Insomnia

Diet and Nutrition: (references)

• Eliminate foods that cause an allergic response or to which there is a sensitivity, especially food additives (fast, use an elimination diet, or allergy test to isolate such foods)
• Avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages

Vitamins and Minerals: (references)

• Vitamin B1: 20-40 mg.
• Vitamin B12: 300-600 mcg.
• Magnesium (Aspartate form): 1000 mg.

Supplements: (references)

• Melatonin: 3-6 mg. at 9PM (to be used instead of tryptophan)
• 5-Hydroxytryptophan: 100 - 300 mg. 30 minutes before bedtime (Note: approximately 1-3% of oral tryptophan enters the brain compared to 70% of oral 5-HTP)
• DHEA: 20-45 mg.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids : 500-1000 mg. TID
• Omega-6 Fatty Acids : 500-1000 mg. TID

Botanicals: (references)

• Tincture - Hypericum, Piper methysticum, Valerian, Avena, Scutellaria, Matricaria, Schisandra chinensis, Lavender essential oil, Sweet orange essential oil: 10 drops BID
• Tincture - Humulus lupulus: mix 40 drops with 1/2 tsp. of glycine in 1/2 cup of water and drink at bedtime

• Individual botanicals to be considered for this condtion:
  Avena sativa (Oats)
  Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng)
  Humulus lupulus (Hops)
  Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  Lavendula angustifolia (Lavender)
  Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile)
  Piper methysticum (Kava kava)
  Polygonum multiflorum (Fo-ti, He-shou-wu)
  Schisandra chinensis (Wu wei zi)
  Scutellaria laterifolia (Skullcap)
  Tanacetum parthenium (Feverfew)
  Valeriana officinalis (Valerian)
  Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)

Homeopathic Remedies: (references)

• Insomnia after an accident:
  
  stict
• Insomnia in alcoholics:
  
  ars, aven, canni-i, cimic, gels, hyos, nux-v, op, stram, sumb
• Insomnia from anxiety:
  
  acon, agar, alum, ARS, bell, bry, COCC, coff, crot-h, dig, graph, hyos, ign, kali-br, kali-c, kali-i, lach, mag-arct, mag-c, mag-m, merc-c, nat-c, nat-m, nux-v, puls, rhus-t, sabin, sep, sil, sulph, thuj, verat
• Insomnia with difficult breathing:
  
  arg-n, ars, bor, carb-an, cham, chlol, grin, kali-br, kali-c, kali-i, lach, lact, morph, ran-b, stann, syph
• Insomnia after domestic calamity:
  
  aur, calc, lach
• Insomnia in children:
  
  absin, acon, ars, arund, bell, calc, CARC, CHAM, cina, COFF, cypr, hyos, kali-br, mag-m, passi, phos, puls, stict, sulph, tub
• Chronic insomnia:
  
  apis, ars-h, crot-h, cupr-ar, hydr-ac, hyos, LACH, plat, verat
• Insomnia from cramps:
  
  arg-m, CALC, coloc, cupr, mag-p
• Insomnia with depression:
  
  AUR, lyss, nat-m, psor
• Insomnia in diabetics:
  
  uran-n
• Insomnia after drugs:
  
  ars, AVEN, cann-i, chlol, cimic, gels, hyos, mosch, NUX-V, op, sec, sumb
• Insomnia in the elderly:
  
  acon, ars, aur, bar-c, CALC, op, passi, phos, sulph, SYPH
• Insomnia from excitement:
  
  abrot, agar, ambr, anac, arg-n, aur-m, calc, camph, canth, caps, carb-an, CARC, chin, cimic, COFF, dys-co, ferr, gels, hep, HYOS, kali-p, lach, laur, lyc, lyss, mag-aust, mag-c, meph, merc, mez, mosch, nit-ac, NUX-V, op, phos, plat, puls, ran-b, sener, sep, spong, staph, sulph, sul-ac, teucr
• Insomnia aggravated by exertion:
  
  calc, chin, cimic, nux-v, sil
• Insomnia aggravated by mental exertion:
  
  agar, ambr, ARS, aur-m, aven, calc, cocc, coff, ferr, HYOS, ign, kali-br, kali-c, kali-p, lach, lyc, nux-v, ph-ac, pic-ac, sil
• Insomnia aggravated by exhaustion:
  
  aven, chlol. coca, cocc, coff
• Insomnia from excessive mental and physical fatigue:
  
  carc, chlol, chol, cocc, gels
• Insomnia from fear:
  
