★★★★★
Helps you go to sleep. Pills (Nature's Bounty) work well, take 2-3. And stop eating wheat gluten which is the cause of so many ailments including insomnia in myself. 50 year old male.
Hypnic Jerks
★★★★★
Serpina
★★★★★
You can take OTC Benadryl 50 or 100mg if you wake up in middle of night then just take another 1 of those and fall back asleep. Since they can cause memory loss in long-term use I advise to take for 3-4 weeks maximum.
Never take sleeping pills, habit forming and dangerous. A Valium is fine a few days but they are habit forming and dangerous after 4-5 weeks maximum. Jujube fruit(Chinese dates)fight insomnia, Anxiety, buy at Amazon.
Last one for sleep: try L-Theanine pills (only must have: Suntheanine, highest quality) take 200mg twice daily or increase to 400mg 2X daily, they are safe and can be taken at 3,000mg safely, but rarely done. Best of luck to anyone who tries them. If you're happy & sleeping send me a message.
★★★★★
After a few days, I noticed that my sleep was better. I have a fitbit and each morning take note of how my sleep was the night before. It has been interesting to see what helps my sleep. Definitely, 15 mg of melatonin at night has improved the ratio of deep sleep and REM sleep to light sleep. After a few days of the Motherwort, I realized that my deep sleep is improved further. I wasn't taking it for sleep and it took me a little bit to even realize what in my routine had changed.
Motherwort is a relaxing herb. It is sometimes used for racing heart or for anxiety - I guess often the two go together. And apparently, it can help improve sleep!
I make my own motherwort tincture. I have used Herb Pharm's Motherwort tincture in the past and find it to be a quality brand if you are looking for Motherwort!
~Mama to Many~
D3, B3, B12 and B Complex
★★★★★
- 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.
Skullcap and Valerian
Wow, that's a lot of magnesium citrate at 800 mg/day! Most people would be spending a lot of time in the bathroom at that dose of mag citrate.
I didn't know that was possible to see all of anyone's posts. I must have hundreds. I hadn't noticed that feature.
I will click over to your post link in a moment.
Art
Skullcap and Valerian
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
Iodine
★★★★★
30 days ago my husband mentioned that he seemed to be getting more and more sluggish. Asked about my thyroid supplement. Since he had never had to be on any thyroid meds in the past, I didn't think he should go that route, but mentioned that since he has been using sea salt rather than iodine infused table salt, that it may be why he now feels sluggish. He started on the BioActive iodine, taking it at night because that is when he would remember. Not only has he seen a difference in his energy levels, but his sleep is much better. Instead of waking at 1-3am he is sleeping until 5am and his sleep is more restoring. The few times he has forgotten it, he was again awake before 3. The iodine does help him to go to sleep, nor does it cause drowsiness. It just seems to provide what his body needs to be restored. Since then I have switched my intake of iodine to the evening, and find that my sleep is more restoring.
Skullcap and Valerian
Magnesium Glycinate as part of the combo at the dose recommended on the bottle is helpful for relaxing muscles and helping to get you to sleep.
Art
Skullcap and Valerian
★★★★☆
Vitamins D and B Complex
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
Vitamins D and B Complex
★★★★★
I must say, since I started supplementing with D and B complex, I've been sleeping much better. How do I get all my numbers in the good range?
★★★★★
Watch the Sunrise
★★★★★
★★★★★
I finally realized that whenever I had any gluten at all, even a micro dose, it would pop my eyes awake in the middle of the night, reliably. I think it's really weird. I always thought, yeah yeah cut back on gluten dairy etc. and try to eat healthy. But that's not what's going on. I can eat unhealthfully but as long as I don't get ANY gluten, I sleep like a baby. I don't know why it took me so long to figure it out, Maybe it was that I was sleep deprived. Also it seems like whey in whey protein shakes sometimes hurts my sleep and I've given that up as well. But gluten does seem to be the big culprit.
Ted's Alkalizing Remedy
When I look on amazon, it doesn't have it and wikipedia says it's the rotten egg smell but nothing about where to get it. I'm trying all his suggestions for insomnia and this is the next one in the list (still no success, really). I can fall asleep and even sleep 3 hours at a time, but never feel rested. I'm doing epsom salt baths, alkalyzing (my ph is 7.3 this morning), passion flower, valerian, lemon balm in sleepy tea (yogi brand), kava and so much else I cant remember. Melatonin 2 mg. And benadryl......sure want to eliminate the benadryl.
Sleep Smoothie
★★★★★
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
★★★★★
Multiple Remedies
I find that if I have any dairy, I cannot sleep. My body doesn't digest it well. Often inflammation is the cause of insomnia, and that was the case for me. So I get my probiotics in a pill (PB8 is my fave). JS from Portland
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
I know you have tried so many things....so I hesitate to suggest anything - I am sure you have studied this way more than me! A couple of things in your post sort of popped to me, though.
