The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
D3, B3, B12 and B Complex
Posted by Ivanka (Nevada) on 07/12/2021
★★★★★
The supplements that I had the most success with for my severe insomnia were:
- Vitamin D3 5000IU every night for a couple of weeks and then one every other night.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) 500mg every night plus
- B12 5000mcg
- and B complex in liquid form.
I hope this helps you too.
Vitamins D and B Complex
Posted by Tessa (Okanagan) on 03/30/2021
Hi GertJr -
That's a really good question! I found this article very informative:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d2-vs-d3#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
Vitamin D3 is only found in animal-sourced foods, whereas D2 mainly comes from plant sources and fortified foods (it's cheaper to produce).
Vitamin D3 appears to be better than D2 at improving vitamin D status.
You can also get Vitamin D3 through sun exposure on your bare skin. The further you are away from the equator, the harder it is to get proper D3 levels from sun exposure alone.
If your total Vitamin D levels are in the optimal range, I wouldn't worry about the breakdown between D3 and D2 (none of my tests had a Vitamin D2 category - just D3).
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Tessa
Sunflower Seeds
Posted by 2q&learn (Southern California) on 10/11/2020 156 posts
★★★★★
When I want hell to relax & get sleepy at bedtime, I've found that eating Sunflower seeds soon helps me relax & start yawning! (For extra help, I add a Banana.)
When I've eaten foods high in Phosphorus it creates an imbalance, & I wind up getting painful leg cramps, usually at night. When I eat either Sunflower seeds (or Almonds) that same day, I never get those cramps!
Calcium
Posted by Jacqueline (El Paso, TX) on 02/19/2024 26 posts
Hi Clatterbuck! Would you please share which brand, and which kind of calcium and dose you take?
Melatonin
Posted by Gertjr (Madison) on 08/01/2020
Do you really think I would say I cannot take magnesium if I haven't tried? Trust me. With my ibsd, ANY form of magnesium will trigger my bowels. Period. I can use mag oil but only up to a point. As I said in my post, I swim several miles on the days I don't lift weights. I am doing everything in my power to get myself some sleep. Not much works and, like the melatonin, what works one day may not work the next.
Melatonin
Posted by Gertjr (Madison) on 08/03/2020
Art, is the LDN over the counter or by prescription? I would definitely try it but, when I look at Amazon, I don't see it. Can you tell me where to get it or recommend a brand? Thanks. I see my gastro doctor at the end of August, so a prescription would probably be doable.
Sleep Smoothie
Posted by Canadianguy (Victoria ) on 05/11/2019 15 posts
★★★★★
I use mango,coconut water, banana, and sweet potato for sleep, and it really works!
I read that these ingredients help with insomnia, which is typical for me now, and decided to try them, and they're great!
I make a smoothie with mango, banana, and coconut water right before bed. I usually eat more banana then and also eat some previously còoked sweet potato then too. Any kind of sweet potato works, but the purple colored ones work even better than the orange coloured ones, which are just fine. It's even better when I add GABA and tryptophan powder, but it's mostly the regular smoothly that does the work.
Ps the book says if you eat greens of some kind with the mango, it KEEPS you awake instead. I wonder if that means at dinner too.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by GertJr (Madison) on 05/02/2019
★★★☆☆
I've been on here for years now trying to fix my insomnia. Several things I've posted helped a good bit but nothing really does the trick, so I've gone back to square one and will try to be more methodical. My first attempt is Ted's alkalizing treatments.
I got ph strips and, wow, my morning urine was down around 4. I've started the acv + baking soda (1Tbs ACV + 1/2 tsp BS in 8 oz water, 3X/day) and have done this several days now with no real change. I have ordered Potassium citrate and will use it instead of the acv when it arrives.
Additionally, I will watch my diet more than I have been. I've been so intent on getting probiotics to fix my ibs-d that maybe I'm getting too much yogurt. Is there a form of probiotic that would be better for the ibs as well as the insomnia/acid issue? I've tried dairy kefir and really couldn't stand it, the store bought kefir is great but full of sugar. I'm open to suggestions. Carbs don't bother my belly, so that's what I tend to eat. I will make more effort to get greens, but cannot do anything raw besides carrot.
Please, if you have any other suggestions for me let me know. My ibs makes it hard to get adequate minerals (even mag oil topically gives me diarrhea if I do more than 3 sprays/day) and lack of minerals can sure wreck your sleep. I hope the potassium doesn't upset the bowels, but my reading hasn't indicated that it would so it's worth a try.
I am also doing a hypnosis app (Glenn Harrold) for sleep that helps me go to sleep fast but I wake up within 20 minutes of it ending. It says do it faithfully for 21 days before deciding it won't work and I'm only on day 9, so we'll see. I looked into acupuncture, but the guy near me charges $70/session and wants 3 sessions a week for at least 6 weeks so I can't afford that.
I am currently doing a mix of seriphos, ashwagandha, passion flower, l-theanine, glycine, gaba and melatonin. Works some days and not others. I tried adding valerian to this and it bothered the belly and have lemon balm that I”m willing to try but will do the alkalizing first. I seriously need help sleeping, 60+ y.o. female.
