Insomnia Cures

Did you know that natural remedies have been and are being used to help the body adjust to more natural patterns of sleeping? There are a number of remedies derived from herbs, fruits, nuts and plants that are used for precisely this purpose. As herbal remedies for insomnia, herbal nutritional supplements made from plants such as valerian root, passion flower, chamomile, lemon balm, mugwort, linden, Siberian ginseng, thyme and spearmint are in use.

Our bodies contain an amino acid called “tyrotophan”, which helps in producing the hormone called “melatonin”, which induces sleep. So, it stands to reason then that foods containing good quantities of tyrotophan are going to help us overcome insomnia. Dairy products and soy products fall into this category, as do whole grains, eggs, and some nuts, such as hazelnuts and peanuts.

Eating foods that have above average amounts of carbohydrates in them is another important natural way of helping reduce your insomnia. When you do this, your body seems to get drowsier faster. What foods then offer the natural remedies with excellent carbohydrates? Look at this list of well known foods: milk and honey, cereals, pasta, cakes, honey and jam, and chocolate – all foods that are routinely found in our pantries! Beans and peas, as well as fruit and vegetables also provide a useful carbohydrate source and so they also meet the criteria for being herbal or natural remedies for Treating Insomnia. It goes without saying though, eat these foods in moderation at any one time.

Natural remedies for treating insomnia can be very simple indeed – as simple as taking some warm milk before you go to bed at night, or taking a nice, warm bath in the evening, perhaps with some lavender oil or other relaxing essential oil to soothe and relax you. Another approach is to simply take some brisk exercise – walking or jogging – during the afternoon (you would want to do half an hour or so of this). Even getting up early and going to bed early can prove to be beneficial in beating insomnia!

We are used to a world in which pharmaceutical drugs rule the roost. Herbal remedies or natural supplements don’t seem to the average person as being overly scientific, but many of the treatments available are good enough to change the cycle of insomnia without requiring Sleeping Pills or other sedatives. The products available are often taken in capsule form, but they can be a tincture or taken as a tea.

When you get seriously into the use of natural remedies, it makes very good sense to take on a whole-of-life approach to your health so that you couple your herbal remedies with other well known requirements for maintaining good health health such as lowering how much salt and fat you take in your diet, increasing the fiber content of your diet, and ensuring that whatever coffee and alcohol you drink is done in moderation. You must also quit smoking if at all possible and make sure you get as much exercise as you can!

Perhaps you should now be looking seriously at how the use of natural remedies might treat your ailment and enable you to make excellent health gains. The use of prescription drugs is always intended for the restoration of our health, but we know that they can also bring about unwanted side-effects. As different individuals, there’s every chance we will react in different ways to drugs and thus must each find out whether our body will accept the drug and respond benignly or whether we will experience any of those most undesirable side-effects.

Insomnia is not at all unusual and, as a sufferer, would you be willing to experiment with natural remedies to treat the condition? You are encouraged to find out more about how you might take advantage of the very real health benefits that can be experienced by using natural supplements to improve even an ailment such as insomnia. Just imagine it – no more insomnia. How great would that be!

Learn more about natural remedies. Stop by Chris Williams’s site where you can find out all about herbal remedies and what they can do for you.

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A recently published study by Italian researchers concluded with the recommendation of bergamot essential oil being used for its anti-stress, anti-depressant properties as a “complementary” therapy. This is really wonderful news, as “complementary” implies its use potentially right alongside conventional or “Western” medicine practices. While conventional medicine has been somewhat accepting the physiological applications of essential oils (for treatment of MRSA bacterial infections, for example), the suggestion of aroma-therapeutic applications are often still met with a smirk.

Three essential oils stand out among the approximately 100 varieties in use today in popular aromatherapy. These are: lavender, the great soothing and healing oil which began the modern aromatherapy revolution; sandalwood, an aromatic with a history of over 1000 years; and bergamot, the flavoring added to Earl Grey tea, and aromatherapy’s number-one anti-depressant oil. The wonderful thing about having three “proven” anti-stress oils is that it’s likely one of them will work for you. Not everyone loves the brilliant floral aroma of lavender, but almost everyone will appreciate at least one of these important oils.

