have shown that those who stay in bed for more than nine hours are more irritable and don’t live as long as their eight hour counterparts!” She cites a 2002 study of more than a million people which found that those who averages eight or more hours of sleep a night had a 12 per cent greater chance of death than those who got six or seven. People who took sleeping pills were also more likely to die younger. Several studies have since reached the same conclusion although the reason is not clear. So what do you do if you’re not getting your eight hours a night? There are all sorts of practical tips as well as complementary therapies such as herbal supplements and reflexology can be a great help.

Scientists say that between six and eight hours of sleep a night is enough for most of us

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Blurred vision
Irritability and edginess
Daytime drowsiness
Decreased mental activity and concentration
Weakened immune system
Dark circles under your eyes
Headaches
Loss of libido
Slow reaction time and memory loss
Nausea
Yawning

HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR SLEEP STRATEGY?

Do you go to bed and wake up at different times depending on your schedule?
Do you enjoy long lie-ins at the weekend?
Do you have caffeinated drinks after 4pm?
Has it been a few years since you bought a new bed or mattress?
When you can’t fall asleep do you just lie there and try harder?
Do you watch television or surf the net before you go to bed?
Does your partner’s tossing and turning or snoring keep you awake?
Do you take over the counter medication to help you fall asleep?
Is you bedroom too warm and/or noisy at night?
Do you sleep on your back or stomach?
Do you wake up with back or neck ache?

If you answered yes to three or more of the the questions above, certain aspects of your lifestyle are making it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep.

Essential sleep secrets

You don’t need to lie in

Don’t indulge in a long lie in thinking it’s doing you the power of good. It’s far healthier to get up when you wake up naturally.

Lights out

Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. Even a tiny bit of light can disrupt your sleep and your pineal gland’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin.

Switch it off

Even better, get the television and the lap top out of the bedroom completely. They can be too disrupting to the brain and disrupt the function of your pineal gland.

Stay cool

Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 21ºC (70ºF). Many people keep their homes, and particularly the upstairs bedrooms, too hot.

Stay regular

You should go to bed at the same time ever day, even at the weekends. This will help your body get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning. Ideally, you should aim to be in bed before 11pm and up before 7.30am. Your body systems, particularly the adrenals, do the majority of their recharging or recovery during the hours of 11pm and 1am.

Establish a bed time routine

This could include deep breathing, writing a journal, reading, listening to relaxing music or having a foot massage. Anything that clearly signals to your brain that bedtime is a good idea. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed then repeat it each night to help you release tension and have the night of your dreams.

6 OF BEST SLEEP AIDS

Nu Nordic’s Melissa Dream tablets, £7.95,

are formulated with lemon balm, L-theanine, vitamin B complex and magnesium to help promote a restful night’s sleep

These 100 per cent silk duvets, from £115 from silkbedding.co.uk, are extra soft, lightweight and breathable to promote a healthy night’s sleep.

Bio Health’s Good Night supplements, £6.30, contain herbs such as valerian, hops, verbena, and passion flower to help achieve sound sleep.

Neal’s Yard Remedies Beauty Sleep Concentrate, £30, is made with active organic ingredients to work with the natural nocturnal bio-rhythms, while clary sage, cypress, orange oil, patchouli and ylang ylang, help to relax the body and mind,

Nodoff, £6.19, is a traditional licensed herbal remedy that promotes relaxation and natural sleep, it contains key herbal ingredients such as valerian, passiflora, skullcap, and hops.

Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath and Shower Oil, £37, is often described as a sleeping pill in a bottle. A natural sleep aid, it combines the rich, earthy oils of vetivert, camomile and sandalwood.

Bach Rescue Night Liquid Melts,£7.95, are formulated with the five flower essences contained in Rescue Remedy and white chestnut to relax after a stressful day and tease your mind from fretful and repetitive thoughts

“A blend of vetivert, camomile and sandalwood essential oils is a more effective sleep aid than lavender alone”

7 NATURAL SLEEP ENHANCERS

Perfect scents

Try sprinkling a few drops of essential oil onto your pillow or, even better, into an evening bath. “From experience, I have found a blend of vetivert, camomile and sandalwood essential oils is a more effective sleep aid than lavender alone, says Geraldine Howard, of Aromatherapy Associates. Vetivert is renowned for being one of the most effective oils for peace and tranquillity and, combined with rich earthy oils of camomile and sandalwood, the aromatic effect is comforting and grounding and can deliver a deep sense of peace and relaxation.

Unblock your ‘chi’

Acupuncture can help to alleviate stress by removing any blockages in your ‘chi’, or energy channels which in turn will send you off to the land of nod. For example, pressing the points ‘heart 7’, on the outer side of the wrist, and ‘stomach 36’, on the front of the leg just below the knee, are said to induce almost instant sleep! Rubbing the insides and outsides of your heels can also have a similar effect.

Anyone for coffea?

It may sound strange, but the homeopathic remedy coffea, which is derived from caffeine, is regularly prescribed to help combat sleep problems. For a professional consultation, you can find a homeopath in your area by contacting The British Homeopathic Association on 0870 444 3950.

The brain drain

Often described as ‘the king of insomnia killers’, meditation treats the cause and not just the symptoms so can help if you’re suffering from stress or tension-related sleeping problems. Meditation also helps to balance hormones, allowing plentiful supplies of melatonin to help you drift off with ease.

Eat right

Many nutritionists find that people having trouble sleeping are deficient in serotonin. In order to synthesise this hormone, your body needs a large amount of vitamin B6 which is found in avocados, cheese, fish, lentils, spinach, wholemeal flower and sunflower seeds so make sure you’re getting enough of these foods in your diet. In addition, stick to a high carb diet to maximise the hormone tryptophan in the brain, which also helps to aid better sleep.

Herbal healers

Try a cup of chamomile tea before bed-time or alternatively the herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine such as chrysanthemum, turmeric root, red sage root or peppermint leaf. However, be careful not to drink too much liquid just before bed or you may find your sleep disturbed by the beckoning of the loo! Alternatively, take a passionflower or valerian supplement.

AND RELAX….

A simple breathing exercise such as this one can help enormously: Take a deep breathe in through the nose, hold in for a count of five and then exhale through the mouth while repeating the word ‘calm’ in your mind. Repeat ten times.