​A client with insomnia came to see me.  He was a salesman with a crazy schedule that gave him no time to pause to breathe let alone have a meal except at his desk in between stressful phone calls.  His day was hectic and so was his night.   

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As his practitioner, I needed to address his diet, lifestyle and his state of mind. He also had digestive problems and allergies.  Among other remedies, the one that best helped him was  Nux-vomica.  Read more below.

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THE PURPOSE OF SLEEP

Sleep is critical not only for the rest it provides but for the ability of the physical and vital body (lower bodies) to carry out their building, healing and regeneration processes without being affected by the forces of thinking and feeling of the upper bodies (which are active when we are awake).

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During sleep, our inner wisdom processes -without the interruption of the mind or intellect - the various stimuli from the external world received through our waking state in daytime so that these emotions and feelings become properly grounded and digested.   When that takes place successfully, the body in turn transforms the lower body energies into higher spiritual forces of thought and understanding.

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We have 2 types of sleep:

• REM sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement

• non-REM sleep which is quiet, slow-wave sleep

 

As infants, our REM sleep is about 50% of our sleep, it is when we dream.  As adults, REM sleep is about 2 hours.  Dr. Dement, -author of “The Promise of Sleep” -who has spent a lifetime researching sleep, hypothesizes that REM sleep is crucial to developing the brain.  Only mammals have extended periods of REM sleep, these are the animals with the greatest mass of brain tissue, specifically the greatest proportion of neocortex.  The neocortex is the most advanced part of the brain, where most thinking takes place.

 

Loss of sleep is like a debt – it must be paid back.  If you miss one hour of sleep a night, you must catch up the next day or on the weekend which is hard to do, setting up for chronic sleep debt.  According to a test using a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), we are poor judges of our sleep debt, similar to the case of hydration and nutrition (we may think we have had enough water in a day but we may actually be dehydrated.  We may think we are taking in nutritious food, but we may actually be under-nourished).

 

Sleep reinforces the ability of the immune system to fight infection, healing takes place primarily when we sleep in the form of cell repair.  The growth hormone is a sleep inducer, that is why we sleep more when we are young and less when we are older. The goal of sleep is that we are able to sleep sufficiently until we wake up on our own, without alarm clocks and feel refreshed, be of a cheerful disposition, looking forward to the unfolding of the day.  Sleep is a joyous thing in itself, a restorative for the soul and spirit.

 

THE NEEDS OF THE PHYSICAL BODY

• Getting some light into our eyes in the morning hours begins the creation of Melatonin so we can get to sleep at night.

• One of the biggest contributors to simple sleeplessness is caffeine – avoid it in coffee, chocolate.Avoid alcohol and nicotine as well.

• Using only low lights as with lamps in the evening, removing exposure to blue light from devices one hour before bed will help to bring the body into relaxation mode.

• Eating a light dinner with some healthy carbohydrate like a sweet potato or an apple can increase serotonin -the happy hormone – so you stay asleep.

• Having moved the body as in walking or some other type of exercise at least 30 minutes per day will also create the right chemistry and mood to help you sleep.

• Hydrating well but 3 hours away from bedtime will help you sleep soundly.

 

THE NEEDS OF THE MENTAL-EMOTIONAL BODY

Take time to let go and relax.  Find your ways to do that, be it a bath, a warm shower, listening to music, reading a book, watching a non-stimulating movie, meditation, yoga, etc.

Sleep is the ultimate exercise in LETTING GO.  It is a preparation for death.  When we die, we must let go of everything.  In Yoga, we call the state of letting go “SAVASANA” or corpse pose.  The muscles relax, the mind lets go and you sleep.

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HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy can help with sleeplessness safely and without side effects or risk of addiction.

In consultation, the Heilkunst practitioner will put together the specific remedies for you and in the right potencies taking into account your specific characteristics and matching them to the key notes of the remedies. 

 

Here are a few remedies to consider:

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Aconite: for the person that is in a fright, restless and anxious with an anguished kind of fear. He may feel a bit pan­icky on going to bed –they may fear sleep or feel that they might not wake up. It can be particularly helpful for those who have experienced a fright before sleep.

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Arsenicum album: for a person that is often the restless, meticulous who cannot get to sleep because he has to get everything ordered in his mind. They may need to pace the room during the night. Chilly by nature, may struggle with sleep after midnight – particularly after 1:00AM. They also tend to be thirsty for small sips of water at regular intervals.

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Cocculus: for someone who has been deprived of sleep as a mother or caregiver. He will feel exhausted and weak, especially neck muscles and the low back.  There may be mental fog and some dizziness – particularly on rising from bed. Like Natrum muriaticum, he may also be sad, self-absorbed, brooding, moody, and silent.

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Coffea cruda: for those who feel as if they just drank a strong cup of coffee – they are awake and somewhat excited. This state can also be caused by joy, pleasurable excitement, or sudden happy surprises as well as by unexpected bad news. A person over-fatigued from long journeys may also require it. Those requiring Coffea cruda often experience smell, taste and touch that is acutely sensitive and report an unusually active mind - full of ideas.

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Ignatia: helpful to those who experience sleeplessness after a loss of some sort. They may sigh and yawn a lot, yet find sleep difficult to come by, and when they do sleep - find it fitful at best. They may twitch, toss and turn and be subject to nightmares.

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Natrum muriaticum: for those with sleeplessness after the death of a loved one, a slight, or loss. May feel isolated, aggrieved and perhaps crying them­selves off to fitful sleep. May often be sad – and made worse by consolation. They may also experience palpitations with the grief. Nat-mur patients are very uncomfortable in the heat of the sun.

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Nux vomica:  for the person than can fall asleep early, but awakens at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. with great mental activity or worries. After this period of restlessness and worry, the patient finally feels able to sleep and often does, only to wake in a tired, irritable state. Sleeplessness is commonly brought on by the overuse of drugs and/or stimulants including alcohol, coffee, and wine, or by overwork or excess studying. Nux vomica patients are typically irritable, easily angered, and impatient – as well as chilly, nervous, and excitable. 

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SUPPLEMENTS

Some supplements and calming herbal combinations can help – see some formulas I recommend here: 

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From Premier Research Labs

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Tranquinol: support for overactive mind, for deep and restful sleep.

Magnesium Glycinate: for relaxation and vitality

L-Theanine: for calm, focus and mental clarity.

Melatonin-ND: fermented Melatonin for brain, sleep and immunity.

CereVEN: brain support botanical formula.

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You can find these products here:  

https://prlabs.com/customer/account/create/code/df1606/

Premier Research Labs  (800) 325-7734   Mon - Fri, 8 AM - 6 PM (CST)

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