Articles
/ Sleep Disorder
Homeopathy
for Insomnia; Treating the Cause
as published
in the April 2004 issue of Vitality Magazine
Your
partner sleeps four hours each night, never seems to run out of
energy, and is chipper most of the time. You sleep eight hours
every night, wishing you had ten, and drag yourself through the
day. Who has the sleep problem? Actually, you do.
What
is Insomnia?
Simply
put, insomnia is the inability to get sufficient and/or restful
sleep.
Its
symptoms include one or more of the following:
- Difficulty
falling asleep at bedtime, despite feeling tired;
- Waking
up frequently during the night and having trouble falling back
to sleep;
- Waking
up too early in the morning;
- Not
getting "quality" sleep that enables you to feel refreshed the
next day, even though you slept for an adequate amount of time.
The
quality, rather than the quantity, of a person's sleep is important.
When we drift off to sleep, we either fall into a deep, restful
sleep, or into a shallow, light sleep. One who normally requires
eight hours of sleep, but sleeps lightly, will most likely awaken
feeling tired. In contrast, if the same individual sleeps fewer
hours, but lapses into a state of deep sleep, she may awaken refreshed
and rejuvenated.
Some
people consider themselves insomniacs, simply because they only
require five or six hours of sleep. Essentially, they are high-energy
people who don't need a lot of sleep. Some people's body rhythms
are such that they experience their highest and most creative
energy period late at night. The wakeful state they experience
is not a sign of illness; it may simply be a signal that the person
should use this time to do some creative work.
There are different types of insomnia: transient - if it
lasts from one night to a few weeks; chronic - when it persists
almost nightly for a minimum of one month; intermittent is the
kind that returns periodically over months or years. Perhaps the
best way to determine if you're getting enough sleep at night
is if you feel rested and refreshed upon waking. Whether you have
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, this is one problem
whose solution cannot be found by sleeping on it!
Why
We Sleep
We
spend approximately 25 years of our lives sleeping. While it is
a common belief that we sleep to restore our body and mind, scientists
don't actually have proof as to why we sleep. If you continuously
deprive rats of sleep, they die after 14 days, but autopsies fail
to reveal the cause of death.[1]
Deprive
yourself of sleep and your attention and learning abilities will
diminish quickly, your metabolic rate will increase, your body
will be unable to regulate its temperature and at some point you
will start hallucinating. The human record for no sleep is 11
days and is held by a student. He had no discernable ill effects
apart from feeling sleepy, but in the end he just could not stay
awake, which does not tell us much about why we sleep, only that
we have a very powerful mechanism to make us sleep.[2]
Many
theories have been proposed, but the primordial function of sleep
remains a partial mystery. Some speculations suggest that the
brain is testing, strengthening, or improving our neurons during
sleep. Among the most common theories of sleep are 'energy conservation'
and 'energy restoration'. The old myth that sleep is a rest period
for the brain is definitely not correct. In fact, the brain is
extremely active during sleep.
The
brain is what tells us when it is time to sleep. Sensation of
light taken in from the retina is transferred through the nerves
to the hypothalamus. This hypothalamus determines the amount of
light exposure and adjusts the body accordingly. This is all part
of the circadian rhythms and the body's sleep-wake cycle.[3]
One
complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 -100 minutes; therefore during
an average sleep period a person will experience 4 to 5 complete
sleep cycles. The sleep cycle begins with four stages of NREM
(Non-REM) sleep. These stages then quickly reverse, and are followed
by the first REM (Rapid Eye Movement) period, roughly 90 minutes
after falling asleep. Thus, the first REM period will last for
about 10 minutes, as a new cycle begins about every 100 minutes.
As the night proceeds, the length of stages 3 and 4 (also called
delta or deep sleep) begins to wane, and the length of REM sleep
increases, up to one full hour in length after a number of cycles.
Therefore, as the night goes on, you dream for longer periods
of time. [4]
Although
not completely understood, there seems to be a biological and
a psychological need for REM sleep. Many spiritual disciplines
and schools of psychology view the symbolic meaning of dreams
as dealing with or working out of an individual's conscious or
unconscious problems. Here are some of the many theories on the
purpose of REM sleep:
- Braindevelopment
- Restoration
of brain chemicals and neuron proteins
- Development
of oculomotor (eye movement) coordination
- Memory
storage and organization (Elimination of unneeded information
in the sleeper's memory, to "clear out space" for new memory
& consolidation and incorporating new learning into old memory)
- Dealing
with stress or problems in dreams. [5]
Why
We Don't Sleep
Insomnia
affects 22.7% of the Canadian population, according to a 2002
poll conducted by Leger Marketing. Of this group, 9.3% take sleeping
pills; 6.7% prescribed by a doctor and 2.6% over the counter medication.