Lavender is the most widely used essential oil for a great variety of therapeutic applications. It is a “soothing” oil in all aspects, both for the skin and the mind. Lavender has been shown to actually lessen sensitization of our skin, and of the three oils here is the only one that can be described as a sedative. While it’s not been reported that individuals inhaling lavender report feeling sedated or groggy in any way, lavender can slow response time (while bergamot, for example, is likely to speed it). Lavender is used for calming children, reducing general anxiety, and is the first choice for improving sleep.

Lavender has succeeded producing these effects when either inhaled or ingested. It’s interesting that studies involving its topical application have been inconclusive, but they’ve also had very small numbers of participants and very subjective evaluation criteria. Consider that researchers in Vienna, Austria recently published research that a slow-release pill of eighty milligrams (about two drops) of lavender essential oil, ingested daily for 10 weeks, had anti-stress results comparable to a well-known benzodiazepine drug “control”. And that controlled studies involving inhalation repeatedly have shown overall sedative effects. Anecdotally, many users have found it significantly improves their ability to get a good night’s sleep, when used either topically (a fer drops massaged into the feet is common) or aromatically. It’s more than likely lavender — if it is going to work for you — will work for you topically if that is your preferred route of administration.

Sandalwood’s “active” ingredient are the “santalols”, unique to this oil. It’s anti-stress effect can more precisely be called “centering” rather than sedating. Its physiological activity is a less defined than lavender’s — the oil is thought to interact with the pineal gland. Sandalwood’s use can support improved sleep/wake cycles, so that rest is more restful. This effect occurred with the test subjects inhaling the aroma, but was determined to be a result of the oil in the bloodstream, not through smelling of the aroma. This implies the oil will have the same result if topically applied.

As you can imagine, the bright sweet-tart smells of citrus fruit can be a nice pick-me-up, and bergamot perfectly fits the bill. It is the first choice anti-depressant aromatic, and acts as an anti-stress agent by bringing about a positive state of mind, rather than via sedation or lessening of mental chatter. Its use via inhalation is the preferred method. Regular exposure to bergamot’s aroma had test subjects report statistically better “mood reports” than test controls. Other researchers have noted bergamot’s ability to lessen perceived pain, and to actually alter the process by which our brains respond to stress. We just don’t find the same stressors as aggravating when inhaling bergamot.

The question is frequently asked by beginning aromatherapy practitioners: “what oil should I use for depression or anxiety”? These oils are the place to start. One needs to be willing to experiment to see what works best for them. Get a sample of each of these oils and see how you respond to their scents — you have to like the aroma for you to use an oil consistently for anxiety reduction and stress relief. Lavender has been noted to be more appreciated by women, and sandalwood is considered a somewhat more “masculine” aroma — yet certainly this shouldn’t prevent either gender from trying both oils.

The general methods for each of these oils: lavender — inhalation, topical, ingestion; sandalwood — inhalation, topical; bergamot — inhalation. Your actual method of use should also be experimented with. All of these can used in simple diffusers (sandalwood alone may or may not be too thick for some cold-air nebulizing diffusers). The can all be topically applied as a natural perfume, or massaged into the feet (a highly receptive area for essential oils). Care must be taken with bergamot only, as it can be a mild skin irritant for some, and will cause the skin where applied to be hyper-sensitive to sunlight. If you choose to ingest a couple drops of lavender per day, be aware that this isn’t recommended for all oils, that the quantity should remain low, and the effects may take some time to experience.

Organic, wildcrafted and pure aromatherapy oils, are truly magic gifts from nature. Wholesale premium grade essential oils are available online through Ananda Aromatherapy.

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So many people are interested in aromatherapy, but are just unsure where to start. What oils should they get? How should they use them? Here’s a look at the five most popular oils in aromatherapy, and ways you can use them. This will help you incorporate essential oils into an overall natural health lifestyle for you and your family. The idea here is to be using essential oils in a way beyond their aromas — to really begin to tap into their true medicinal values.

