Having difficulty sleeping once in a while is not really what this article is aimed at, although I think it will help those folks as well. I am writing about people who have problems sleeping chronically. This could be part of a disorder or 1 of the major reasons for the disorder. As a practitioner of Natural Medicine, I find many people grossly misinformed about just how important good sleep really is in relation to our daily lives. In terms of health and healing it’s huge. One of my teachers would say that the first 4 elements of basic survival are as follows (in order of importance) Air, Water, Sleep and Food. To me that was quite a statement and in my follow up study of sleep disorder and sleep deprivation it is without question true.
In 1900 the average sleep time of folks was 9-9 1/2 hours a night. In our present day experiments of just how much sleep a person would take if allowed to do so is somewhere between 8 ½ and 9 hours. This is a physiologic law expressing itself with over a hundred years separation in time. I just do not think our bodies have changed in the last 100-150 years, however the world we live in has. The average night’s sleep in the U.S presently is 6.7 hrs. Quite a shift.
When a client comes to my office for a consultation, one of the questions I ask is how well and how long do you sleep? Many say less than 8 hours and within that period they are up 2-4 times a night as well as the fact they do not feel they have slept deeply. Upon awakening, they usually down 1-2 cups of coffee and zoom out the door (50% of America does not eat breakfast ). If they have an established disorder (Heart Disease, Cancer) the logical thing to think is that the sleep problem a result of their disorder. A little further questioning reveals the fact that this pattern predates the diagnosis for decades. True, an established disorder exacerbates the sleep difficulty. In many cases it is also what played directly into creating the disorder. This is not hard to prove through blood testing. Through experiments, young, healthy male volunteers are first blood tested to set baseline. They are then sleep deprived 4 hrs a night for 4 nights. Blood is drawn and then analyzed and compared to baseline numbers. These are some of the results. Blood glucose, insulin, triglyceride and cortisol levels increase (classic insulin resistance). Testosterone, Natural killer cells (final line of defense for virus infected cells and cancer cells) and growth hormone decrease. Growth hormone is released at night for the purposes of fat burning and building lean muscle mass. There is also a reduction in HDL (the good fat) and increase in insulin like growth factor (a major problem in the development of both heart disease and cancer). These are negative events and this is an abridged list. In a period where immunity is being stressed because of Covid, sleeping well and long enough is foundational to a proper functioning immune system. When sleep patterns are regulated to normality, the body has the capacity clear and rebuild itself. There is a whole other chemistry happening when sleep is right. You will get these same negative effects that the experiment with sleep deprivation induced if there is sleep deficient over long periods of time or a person is doing shift work and messing with their circadian cycles. These kinds of negative event help create and drive modern diseases
People that sleep less during the work week and than make up for it on the weekend can do so if they sleep in for at least 9 hrs a night for the weekend.
Long term problems have become a circadian/ nuroendocrine problem. The whole of the nervous system becomes involved ( central, sympathic, para-sympathetic ). The immune system is dependent upon a balanced relationship between Central Hormonal Axis and the Central Nervous System. Otherwise it is getting and producing the wrong signals. There is more, but you get the picture. Big stuff
In terms of healing and helping heal major life threatening illnesses, sick people who do not sleep well or long enough do not heal well. The process of healing is hampered and never completed until the sleep disorder is normalized
Strengthening and balancing the nervous system during the day and relaxing and knocking them out at night. This is the basic premise for recovery if it has been long term problem. If a person has only occasional problems they can still use can use a number of the herbal/ nutritional recommendations. This is very general stuff but it may still help. If not enough, see a natural practitioner for help.
Do’s and don’ts.
With all the things I am going to lay out there will be plenty of exceptions. Those exceptions do not overturn the rule. One Dr told me that Queen Elizabeth only slept 5 hr a night, therefore that fact negated my argument. Can you sleep 5 hrs a night and function well? I cannot and nobody I know can but Queen Elizabeth could. Anyway, the things I am giving you are for people who have regular or intermittent problems sleeping.