It may be reassuring to know that you are not alone. This awareness
however does not make falling asleep any easier, especially in
light of the fact that we have an undeniable need for sleep. Emotional
or psychological aspects are the number one cause of insomnia;
anxiety regarding business and family, depression over relationship
problems, tension over money matters, worries about health and
disease, specific fears, such as darkness, ghosts, or not being
able to fall asleep. Physical pain or discomfort in the body,
such as colic, injuries or joint stiffness can give rise to sleeplessness.
Another physical factor that interferes with sleep is connective-tissue
disorders, such as fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia, more common in
women, is characterized by intense pain and hypersensitivity throughout
the body. In rare cases, insomnia results from injury to the brain
stem.
"What's
very, very common is restless-leg syndrome", says Meir Kryger,
a professor of internal medicine at the University of Manitoba
"It's so common that when I speak to 10 people, one or two have
the problem. It occurs in both men and women, although women's
hormonal makeup is a factor. Progesterone, a female hormone that
is present in many birth-control and hormone-replacement therapy
formulations, can trigger restless legs" "Low iron also has been
associated with restless legs", she continues.
It
is Kryger's estimation that 50% more women have sleep problems
than men do. Part of the reason for this is women's hormonal changes
during menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause. Then
there's the "supermom syndrome"; getting up early to prepare children
and send them to school, then staying up late to do housework
is hardly conducive to a good night's sleep. "It's the major thing
I see, women not giving themselves permission to spend time in
bed," says Ann Romaker, medical director of the sleep disorders
center at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City.
Studies
show that bouts of insomnia may predispose individuals to depression,
or vice versa. The correlation between sleep disorders and mood
disorders holds true across age and gender lines.
How
Homeopathy Can Help
Whether
your insomnia is a result of anxiety, depression, aches and pains
or other ailments, homeopathy has the ability to remove the root
cause and restore harmony between body, mind and spirit.
Case
#1: Samantha, a 26 year old woman, was unable to sleep without
the aid of prescription sleeping pills each night. "I was afraid
of falling asleep since I was a young child", she said to me during
her first visit in early 2002. Without the drug, extreme anxiety
and the fear of not being able to fall asleep would keep Samantha
awake for hours. To alleviate some of her anxiety, Samantha would
hold onto a stuffed animal or blanket, and make sure she was facing
her bedroom door. Details of her medical history and personality
led me to prescribe 2 doses of Arsenicum Album during a 6-week
period. At our second meeting, Samantha was considerably calmer
and commented on how her friends had also seen the difference
in her demeanor. She reported being able to fall asleep within
15 minutes of going to bed, without experiencing anxiety or needing
drugs. Incidentally the number of epileptic seizures she had between
visits had diminished dramatically.
Case
#2: Mark, an active 75 year old man, who initially came to
me with a digestive concern was also experiencing sleepless nights.
He would fall asleep easily only to wake up 3-4 hours later and
be unable to fall back asleep. His unique digestive symptoms,
the rotten tasting post-nasal drip, combined with his "type A"
personality traits pointed to the remedy Nux-vomica. Five days
and 2 doses later, Mark called to tell me that his sleeping time
had increased by one half-hour increments each night to a total
of 7 hours. His digestive problems were also considerably better.
Case
#3: "I
fall asleep easily, but wake up every 2 hours; I can set my watch
by it", Barbara complained. The insomnia, coupled with migraine
headaches had begun at age 51, the onset of menopause for the
59 year old. Aside from the sleep disorder and the headaches,
Barbara was perfectly healthy, and despite her conscientious efforts
of finding a natural solution through teas, baths and meditation,
she was unable to correct her sleep problem. Within 2 weeks, with
the remedy Carcinosinum, Barbara was waking up once or twice,
and her headaches were 50% better. With 3 months of continued
treatment, Barbara was headache free and sleeping through the
night.
