No. 80

Resolving Insomnia Naturally

Using natural sleep aids including herbs, should not be mixed with drugs without consulting with your doctor first.  If you are on medication for insomnia, see your Doctor and discuss how to manage your medication with herbs or whether they can used in safe combination. Herbs can be in conflict with drugs and should often times not be combined with pharmaceuticals. Conflicts with herbs includes;  sleeping pills, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anxiety medications, and others for various illnesses.

If you are NOT taking pharmaceuticals, try using certain supplements and well respected herbs as singles or in combinations in order to resolve your issue.  Try any combination for about 5-7 days before alternating to another mix in order to give the product time to work. DO NOT assume more is always needed– it is usually a case of less is more, and combinations of herbs are often times needed to be successful.

Some products are a blend of ingredients. The advantage to this is that natural supplements work together, so a product like Sleep Capsules for example, may make a good base. If it is not adequate for your problem, combining different herbs or supplements with Sleep Capsules may be most effective. These types of issues can be highly individual based on other health problems, and circumstantial differences. Herbs do not work immediately like drugs. Your body needs time to build the balance back into your neurotransmitters and receptors. Sometimes taking Sleep Capsules, again as an example, may help but not quite enough. Here is where, instead of stopping Sleep Capsules, you reduce the dose and then use another herb or supplement in addition, to help guide you to the right blend specific to your individual need.

Here are some combinations to try-  these are by no means the ONLY combinations, but ideas to help get you started. These types of products are taken on an EMPTY STOMACH with water, generally 1 hour before bed. They can be taken with a Sleepy Flowers Tea or other non-caffeine restful herbal tea or decaffeinated tea. If any of these herbs are used during the day for anxiety or nervousness, always taken them in small doses on an empty stomach, the same as in the evening. If taken with food, the effect will be minimal at best. When taking these types of herbs by day for anxiety, take a small dose only in order to avoid sleepiness.

BASE:  Sleep Capsules- 1-3 capsules.  If this is not adequate, reduce to 1 capsule and substitute 1 or 2 others from this list

• Valerian– natural substitution for valium, ativan, or klonopin. You can take this herb for anxiety and/or insomnia, Restless Leg, pain, tight muscles, etc.  The capsules are usually about 470 mg. to 500 mg. Do NOT exceed 3,760 mg. in a 24 hour period or 8 capsules
• Kava Kava–  average mg. is 250 mg capsules–  a natural substitution for xanax. Another great herb for anxiety and/or insomnia. Take up to as many as 4 pills in a 24 hour period. Kava kava can be stressful to the liver so it must be used in smaller doses or about 1/2 the amount compared to valerian. It can be combined with valerian and other herbs, just not to exceed 4 pills in a day.
• 5HTP–  usually taken in 50 or 100 mg. dosage.  It can be taken by day for anxiety and depression. It can be taken 2-3 times a day as needed. Combining it with L-Theanine for depression may be helpful.
• L-Theanine– 100 mg. 1-3 times daily including a bedtime dose if needed. This amino acid is a natural anti-depressant.
• GABA– 250 mg. to 500 mg.  Helps to support brain receptors and neurotransmitters which calm the central nervous system and the transmission of pain, depression, or withdrawal from drugs like opiates or amphetamines. May be helpful in cases of insomnia when pain is also an issue. GABA is usually taken along with magnesium which is associated with these problems.
• Magnesium- citrate or chloride are the most usable forms.  This mineral is associated with a multitude of issues including insomnia, depression, Restless Leg, autoimmune illnesses, anxiety, and leg cramps.
• Sleepy Flowers Tea– a wonderful herbal blend of sleep herbs with flowers;  poppy, life everlasting, and hops. This is a nice routine for bed and can also be used in single cups for anxiety.
• Bali- Sleepy Flowers Tea–  the same great tea with the addition of Bali leaf which is helpful for depression, mood, and anxiety
• Kelp- sometimes insomnia and many of these issues, involves the thyroid and a lack of iodine. Kelp can help support the need for iodine in a natural form
• Thyroid Glandular– supports better hormone balance, many issues with sleep and insomnia often involve the thyroid
• Oil of Magnesium- 8 spritz per leg at bedtime can help settle Restless Leg along with internal supplementation.
• Kratom- 500 mg. to 2500 mg. of the red strain or Bali plant can be taken with any of these other products. This is helpful for pain, anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
• Phenibut- this is a natural product which is also addictive. It is used in a 3 day on and 3 day off cycle to help move a person off of sleeping pills. 3 days off is the wash out period. It should not be used daily ongoing, but as a product to help ween away from another dependency. If used properly, it will be needed for only a short duration and followed up with only the other natural products mentioned herein.  As a dietary supplement, take 1-2, 250 mg. capsules 2-4 times per day for anxiety and mood. To promote restful sleep, consume 2-6 vegetarian capsules before bed. Start at the lower dose to assess tolerance. Do not take for more than 3 days in a row without 3 day wash out.
• DLPA–  an amino acid- DL-Phenylalanine, is taken for insomnia with depression and pain. 250 to 500 mg can be taken 1 or 2 times per day as needed. DLPA is a great source of amino acid precursors for neurotransmitters that help a multitude of mental functions and mood. DLPA is an essential amino acid which cannot be made in the body and must be supplied through diet.
• Essential Oils–  especially certain ones can be powerful helpers to calming and settling-  one of my favorites is sacred frankincense.  For sleep, pain, nervousness, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and well being, place 1 drop under the tongue at bedtime and hold in your mouth for about 3 minutes before swallowing with water. You can increase by one drop per night, up to 3 drops in a dose. Full strength oil will not usually irritate the mouth lining. It can be placed on the bottom of the foot or tip of the big toe. Lavender is another favorite and very relaxing to mind and body. For indigestion you can try 1 drop (not more) in 4 oz. of almond milk or milk.
• Coconut Oil-  you can take coconut oil by mouth before bed if you wish. This can help with acid problems and soothe the intestinal tract. But mostly it is recommended to help restore adequate fat to the brain. This is very important in the prevention of senility and is highly effective to reduce inflammation. If you have a history of insomnia and do not get at least 7 hours per night of sleep, it is recommended that you include coconut oil in your supplemental regime. People who get 5 hours of sleep or less per night, more often than others, develop dementia or senility. The brain recovers and repairs during sleep cycles. Saturated fat like coconut oil, does not contain cholesterol and “feeds” the brain. It helps balance hormones, the thyroid, protect the brain, and reduce inflammation. All around, it is a medicinal food that should be in mostly everyone’s diet.

You can take 1 Sleep Capsule along with 2-3 Valerian for example. You can try 1 Sleep Capsule + 1 Valerian + 1 Kava Kava + 1 Magnesium.  There are many many options. Mix it up and keep trying until you find what works. After you are level and sleeping well, continue with the regime for about 8 weeks. At this point, start to taper down gradually until you can sleep naturally again. If you need a maintenance level, it should be tapered down as possible after the cycle of sleeping has been re-established. You find in the future that you need occasional help, some nights and not others. This is normal. You may have an imbalance that is continuing and using natural sleep aids daily is beneficial. This as well is normal if needed. Remember– SLEEP IS REPAIR.  Eating before bed causes your body to need to digest. Digestion shuts down when you go to sleep and food passing through your system is sluggish at best. Your body is not designed to digest food while you sleep. Sleep is to repair. Daytime is for digestion. Sometimes, people find relief when taking these types of natural herbs and supplements by NOT eating and snacking after dinner. An empty stomach at bedtime may help you sleep better.