Stimulants: Reduce or eliminate
A tea bag contains about 40 mg caffeine. Tea also contains Theanine. Theanine slows the absorption of caffeine in tea, which is why you do not get the quick rise that you get in coffee. An 8 oz cup of coffee (high end $ Arabica coffee beans) has about 175 mgs / caffeine per cup. Cheaper coffees, which are based on Robusta bean (Folgers, ect) have 250+ mgs caffeine/8 oz/ cup. For some unknown reason when western science measures the effect of coffee it only looks at the caffeine content as if it were the only alkaloid ( strongest category of plant chemicals) in coffee. Granted, caffeine is the most abundant alkaloid in coffee, however there are about 20 more, many of which can be quite irritating (I.E. cadaverine being 1 of them). Drinking between 3-6 8 oz coffees per day raises Heart Attack risk. I like coffee, but it will put a hurting on you in over indulgence and if you are in a weakened state that much more. It really pulls hard on the adrenals and if the tank is already low, like somebody sleep deprived, it scrapping the bottom of the barrel. I never tell someone who uses coffee to get through the day to stop. Too harsh. I do ask that they reduce 50% and try to replace with tea.
Late night eating meals and or drinking alcohol.
Often with late alcohol consumption, people fall asleep, then wake up and never really rest well afterward. Late night eating (within 1-2 hrs before bed) really throws a heavy torque on the liver. At night the liver goes into a completely different cycle. With a stomach full of food, that idea does not work out so well and can result in sleep disturbance. Best if you can eat 3 hrs before bed and no snacking after.
Stopping computer or video activity at least 1 hour before bed. The visual can be too exciting to the nervous system.
Late day workout: This bothers some people, so I try to get them to switch to morning or early daytime workouts.
Naps: Seems naps are most conducive mid day. Late or early naps can impact things negatively, disturbing night time sleep.
Baths: Tepid to warm . Hot baths can and do stimulate people that is why tepid to warm is preferable. Better with the addition of 5-8 drops of essential oil. Lavender, Orange, Linden Flower ect.
Drugs: Benzodiazepines are big these days. Under the influence of this drug we do not reach stage 4 sleep, which is the deepest state of sleep. Benzos are also addictive and you build tolerance. People do go into withdrawal, if they cold turkey and they have been using bezos for too long. As a one off it’s no big deal. The drug manufacturers recommend 2-4 weeks of use.
Herbal Remedies
During the day: Take 20 drops tincture of Avena, and 10 drops tincture of American Skullcap 2x a day mid morning and mid afternoon. Excellent nerve tonic
In the evening
I will give you 2 simple formulas. Herbs work better in combination with each others. These formulas are designed to help people relax to go to sleep( first formula) and/or to put them down into sleep(second formula) These formulas are to be used at night .The following are 2 recurrent formulas that are from the Physio-Medicalists and Eclectic Doctors, who where around between 1840 and 1910 . These folks were really the cream of natural medicine in their time.
The first formula is gentle. Chamomile, Lemon Balm and Catnip. Dried herbs are best for this. Tinctures work too. For 1 quart of tea: One third ounce Chamomile, One third ounce Lemon Balm, One quarter oz Catnip: Pour 1 quart boiling water over herbs, cover and steep 25 minutes. Dose is 4-6 ozs. Good for adults or children
The second formulas has more punch. Passionflower Skullcap and Hops, in tincture form. 20 drops passion flower, 20 drops Skullcap, 10 drops hops. Tinctures can be added to a cup of warm water.
Supplements. B Vits Complex, Vit C complex, Zinc, Magnesium. EPA/DHA/GLA fatty acids. In some cases, magnesium alone will greatly help insomnia.
Low dose melatonin would be a good assistant to take before bed 1-2 mgs. Some people react negatively to melatonin. I have met 1 person in thirty years of practice who said it gave her vivid dreams. I have given it to many people and in used it in high doses with breast cancer for short periods. It is also helpful with chemo in terms of protecting the gut from chemo damage.
Hope this helps you
Harry Chrissakis
Herbalist and Herbs.com
530-933-8244