Definition

Habitual sleeplessness, repeated night after night, is called insomnia.
Back to Top

Causes

It may be a result of muscle aches, indigestion, asthma, pain, drugs, hypoglycemia or stress. Lack of calcium and magnesium might cause waking after a few hours and not getting back to sleep. Systemic disorders involving the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, digestive system, endocrine system, brain, as well as poor nutritional habits, may affect sleep. Caffeine products make sleeping difficult.

Some specific disorders interfere with sleep: sleep apnea is an absence of breathing several times a night (usually adults, but can affect children), physical abnormalities of the chest, neck, back, or the base of the brain, obesity, endocrinological problems, hypothyroidism, acromegaly (a rare growth disorder), and the use of alcohol.

Narcolepsy sufferers are drowsy and overcome with sleep during the day. Brain infection, head trauma, and even brain tumor can trigger this disorder (usually doesn't occur until after fifteen years of age).

The most common causes are overeating, indigestion, eating late at night, stress, tension, worry, fear. Also, cold feet, poor circulation, overtiredness, nervousness, and poor ventilation in the bedroom. Constant loss of sleep, whatever the cause is always injurious to health.
Back to Top

Treatment

Herbal Medicine Formulas and Recipes
Chinese Formulas
Back to Top

Nutrients

Calcium lactate, 1,000 mg, taken after meals and at bedtime. or Calcium chelate, 1,500-2,000 mg daily in divided doses. Magnesium, 1,000 mg. Vitamin B complex, taken as directed on the label.
Back to Top

Herbs

• Anise
• Balm, lemon
• Catnip
• Chamomile, Roman
• Cohosh, black
• Dill
• Figwort
• Ginseng, Siberian
• Hawthorn berries
• Hops, cone
• Jasmine, yellow
• Lady's slipper
• Lavender, flower
• Lemon balm, leaves
• Lettuce, wild
• Motherwort
• Mugwort
• Mullein
• Nerve root
• Nutmeg
• Oats
• Orange, flower
• Passionflower
• Peppermint
• Poppy, California, seed
• St. John's wort
• Senna
• Skullcap
• Skunk cabbage root
• Valerian root
• Vervain

Recommendations

Foods high in tryptophan promote sleep. At bedtime eat turkey, bananas, grapefruit, figs, dates, yogurt, tuna, and whole grain cracker or nut butter.

Avoid close to bedtime: caffeine, alcohol, sugar, tobacco, cheese, chocolate, sauerkraut, wine, bacon, ham, sausage, eggplant, potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes. These foods contain tryamine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain chemical stimulant.

Try a warm bath, a hot cup of tea, using the herbs mentioned.

One recommended tea for sleeplessness or a state of anxiety: St. John's wort, aerial parts (30 parts)
Lemon balm leaves (20 parts)
Hop cones (10 parts)
Lavender flowers (5 parts)
Orange flowers (5 parts)
Preparation: Pour 8 oz. of boiling water over 2 heaping tbsp. of the blend, let steep, covered, for ten minutes, then strain.
Application: Three times a day, slowly sip one cup of very warm tea. This course of action should last 4 weeks
Back to Top

Suggestions

Try this formula for sleep: Equal parts of Skullcap, Nerve root, Hops, Catnip, and Black Cohosh.
Back to Top

Bibliography

• Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss; pg., 261, 379, 546-553.
• Healing Plants, by Mannifried Pahlow, pg., 24.
• Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists, by Richard Lucas, pgs., 46, 193.
• The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, pga., 164-165, 176-177.
• Earl Mindell's Herb Bible, by Earl Mindell, pgs., 111, 148,160, 165, 176.
• The Old Herb Doctor, by Joseph E. Meyer, pgs., 112-113.
• Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke., 22, 24, 68, 84, 94, 138, 140, 162, 170, 186, 204, 210, 220.
• Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, pgs., 135, 154, 174, 199, 200, 209,, 214,, 215, 247, 249, 250, 251, 285.
• Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., pgs., 123, 141, 157, 179, 184, 187, 196, 200, 217, 235, 252, 301, 309, 313, 317, 320, 322, 343-346, 348, 349-358.
• Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., pgs., 221-222.
• The Magic of Herbs, by David Conway, pgs., 93, 141.
• The Herb Book, by John Lust, pgs., 55, 72-73, 478-480.
• The Yoga of Herbs, by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, pgs., 67, 38, 70, 89, 108, 123, 130, 131, 133, 136, 147, 150, 160, 163.
• The Nature Doctor, by Dr. H.C.A. Vogel; pgs., 187-189, 611.

Back to Top