Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

I've just been reading that blind people have trouble sleeping but that linen sheets and pillow cases create a significant difference.

Along with the sleep issue, I've come across reports of linen pillow cases doing tremendous things for other issues before but, apparently linen sheets, pajamas and other clothing are useful for all sorts of issues.

I was looking at this because I got some new yoga pants for sleeping and was having "bursitis" (undiagnosed) pains in my thighs and someone suggested wearing my old pj pants, instead. So, last night, I slept in my old pj pants and NO PAIN!

I've always known of the magical properties of linen and that it can prevent bedsores but NEVER heard of it helping with so many things like this. But it actually makes sense, just due to the electromagnetic "frequency" of linen but still, WOW! I've always said linen was like a "mother", providing precisely what's needed to stay either warm or cool, as opposed to cotton, but apparently it does much more than that.

I've written several posts over the years about treatments for my insomnia. I've come to the conclusion my insomnia is mostly caused by nutritional deficiencies. I have tried so many things to try to get a good night's sleep with some success but never felt fully "cured." The problem I had was waking in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep. KNOCK ON WOOD, I think I have finally found what works for me. This is what seems to be working:

1. Iron supplementation. I don't take it every day because too much iron is dangerous but I have noticed I am able to get back to sleep more easily after I have taken iron that morning.

2. Calcium supplementation. I take one capsule at bedtime, the dosage is three capsules a day. I also don't take too much of this supplement. It is my understanding that taking too much calcium at one time can cause problems because your body can't absorb too much at a time. Calcium makes me sleepy and doesn't cause loose bowels.

4. Colostrum. I take one capsule at bedtime. I just started taking this and it seems to keep me asleep for a full 7 hours with no waking up to go to the bathroom.

5. Here is a crazy thing that also seems to work for me; eating coconut at bedtime. I will eat a small chocolate covered coconut candy at bedtime and it seems to make me sleep really well.

6. I also recently tried a product that contains both magnesium and L-theanine. It worked great but gave me diarrhea so I had to give it up.

I don't know if any of these remedies will help anyone else, but they are all worth a try.

Glad that you have positive results. Just be aware of that Biology is almost never as simple as "low" or "high" on a lab value. Your body always has a reason for the adaptations you're looking at in the form of blood biomarkers and this is the art of listening to what your body is trying to tell you. Iron supplementation can enhance the growth of pathogenic bacteria and inhibit the growth of beneficial bacteria. Supplementing with iron, especially for those who have GI symptoms, has the potential to create more problems than it solves. We need iron for many important physiologic processes, but bacteria also require iron to multiply and grow. During an active infection, this results in our body competing against our gut microbiome for the currently available iron. Our bodies have a defense mechanism to win this competition and starve bacterial overgrowth. Essentially, when an infection is detected, our bodies limit the amount of iron available in the bloodstream (lowering the blood biomarker serum iron) and increase the storage of iron (increasing the blood biomarker ferritin) so that bacteria cannot gain access to it. This presents a problem because if one views their blood test as simple as "Oh, I have low iron, I better add more iron to my diet" without taking into consideration the big picture view of the situation (for example, if they also have GI symptoms) they may be directly offsetting the defense mechanism the body had in place to intentionally lower iron to starve an unhealthy bacterial overgrowth. Micronutrient manipulation as a whole is a game that needs to be treated with care because there are feedback loops for everything in physiology. Supplement protocols prescribed without proper analysis create way more questions than they do answers.

I would recommend checking your iron levels. I had an iron infusion after discovering I was iron deficient and it transformed my sleep, such a relief!

Hi Clatterbuck! Would you please share which brand, and which kind of calcium and dose you take?

Hi Maria could you please share which brand and dose of alfalfa tablets you take?

5 HTP and GABA for Insomnia

This combination also puts me to sleep but I need to take it an hour or two in advance of bedtime. 600 mg of GABA and 100 mg 5htp. Pure Encapsulations brand. If I have anxiety, I take 2 5htp.

Consuming any types of sugar will greatly impact your quality of sleep, regardless if its organic cane sugar or processed sugar. If you crave sweets try keto snacks like (stevia/malitol/xylitol, etc.) sweetened chocolate or make your own. Honey and pure maple syrup are considered sugars, as well, keep it to a minimum.

So are you taking the alfalfa tablet and calcium together and the alfalfa is acting to get the calcium in or are you just taking the alfalfa as the calcium source? many thanks, judith

Taurine and L-Glutamine for Insomnia

I had tried Glycine, Mg Glycinate, Theanine, GABA, Inositol, and they don't seems to help my sleep one way or the others. Finally as my last resort, I looked what else I have in the cabinet, I got Taurine which is for my brain fog and L-Glutamine for my leaky guts. Last night I took both before going to bed, my sleep lasted like 12 hours. I did woke 1 time for pee-pee. I have tinnitus long time but it gets louder after I had COVID-19 2 months ago, that may be the culprit bothering my sleep. I am sure to try this combo again tonight.