  ACON, alum, am-c, arn, ars, bell, bry, calc, carb-v, caust, cham, cocc, coff, dig, graph, hyos, ign, kali-c, laur, lyc, mag-c, mag-m, merc, merc-c, nat-m, nit-ac, nux-v, PHOS, puls, ran-s, rhus-t, sep, sil, sulph
• Insomnia in gout:
  
  mang
• Insomnia from grief:
  
  aur, gels, graph, IGN, kali-br, lach, NAT-M, sulph
• Insomnia during menopause:
  
  acon, arn, bell, cimic, cocc, coff, dig, gels, kali-br, senec, sulph, valer, zinc
• Insomnia during menses:
  
  agar, am-c, cimic, eupi, gent-c, ign, mag-m, nat-m, senec, sep
• Insomnia after mental exertion:
  
  agar, aur-m, ambr, ARS, coff, ferr, HYOS, ign, kali-br, kali-c, kali-p, lach, lyc, nux-v, passi, ph-ac, pic-ac
• Insomnia at 1 am:
  
  spig
• Insomnia 1-2 am:
  
  sulph
• Insomnia 1-3 am:
  
  chlorpr
• Insomnia 1-4 am:
  
  bor, phos
• Insomnia 1:30-2:30 am:
  
  agar, perh
• Insomnia at 2 am:
  
  cham, puls
• Insomnia 2-3 am:
  
  arn, bapt, calc, calc-p, gink-b, kali-c, mag-m, merc
• Insomnia 2-4 am:
  
  am-c, am-m, arist-cl, merc, ph-ac
• Insomnia 2-5 am:
  
  arist-cl, bell, bor, chloram, sulph
• Insomnia until 2:30 am:
  
  lyc, pip-m
• Insomnia at 3 am:
  
  am-m, ars, aur, bry, chin, chin-a, com, euphr, eupi, mag-c, merc, mez, mill, nat-p, ran-s, rhus-t, sil
• Insomnia 3-4 am:
  
  arist-cl, chel, nux-v, rib-ac
• Insomnia 3-5 am:
  
  arist-cl, bell-p, calc-f, cob-n, man
• Insomnia at 4 am:
  
  acon-c, aloe, am-c, bor, cocc, cupr-s, nit-ac, tarent
• Insomnia 4-6:30 am:
  
  cycl
• Insomnia after 4:30 am:
  
  sep
• Insomnia after 5 am:
  
  carb-an, tarent
• Insomnia from pains:
  
  acon, ars, arum-t, aur, bufo, cann-i, CHAM, cimic, coloc, dol, eup-per, eupi, ferr-p, iris, kreos, lach, mag-c, mag-m, merc, passi, phyt, plb, ptel, puls, rhus-t, sin-n, stram, sulph
• Insomnia after retiring but sleepy before retiring:
  
  AMBR
• Insomnia from sadness:
  
  AUR, ign, kali-br, kali-c, nat-m, thuj
• Insomnia from twitching of the limbs:
  
  ambr, alum, arg-n, ARS, bell, calc, canth, carb-v, carc, cham, cypr, ign, kali-c, lyc, merc-c, nat-m, op, PULS, rhus-t, sel, sep, stront-c, sulph, tab, valer

(For an overview of Homeopathy, click here.)

Other Therapies: (references)

• Exercise: 15 min. per day for 3 weeks; then 20 min. per day, primarily in the afternoon
• Early morning exposure to full-spectrum, bright lights
• Engage in relaxation techniques such as massage, warm drinks and soothing musical tapes prior to bedtime
• Avoid organic solvents and pesticides
• Chelate excess lead using EDTA or vitamin C
• Quit smoking

Recommended Labs:

• Rule out heavy metal poisoning: Hair Analysis
• Rule out Addison Disease: Rapid ACTH Stimulation
• Rule out anorexia: History
• Rule out asthma: Pulmonary Function, Sputum for Eosinophils
• Rule out bipolar disease (manic phase): History, Self Assessment for Bipolar Disorder
• Rule out COPD: Arterial Blood Gases
• Rule out Cushing's Disease: Dexamethasone Suppression
• Rule out depression: History
• Rule out headache: History
• Rule out occult malignancies: Antimalignant Antibody
• Rule out osteoarthritis: X-Ray
• Rule out Parkinsons Disease: PET Scan, SPECT
• Rule out prescription medications: History, Drug Reference Information Analysis
• Rule out post-traumatic stress disorder: History
• Rule out restless leg syndrome: History
• Rule out rheumatoid arthritis: ANA, Rheumatoid Factor
• Rule out schizophrenia: History
• Rule out substance abuse: History, Drug Screen, Blood Chemistry

*  The recommended use of this supplement or therapy is based on a physiological mechanism or empirical data and is not necessarily supported by peer-reviewed research studies.

Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).