First you mention that the sleep got worse when you stopped hormone replacement, implying that menopause is likely related. I know so many ladies whose sleep becomes more difficult during the change of life, including my own. For me, I will fall asleep and then "startle" awake. Sometimes a noise does thing but sometimes I think it is just me. Then I can't get back to sleep. My heart races and it won't settle. Who can sleep with a racing heart? I have found that Motherwort tincture helps me with this a lot. If I take a dropperful of Motherwort twice a day, I don't have hot flashes and sleep well. I don't need it so often now, but if I have trouble sleeping, I take a dropperful of Motherwort and a dropperful of Chamomile and am usually able to get back to sleep. Another thing to look in to is Dr. Shultze's Female Formula, which is used to naturally balance hormones. If you haven't had bloodwork done it might be something to check in to. One thing out of whack can cause a cascade of problems that often seem unrelated.
A friend of mine with severe sleep difficulties has eaten a near "perfect diet" for years. One night she did eat salty snack food and found she slept well. She wondered if it was because she had a salt insufficiency related to her insomnia. Have you tried bromelain for pain? I hope you can figure this out and get some desperately needed rest soon.
~Mama to Many~
Multiple Remedies
The only time I sleep is like every 4th day and then I'm taking Passion Flower & other sleep herbs and a benadryl. I'd like to stop the Benadryl, but how? Would taking 2 mg melatonin instead of the 1 mg I currently take make a difference? I really think this is the menopause thing (the major event part) that never got resolved. I took hormone replacement for several years and then stopped, which is when the insomnia took over. I already do the sleep hygiene, no devices, exercise, early morning sun, eat clean, no processed foods. But, I have pain and need help easing it if anyone has a suggestion. If I take a pain pill I tend to sleep well, stopped doing that after advil gave me an ulcer.
Thanks for letting me whine.
Multiple Remedies
I'm wondering if, in addition to everything else you are taking, you try sleeping in a completely dark room (no light emitted from anything - including around the windows or from electronic devices). Speaking of electronic devices, remove them from the room. Let your bedroom be an oasis of tranquility - no clutter, clean and quiet. In the evening, wear blue-blocking glasses if you watch TV, use the computer/tablet/smartphone - at least a few hours before bedtime. Get enough physical exercise during the day, fresh air, sunshine (or use a light therapy device for 20 minutes in the morning if you live in a cloudy/rainy place). Stay properly hydrated. Ensure your Vitamin D levels are where they should be (do an Internet search for Vitamin D and insomnia - it's an incredibly important hormone). If you take Vitamin D supplements, take them in the morning. Write down your worries, thoughts, etc. in a journal - get them out of your head. Have a fan going to circulate the air - also, a fan can have a soothing "white noise" effect that helps people sleep. The room should be comfortably cool. What about your bedding and mattress? These are some of the "sleep hygiene" tips that help many people. Do an Internet search for sleep hygiene - there are lots of studies on how it can help - along with a clean diet (which I'm sure you have if you suffer from ibs), limited caffeine, etc.
A good night's sleep is crucial to good health. I wish you the best of luck. Take care.
Multiple Remedies
had a similar situation several years ago when I tested my morning urine PH and found it to be less than 5. What worked for me to improve PH was to drink 8 -- 8 oz. glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice throughout each day while gradually trying to modify my diet to be more healthy. I was more intent on finding a food mix that would work and forgot the PH issue for a while. The fresh juice was taken in 8 oz. glasses and the 8 glassfuls were spaced at least an hour apart.
About 3 months later I thought of checking my morning urine PH and it was spot on 6.2 (which is the medical standard). Needless to say, I continued the juice drinking. You also need to look up foods to see how to correct your food intake to create an acid/alkaline balance that matches your personal digestive system...examples of alkalizing foods: potatoes,, green veg (raw or cooked), etc.
A useful book is called The Acid-Alkaline Diet for optimum health by Christopher Vasey.
Multiple Remedies
★★★☆☆
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.
Multiple Remedies
My cortisol was checked once in a hospital when I had Bigeminy tachycardia for several days and it was normal back then. I see that seriphos is sold over the counter. I'll certainly try it.
Multiple Remedies
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I had a sleep study done and my sleep index was 35.6%. It must be 85% and higher for a human body to survive in the long run. There are sleep stages that are extremely important. Mine were all screwed up. I woke up 21 times during 3 hours that I actually “slept” in an 8 study. I had no RLS and had 10 central apneas. No obstructive apnea. My HR during “sleep” period got up to 147 and up to 152 while still under observation, but not actually sleeping.
First of all there are different types of insomnia.
1. Inability to fall asleep
2. Inability to stay asleep
3. Combination of the above
4. Fragmented sleep
I won't focus on an obstructive apnea, as it is treatable with special devices. All other types of CHRONIC insomnia are still a wild guess when it comes to the cause and treatments. Fragmented sleep probably has some underlying neurological issues.
The most important thing if you have chronic insomnia, especially 1-3 types is circadian rhythm.