Gelatin
Posted by Beryl M. (Nottingham UK) on 03/17/2019
★★★★★
I came across this remedy quite by accident. At the time I couldn't lose weight and wondered if it had anything to do with my thyroid (it didn't) but a particular website recommended taking a tablespoonful of gelatine in orange juice before going to bed. I tried this and discovered that it helped me sleep. I now get between seven to eight hours sleep a night, apart from one trip to the loo! The gelatine is readily available from your local superstore, and mine come in individual packets containing one tablespoonful. It does not dissolve easily, but keep stirring. I have mine mixed with a small amount of milk. Worth a try, and it certainly will not harm you.
Borax
Posted by Tina (Croatia) on 03/16/2019
★☆☆☆☆
Hi, I have terrible insomnia for almost ten years and have tried almost every medicine that could help me with my problem. I only sleep one day in month and that day is one day before I get my menstruation. I suppose I have some kind of gynecological hormonal imbalance.I have tried borax solution 1/8 tsp in liter of water five days a week but it is not enough for my problem. Can I use larger dose? Is there any other medicine someone could recommend to me because I tried almost everything from this site? Thank you.
Borax
Posted by Tammy (Australia ) on 11/12/2019
TeSa, I have not slept for 2.5 years, except for some dozing. I experience hypnagogic hallucinations (this is what a sleep scientist calls it) - like dreams but more vivid & strange, & no REM is involved (so there's no rest or any of benefits of REM sleep). I know this b/c around the dozing and hyp. hall., I am either alert or aware orboth. I experience time passing. So if someone says they're not sleeping, I'd take them at their word. It's possible, of course, to think you're not when you are, but I think that's the case for ppl with difficulty sleeping, not total lack of sleep. It is definitely a possible situation & the effects are evident for us & others - in a different way to when we were having "just" difficulty sleeping, not complete insomnia.
Borax
Posted by Tina (Croatia) on 12/12/2019
To answer on my own question I have insomnia because of high cortisol and aldosterone levels.
Doctors didn't gave me any medicines because I don't have cushing syndrome.I know that cortisol is stress hormone but I am not stressed and I have this problem for 10 years.I tried adaptogenic herbs and they didn't work.
Can someone recommend me something to lower cortisol levels.Thank you
Calcium, K2 + Holy Basil Tea
Posted by Maureen (USA, Maryland) on 03/11/2019
★★★★★
I've, by accident, discovered a couple of new things that have improved my sleep. With aging a good nights sleep has become harder to accomplish. I noticed that when I started taking a low dose calcium supplement with a vitamin K2 supplement in the evening I started getting sleepy about an hour later. This happens every time I take them so I don't think it's just a coincidence. The calcium and vitamin K2 give me a really good night's sleep. Also, I noticed that when I drink tulsi tea (holy basil) I get very sleepy and when I drink it in the evening I don't wake up to go to the bathroom. I'd like to see if these things help other people with their sleep problems.
Valerian
Posted by Betty (Florida) on 03/07/2019
★★★★★
Valerian helps me sleep at night, deeper+ longer.
Occasionally I also take tryptophan along with valerian once or twice a month if I am stressed out. I take a valerian capsule around 8pm, about 2 hours after dinner. Not too early and not too late.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Waltz (Bangalore) on 01/19/2018
★☆☆☆☆
Hi All,
I am 38 years old, I have been suffering from restlessness for no particular reason for past 7-8 months. This is affecting my sleep to the extent that I am able to sleep only around 4-5 hrs a day on an average. I feel so sleepy some nights that I find it difficult to keep my eyes open but the restlessness does not allow me to actually fall to sleep.
I have consulted psychologists and psychiatrist who have told me its kind of post traumatic stress disorder due to the tremendously difficult time I had faced for 7 years until a year back. So even when the issues resolved, I am still struggling to free myself of this restlessness. Sometimes even when I feel like I am about to fall asleep, I automatically start thinking about this sleep issue of mine and wake up. It happens even in the middle of night. I struggle of keep myself in the same position in the bed for long and keep tossing and turning due to this restlessness.
Restlessness is mostly at night but sometimes face in daytime also but then I am able to distract myself with work. In night time, there is no respite because even though there is little in my life to worry me, this needless restlessness doesn't allow me to fall asleep.
Now I have started facing cognition, memory and low efficiency at work due to lack of sleep.
I have been suggested Ambien, Melatonin and Aplrazolam by Drs. Ambien and Alprazolam help more but they are addictive and full of side effects and cant take them regularly.
I have tried magnesium, all B-Vitamins, Vitamin C, DHEA, Boron, Zinc, Ted's carbicarb formula, ACV, Yoga, Pranayam, Ayurvedic treatments like full body and foot massages, basti etc. Hot water baths as well. I do not know what else to do.
Anyone having any ideas here? Please help.
