INSOMNIA – 11 natural cures for insomnia

TOOLBOX FOR INSOMNIACS. There are so many beautiful Bloody eyed, wired, unreasonable and grumpy is the fate of an insomniac. And it gets progressively worse, or so says a famous study on sleep deprivation conducted by Peter Tripp, a New York D.J. who volunteered to stay awake as long as he could. After 100 hours he started to hallucinate until after 200 hours he couldn’t distinguish between reality and fantasy and became completely paranoid. Between six and eight hours of sleep per night works for most people although some swear by having less at night and a power nap in the afternoon. Some swear by a half hour lunch time snooze. Keith Banfield, author of the Guide to Sleep Therapy cites quality sleep as necessary for the body to restore depleted resources, to repair damaged cells and brain chemicals; to clear away old superfluous information; to preserve energy, rest muscles and to dream. Keep a variety of handy solutions in case you are struck by a bout of insomnia.

Breathing Exercises for insomnia

Controlled breathing is an aid to relaxation and certain yogic routines bring on drowsiness.

Lie on your back or side, eyes closed, and begin with a few very deep inhalations, fill your lungs as much as possible.
Exhale fully, drawing in your abdomen to expel as much air as you can.
Repeat this three times, and at the end of the third exhalation hold your breath as long as you are able.

Repeat this procedure two or three times, or until you feel drowsy.

Or as an alternative try this repeated four or more times.

Exhale completely through your mouth.
Inhale through your nose to a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of eight.

Pressure Points to help insomnia

Use the practice of Shiatsu to identify the precise points on the body which, when stimulated promote sleep.
Press firmly downwards with both thumbs for 10 to 15 seconds at the centre of the forehead at a point in line with the upper edge of the ears. Or press the thumbs for seven to ten seconds on points situated a finger away from end of each eyebrow just in from the end of the eyebrow and the outer edge of the eye. Another point is on the sole of the foot. Use both thumbs to press hard for 10 to 15 seconds on the sole about a third of the distance from the tip of the middle toe to the heel, between the second and third toe joints.

Visualization

Remove the unwanted thoughts and worry that insist on trafficking your mind by closing your eyes and imagining yourself drifting into a sea of tranquillity.  Use every sense to imagine the natural environment surrounding you. Taste the salt of the sea on your lips, feel yourself enveloped by warm water, hear the sound of the waves lapping on the seashore.  Experience the warm sun on your face.  Pick a soothing colour in the blue range to filter through the crown of your head and imagine it slowly flowing through each part of your body. Start to breathe deeply and rhythmically and let yourself float as if you were on top of the waves, drifting off to another level of consciousness.

Bathing with Oils

Running a bath with a blend of aromatherapy oils will induce a sleepy disposition. Try a combination of 4 drops of chamomile oil, 2 drops of lavender, 4 of neroli and 2 of marjoram. Lavender oil sprinkled on your pillow also helps.

Story Books

Engage your imagination with fantasy by reading story tales. ‘Once upon a time’ is a magical sentence that automatically relaxes. Avoid riveting thrillers and horrors. Recommended by Exclusive Books is Telling Tales (Jonathan Ball Publishers) or At the Fireside (New Africa Books).

Banish Worrying Issues

Using pen and paper to write down all thoughts and issues before bedding down helps to empty the mind. Jot down a few words that describe the worry with the knowledge that things can be taken care of in the morning.

Music for insomnia

Listen to soothing music to lull you into dreamland. Try Sleep which comes with a full colour guide to sleep therapy or Classics for Relaxation from New World Music.

Natural Supplements

Before reaching for addictive sleeping tablets try something natural. Sleep Boost from Bioharmony includes Passion Flower, Hops, Lavender, Valerian and Gamma-amino-butyric acid, all of which have tranquillising and calming properties. They also have something called Good Night Tea and Passiflora. The South African flower essences recommend Morning Glory Essence for troubles both in going to sleep and waking up. This essence is said to bring balance and help establish a harmonius sleep pattern. For nightmares try Orange Pincushion Essence for panic and shock and Forget-Me-Not Essence which is also helpful for sleep-walkers. Loquat Essence is good when sleep is used as a withdrawal to escape dealing with reality. Avoid stimulants like tea or coffee before retiring.

Bed Sense

Get a new mattress at least every ten years especially if it sags, makes noises or you feel bed springs or ridges beneath the surface. Turn your mattress regularly and clean it or leave it in the sun. Make sure your room is the right temperature and has proper ventilation.

Dreaming

Encourage good dreams. Banfield quotes a study conducted by Griffith, Miyago and Tago of College students in America of the twenty most common dreams most of which include some level of stress. These include falling, being attacked or pursued, trying to do something repeatedly, studying or school teachers, sex, arriving late, eating, being frightened, a dead loved one, being locked up, finding money, swimming, snakes, being dressed inappropriately, being smothered, being naked in public, fire, failing an exam, flying, seeing oneself as dead.

Adjust your Body Clock

Sleep clinics experience a high degree of success when adjusting the circadean rhythm. This can be done by going to bed one or two hours later than usual and waking up one or two hours later until you have done a full cycle and reach your previous bed time, from then on stick to this time. Another way of doing this is by going to bed four hours before you intend to get up. The next day go to bed five hours before you usually wake up.

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TO READ MORE ON INSOMNIA TRY: A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP BY JAN SADLER