You want to make sure you do all of these:
– Early morning sun exposure through retina and skin. Preferably the very first minutes the sun rises above horizon. No glasses, contacts, and if possible as much bare skin as you can. Even 5 minutes would be a tremendous benefit, but longer and grounded at the same time is better. Each day, unless it is raining. AM light has perfect blend of red and blue light and just the right touch of purple UV-A light to make melatonin that helps us sleep. The UV-A light is also what begins to lower cortisol as melatonin builds making for a perfect adrenal stress index.
– No screen time and artificial light exposure after sunset unless you wear blue light blocking glasses and use screen filters.
– Replace all your LED, fluorescent and cork screw bulbs with incandescent.
– If you use red light therapy at home, do it before sunset. SaunaSpace and Joovv are good places to get your questions answered.
– Make sure your bedroom is pitch black.
Moving on to the environment.
Many people are man-made EMF sensitive. Sweden has legally recognised electro hypersensitivity.
– Move your bed away from the walls.
– Check your bedroom for dirty electricity. Install dirty electricity filters. There are Stetzerizer and GreenWay. Get your question answered there.
– Alternatively, flip the bedroom breaker for the night, but make sure all your outlets show zero signal after that.
– Make sure your bedroom doesn't have an outside wall where smart meters are located. Move your bed away from that wall, request your electrical company to replace it with analog meter, or install Smart Meter shield (lots of videos on youtube)
– Turn WiFi off for the night and switch your phone in airplane mode.
– Make sure that on the other side of a wall your head board is facing there is no high voltage appliances and/or electrical box for the entire building.
– Go outside and inspect your neighborhood and your building for cellular antennas and if 5G is being rolled out in your city, for 5G antennas. If you see it, you have no choice but to move as fast as you can. Upgrade to 5G is likely going to lead to disasterous biologic effects.
– If you live within 10 miles radius from a major airport, its latest radar is able to get through concrete buildings and therefore your body, sending impulses 24×7. The same goes for TV and radio stations. TV news stations are installing new weather radar tracking devices in all big cities whose power density is even worse than 5G.
– -If you live in a high rise condo or apartment building having neighbors above and below, as well as on both sides, and still have chronic insomnia after you have implemented the above measures, I recommend you spend few days in a wilderness, camping, at your friends/family houses to see if you sleep better to make a conclusion if your neighbors Wi-Fi affects you. In Europe they have EMF free hotels (Geovital), but unfortunately none in the US.
Now, you have implemented all the above and still not sleeping.
Biochemical imbalances could be a problem.
-As someone had already recommended, check your meds for insomnia as a side effect.
– Check your vitamin D status. For that you have to have 4 blood tests taken: D25, D1.25, PTH and calcium. For interpretation read Chris Masterjohn blog How to Tell the Difference Between Vitamin D and Calcium Deficiencies. Online private MD labs don't require prescriptions and there are always coupons. Pay online and go to a nearest LabCorp, Anytest lab, etc.
– Run full Iron profile that includes serum ferritin (the ideal range of serum ferritin is 40 to 60 ng/ml.) and read about anemia of chronic disease if you have anemia before starting on iron supplements, including molasses, stinging nettle, etc.
– Try all remedies other people have recommend here to see what works for you.
– If you wake up after midnight, try protein drink to see if it helps. Dr. Datis Kharrazian in his book Why Isn't My Brain Working? has an explanation.
Valerian root, skullcap, essential oils, relaxation baths are usually ineffective for chronic insomnia.
NOT A SINGLE OVER THE COUNTER SLEEP AID SUPPLEMENT WORKED FOR ME.
Meditation, qigong, relaxation techniques, EFT etc. would take a long time before you start seeing the benefits. But you have to start somewhere.
Acupuncture with an experienced Chinese practitioner could do wonders, if you have money for at least 3 sessions a week for at least 6 months. They would also create a custom herbal formula for you. Less than that would be just waste of money.
Chinese herbs could also be very effective. I recommend these formulas: Bupleurum & Dragon Bone , Shen tonics (Quantum Shen Tonic for example), Restore the Heart . Many reputable sites that sell Chinese herbs have health assessing self-tests that would guide you. Eagle Herbs; JingHerbs, etc.
Women could try progesterone creme. Kokoro professional strength is what I use.
Brandy in moderation has a history of being used as a sedative to treat insomnia.
Be careful with manipulations on your spine. Chicken pox virus that never leaves a body and remains dormant in a spine could be reactivated causing shingles outbreak. You can google about it.
Be very careful with melatonin. Taking melatonin orally chronically without blocking blue light can lead to serious eye damage. All oral doses produce the same response: they thin your retina by ruining photoreceptor regeneration. There are studies confirming that. Just google.
I will end this summary that nothing has helped me yet with my fragmented sleep.
Borax
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
Borax
★★★★★
Try quitting gluten. Totally cured my insomnia. Dramatically. Now if I even get secretly fed a tiny bit of gluten, I pop awake at midnight and can't get back to sleep. Good luck and God bless.
Borax
Try baking soda in water before bedtime. Also, some nighttime teas from T J.
Borax
Borax
Gelatin
★★★★★
Borax
★☆☆☆☆
Calcium, K2 + Holy Basil Tea
★★★★★