Vetiver Oil
Posted by Sarah (Montreal) on 11/29/2017
★★★★★
Vetiver oil should be on the list for insomnia remedies! It's the main natural remedy I use for a restful sleep. It relaxes me so much and eases all those crazy thoughts that come up that prevent sleep from happening. I diffuse it at night or put some on the back of my neck. Combine it with lavender oil and its even better! :)
Neutral Bedding Colors
Posted by Sophia (Cork) on 02/02/2017
★★★★★
Staying at a guest house in Ireland, I had very bad insomnia every night. The sheets, pillow cases, duvet cover, and throws were red. When these were changed to neutral colors my sleep pattern returned to normal.
Skullcap and Valerian
Posted by Pacific Coast Lady (Crescent City, CA) on 06/15/2021
Hello Art,
I do take Magnesium, usually just Citrate works for me, 400 mg twice a day. It does help me with sleep as well as leg and foot cramps at night. I also started taking it every day to hopefully help with Essential Tremors but I feel I need more than just the Magnesium.
I am able to see ALL your posts thank goodness, just by clicking your username. Then it takes me to another page that has a link to all your posts over the years. I think maybe in each of our profile, I know mine has an option to check or uncheck a box that asks if we want to allow others to see our posts/replies, and I have mine selected "yes" and I am betting you do as well. Finally figured that out when I woke at 1 a.m. and the thought just popped into my head, LOL!
I need to get your feedback, and possible knowledge of Taurine for Essential Tremor. I've posted there..
https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/essential-tremor.html
..and so hoping you see this and stop in on that thread if you might be able to help me with searching for answer for my tremors in head & left-hand?
Can't thank you enough for all your dedication to helping others Art, Denise
Iron
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 09/30/2015
Gal, I've taken Blackstrap Molasses for iron, when nothing else worked. I wonder if it would work for sleep.
Iron
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 09/30/2015
Dear Gal,
I think the best way to take Iron is with Blackstrap Molasses. A tablespoon once a day. I have also used Floradix. That works well, but it is expensive.
Using a cast iron skillet is also a great way to get iron into your foods. I use my cast iron skillet daily.
The herb, Yellow Dock is also high in iron.
~Mama to Many~
Copper and Zinc
Posted by Gabass (Atlanta) on 02/24/2015
★★★★★
I read that hypnic jerks are caused by a copper deficiency. I am currently taking a combination capsule of copper and zinc twice a day. I must say by the third day they have stopped.
L-Tryptophan
Posted by Janet (Anonymous) on 01/06/2015
I can't use melatonin, it triggers migraines. Maybe I'll do the tryp in that way, small dose an hour before the main dose. Thanks
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Audrey (London, UK) on 01/04/2015
Is black strap molasses any good for insomnia?
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Janet (Illinois) on 08/29/2020
Hi Audrey,
I love Black strap molasses, although I find that it gives me energy, even with the calcium and magnesium. It has so many other nutrients too, and a lot of potassium. It gives my body what it needs, like a vitamin. I like to make it into a tea and I drink it in the late morning or afternoon for a pick me up.
Wheat
Posted by Carrie (Livonia, Mi) on 12/31/2014
★★★★★
I have been trying to find a solution to my persistent insomnia and heart burn. Since giving up wheat both have completely subsided. After years of otc and struggling to find a solution I am so relieved to be sleeping like I did when I was a child (41 years young now).
Skullcap
Posted by Ava (Seattle, Washington) on 06/12/2014
★★★★★
YES! Skullcap TOTALLY works! I've been drinking the tea form of it and it's just incredible! Like natural Valium! Rooibos is another good relaxing tea but Skullcap is a much stronger sleep aid. I just fall asleep practically immediately after drinking it! It's a must try for insomniacs!
Magnesium
Posted by Tom (Fort Worth, Texas) on 09/24/2013
Wendy: Thank you for that great post on the use of magnesium and insomnia. I have insomnia problems that herbals haven't seemed to help. (Worry about work I think.) But I'll try the mag at night as you recommended.
Magnesium
Posted by KT (Usa) on 04/11/2014
Compelled to provide this warning: according to a nutrition almanac, high levels of magnesium can cause skeletal paralysis, respiratory depression, coma and death. Magnesium is generally well tolerated but there are exceptions and when in doubt, a physician should be consulted. Sometimes less is better.
Magnesium
Posted by Gabrielle (Los Angeles, Ca) on 04/16/2014
Magnesium Chloride, liquid form 2 teaspoons 3 X a day. Magnesium Glycinate (tablets), and liquid Magnesium Citrate all have been very effective for me in helping me relax and having a good, sound night's sleep.
Selective Insomnia
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 09/01/2013
Father's Daughter: sometimes older folks have some similarities to babies. In this case, if he was used to having his wife/children home, he would be subconciously uneasy if they are not home. Just like small children do not take to changes so easily and do not sleep well if they are not surrounded by the people they deem important to them.
Eliminate EMFs
Posted by Mary (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) on 07/15/2013
Hi Michele: What type of timer did you use and exactly how did you connect it?
Thanks