Allopathic
drugs, with sedatives, are habit forming and have side effects
such as intellectual impairment, rebound insomnia, constipation,
blood pressure alteration, confusion, etc. In addition, sedatives
disturb deep sleep, leading you to wake up unrefreshed. Homeopathic
medicines, on the other hand, are absolutely safe, non-toxic,
non-addictive, and free of any known side effects or contraindications.
A homeopath, while exploring the patient's case history, tries
to determine the anxiety factor, the core disturbance, in the
patient. Thus the remedy is prescribed for the root cause, the
anxiety factor, rather than the insomnia, which is a mere symptom.
When the correct homeopathic remedy is matched with the patient's
constitution, the result is total freedom from tensions, worries
anxiety and a good night's sleep.
If
you're suffering with mild or transient insomnia, here are some
techniques that may help with falling asleep:
Relaxation:
Engage in yoga, meditation, listen to soothing music or ask your
partner to give you a foot massage. Don't have a (willing) partner?
Get regular massages by an RMT. There are plenty of Registered
Massage Therapists with just the right touch. Take a soothing
bath with essential oils such as orange blossom, meadowsweet,
or hops. Use a mantra when meditating; a one or two syllable word
that you repeat over and over again to help calm the mind and
encourage sleep. You don't have to use Sanskrit words as a mantra.
You can use words like: "one," "God," "love," or even "sleep."
Herbal
sedatives: Steep one teaspoon each of valerian root, scullcap,
and catnip for 20 minutes. One cup of this tea will relax the
body and calm the mind. Another good combination of herbs is chamomile,
passion flower, and hops.
Don't
count sheep, count on sheep's wool: Wool blankets regulate
skin and body temperature better than synthetic blankets.
Avoid
stimulants: Products with caffeine include coffee, black tea,
colas, aspirin and diet pills. Nicotine in cigarettes is also
a stimulant that can keep you up at night. Alcohol may make you
drowsy, but it disrupts sleep patterns and creates shallow unrefreshing
sleep.
Warm
milk rarely works: Despite folklore that has long suggested
that warm milk helps people to sleep, research has shown that
it is rarely helpful. In fact, non-fat and low-fat milk can actually
stimulate the brain's activity.[6]
Avoid
exercising close to bedtime: While regular exercise can calm
the body and promote natural sleep, late-night aerobic activity
can generate too much energy and prevent sleep.
Let
your bedroom be your sanctuary: Avoid working in your bedroom
or engaging in stressful activities like paying bills. Let your
bedroom be a soothing, quiet, and relaxing place that helps you
retreat from the worries of the outside world
Un-medicate
yourself: Many prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including
decongestants and aspirin, can disturb sleep. Talk with your doctor
about reducing the dosage or changing the prescription. Drugs
that have insomnia listed as one of their side effects include:
·
- Analgesics
(pain killers)
- Antidepressants
- Arthritis
medications
- Asthma
medications
- Blood
pressure medications
- Cold/allergy
medications
- Diet
pills
- Alertness
medications
Eight
hours isn't necessary: Research has suggested that insomniacs
actually need less sleep than others. Don't feel pressured to
get a full eight hours every night; you may experience less anxiety
and be able to sleep better, even if you do sleep less.
Try
Homeopathy: If you've a chronic insomnia sufferer and you've
tried the above methods without any success it may be time to
give homeopathy a chance. Homeopathy is a holistic and deep acting
medicine that aims to treat the whole person rather than just
the physical symptoms. It works on the principle that the mind
and body are so strongly connected that the physical condition
cannot be successfully treated without taking into consideration
the person's emotional state and character. Whether you have trouble
falling asleep or staying asleep, whether your insomnia is a result
of emotional or physical ailments, homeopathy has a solution.
Tamara
Der-Ohanian is a Classical Homeopath practicing and teaching in
Toronto and Bolton. She can be reached at 416-385-1001.
References
[1]
Dana Ullman, M.P.H. The One Minute or So Healer: 500 Quick and
Simple Ways to Heal Yourself Naturally, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam,
1991.
[2]
Outside
Link - Insomnia Article
[3]
Outside
Link - Insomnia Article
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Dana
Ullman, M.P.H. The One Minute or So Healer: 500 Quick and Simple
Ways to Heal Yourself Naturally, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1991.