Lavender essential oil is the most widely used oil for several reasons. It works its magic aromatically, when topically applied, and even when ingested (in very small amounts — not something to do with most oils). Generally, it can be considered aromatherapy’s number one soothing oil. It’s aroma reduces stress markers in laboratory research, and when topically applied it has a mild anesthetic effect. It was recently published that a capsule containing about 2 drops of the oil, when consume daily, was as effective as benzodiazepine drugs at reducing mild to moderate anxiety. It also has regenerative ketones that help the skin heal, and its main constituent is “linalool”, which recently was discovered to have anticancer activity.

Far and away the most common use of lavender is for getting a better night’s sleep, and reducing stress in general. The aroma itself does the trick for many people. Any way you can get the scent in the air can be effective. Some just apply a drop or two under their pillow, while others will use an aromatherapy diffuser set on low throughout the night. A little lavender on the feet is also very popular. A few drops of lavender essential oil does wonders for small burns, and soothes virtually every conceivable skin irritation — either alone (one of the few oils you should do this with) or diluted a “carrier oil” (these are cold-pressed seed or nut oils in which essential oils are blended — most essential oils are too potent for direct application to the skin).

The beginner may also heard of the next oil, yet not even associated with “aromatherapy”. It’s important to understand that this term really means the “entire branch of botanical medicine utilizing the volatile constituents of plants”. And tea tree is really medicine. Tea tree essential oil has been shown in laboratory research to destroy MRSA bacteria as well as having potent antiviral action. It’s a perfect all around antiseptic, useful for cuts and scrapes, acne, athlete’s foot and the like. Virtually any time you’re wanting to prevent or treat infection of the skin, tea tree essential oil is a great place to start. Use it sparingly at full strength, or blend in a carrier at the rate of 40 drops per ounce (this is a five percent concentration, shown effective at treating acne in a recent study).

You’ll find a great many uses for lemon essential oil, too. Lemon’s aroma is (like peppermint’s, which we’ll get to) an uplifting scent which clarifies the mind. It’s been shown to reduce the breakdown of acetylcholine, our primary information-processing neurotransmitter. A study done in Japan showed the aroma significantly reduced the number of errors made by office workers. And its a great cleaning agent, for the body and your surroundings. A couple drops in a bottle of water cleans the water and might help clean your liver. You’ll find many recipes online for homemade cleaning formulas including lemon, not only for its antibacterial activity but for its bright fresh scent.

The essential oil distilled from peppermint is aromatherapy’s number one “stimulant”. Its well known to clarify the mind and bring focus just by inhaling the aroma. Its very potent, so be cautious when first using it, and keep any bottle away from the tip of your nose (it can irritate the membranes very easily). A drop on the tongue is also a great way to enjoy this effect — and both ways seem to bring more oxygen to the brain. Peppermint’s number one medicinal use is for treating all sorts of indigestion, as it stimulates digestive activity. There are many ways to employ this action: ingest a drop or two in a cup of warm water, massage a drop in a teaspoon of carrier into the abdomen, or take a couple drops in an empty cellulose capsule. The inhalation of the oil can help with nausea, as well as headaches for many people. For younger children, because of peppermint’s “spicy-ness”, spearmint should be used instead.

There are really many essential oils vying for the number 5 position. Eucalyptus is very popular, as it helps many people with asthma, allergies, or other breathing conditions (use in a diffuser, or sprinkle a few drops in a steaming bowl of water and inhale). It’s also found in many invigorating massage formulas for enhancing blood flow. Rosemary is used almost interchangeably for the breathing support, and is a great addition to skin and hair care preparations. Chamomile is considered the foremost oil for calming children, and may work best in a very low concentration in a foot massage blend. And frankincense, while a little more esoteric, has profound health-enhancing effects. Its been studied as an anti-cancer agent, is thought to support the immune system, reduces pain and inflammation in joint-care recipes, and in skin care formulas is highly regarded for its anti-aging actions.

This little review might be enough to launch your practice of medicinal aromatherapy — just by having a few of these oils on hand, you’ll learn to start using them, and prompt your interest further on the subject. The more you learn, the more you’ll find the therapeutic uses of essential oils are amazing — they can prevent catching viral illnesses, significantly reduce pain and speed healing, and even have anticancer activity. Wherever you start, good luck and enjoy the ride!

The author has made available reports on specific oils such as patchouli oil and other pure essential oils.

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