Insomnia: The Holistic Health Approach

Finding Rest in a Restless World

Most things in life – big decisions to be made, conflicts to be resolved, the sniffles or a sore throat – feel more manageable after a good night’s sleep. But what if you’re not able to fall asleep? Or what if you toss and turn, or wake up constantly, resulting in a frustrating night of unsatisfying rest?

Life is becoming increasingly stressful: there constantly seems to be more to do and less time to do it in. Inevitably, this daily over-exertion and high-stress lifestyle leads to problems, and one of the most common such problem is insomnia.

Many people suffer from insomnia, whether in shorter bouts – due to specific stressful events or phases in their lives – or chronically. The results are more or less the same, but the longer it persists, the worse for your physical and mental wellbeing. Insomnia comes in a variety of forms: inability to fall asleep, interrupted sleep, or waking and not being able to fall back asleep again. Although insomnia can be brought about depression, the reverse is also possible: going without proper sleep can cause you to feel extremely low and listless.

Alternative Treatments

Generally, insomnia is brought about due to psychological stresses and bad lifestyle habits (or a combination of the two). Treating this problem with medication can bring about short-term relief, but is not really a solution in the long-term. The problem with sleeping pills is that they treat the symptom, denying your body the opportunity to get back into its own routine. Dependency on sleeping pills will often make finding your natural sleeping pattern a lot harder when you do eventually decide to go without the medication.

There are a variety of alternative treatments out there, but if you’re looking for a place to start:

• Vitamin B12 injection: this will give your body enough energy to shut down. It may sound strange, but if you are over-tired or burnt-out, your body will essentially be too tired to go into a restful state. Vitamin B12 liquid or tablet supplements will achieve the same as the injection, but will take longer to kick-in. Try taking a supplement after having the injection to sustain and encourage the effect.

• Long, hot baths with Epsom salts: these salts contain magnesium, which is absorbed through the skin when dissolved in warm water. Stress drains the body of this vital element and elevates adrenalin; replenishing the bodies magnesium stores will help relax you and counter the harmful effects of excess adrenalin. It will also help boost your production of serotonin and increase your energy, all resulting in a calm body, ready for sleep.

• Creating a shut-down routine is also important: this might include a long hot bath, or simply be whatever process you follow to help prepare yourself to get to bed. One major sleep inhibitor is electronic devices. Try to minimize the amount of television you watch before sleep, and if possible, keep your bedroom an electronic-free zone. If you work at home, avoid taking your laptop to bed with you: associations of work in the place you’re supposed to relax will not allow your mind to switch-off when it needs to.

• Brain Gym is a series of movements used to improve the various cognitive abilities, but it can also be used to alleviate negative thought patterns that cause stress and anxiety (and keep you up at night!). Practicing a few simple movements (e.g. hook-ups and cross-crawl) as part of your shut-down routine or even during the day can help you balance yourself and coax your brain into better, healthier thought patterns that will lead to a restful state of mind and a good night’s sleep.