Hollyhock,

That post was from 2015, so a reply from the original poster is not likely.

Inositol helps with sleep by increasing GABA levels. GABA is a known sleep aid and like most sleep aids, it does not work for everyone. There are multiple forms of inositol available and the original poster did not mention what version they used or the dose they used.

Various articles around the web suggest dosing as low as 1000 mg up to 60 gm.

The following 2020 study used 2000 mg of the Myo-inositol form of inositol with 200 ug of folic acid, both in powder form to achieve improved sleep parameters :

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32933356/

Here is a relevant study quote :

' The research confirmed that myo-inositol supplementation can improve global sleep quality, subjective sleep quality, and sleep duration during pregnancy. Therefore, these findings applied to minimize the rate of poor sleep quality in pregnant women. '

Here is a typical myoinositol product in powder form :

https://www.amazon.com/Zazzee-Myo-Inositol-Servings-Serving-Non-GMO/dp/B01JZNBP92/ref=sr_1_6?crid=DUPUU72H5CBV&keywords=myoinositol+and+folic+acid+powder&qid=1691701482&rdc=1&sprefix=,aps,124&sr=8-6

It should be mentioned that if you are not deficient in GABA, Inositol may not be as effective for improving sleep as it would be if you have a low GABA level.

Art

Gary, what dosage are you taking?

I have had Insomnia for more than 20 years. I have been taking Unisom every night for 20 years, finally I started trying everything, Nothing worked for sleep, till I looked up Insomnia in the Nutritional Healing book, it said Inositol was one of the items as it helps you to fall asleep and get you into REM deep sleep. I have been taking it every night with great success, 7-1/2 hours of deep restful sleep, No more Unisom or the Unisom's terrible side effects.

Inositol has changed my life for the better, or should I say the Best.

May I ask what brand PEMF mat you purchased? I am considering buying one too.

- ER

A cup of lavender tea before bed is good for insomnia. Add about 1 tbsp or 4 tsp to 2 cups of hot not boiling water let steep.

Thyme tea for insomnia

Thyme can be consumed in tea form to help with sleep issues.

Hello,
Is this Brewer's yeast (slightly bitter) or Nutritional yeast (Nutty/Cheesy tasting)?
There seem to be two different things and I am not sure which one would help.
Thank you

I know this will sound strange but I think I accidentally discovered a treatment for my inability to get back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. Like a lot of people my age sleeping straight thru the night became a rare occurrence. Recently I read about spinach powder helping to control your appetite so I bought some. It tastes really disgusting so I mixed a spoonful in a glass of orange juice and held my nose while drinking it. That night I slept through the night without waking up. I drank this concoction for a couple of days and continued to sleep well. Sometimes I would wake up but I fell back asleep immediately. I stopped drinking the concoction because I got busy and didn't think about it and within a day or two my night time waking issue returned. I started drinking the disgusting concoction and once again I started sleeping through the night. I don't know if this is just a fluke but it's working for me.

You're right!!! Quite by accident, I discovered papaya helps me get back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. My grocery store had a sale on papayas and I decided to buy a couple. I had first tasted papaya when I went to Vietnam a few years ago and I liked them. I ate a small papaya before going to bed and slept through the night. That was incredible. I didn't have a papaya the next night and when I woke up in the middle of the night I had trouble getting back to sleep like I usually do. The next night I had a papaya before bed and once again slept through the night. These things are like a magic sleeping potion.

Thyme is great for stress and anxiety, which contribute to insomnia. Can be taken internally and externally, do research first before taking internally or if your on medications. Mix some thyme oil with a carrier because its a HOT oil and a mucous membrane irritant, mix with almond or jojoba or a good quality carrier oil and rub on chest and neck and shoulders before going to bed. Can be brewed into a tea with the dried herb and used in cooking.

Niacin is an 'approved treatment' for "elevated cholesterol".

Unfortunately, "elevated cholesterol" is absolutely *NOT* an actual health threat. It is a 'made-up' problem to sell (mostly) worthless drugs. In reality, "elevated cholesterol" is a symptom just as cardiovascular disease is a symptom.

Most don't know but many so-called "health" problems are really dietary & nutritional issues. The real cause of "elevated cholesterol" AND cardiovascular disease is over consumption of carbohydrates &/or carbohydrate sensitivity. The proof is diabetes (also too many carbs + sensitivty) is considered to 'cause' cardiovascular disease!
To 'solve' the "elevated cholesterol" issue just cut carbs. Personally, I lost over 100lb, lowered blood glucose, resolved high blood pressure, & helped other 'health issues' on a low carb/keto diet. I found out about this from Dr. William Davis' "Wheat Belly" books. He lost his mother to cardiovascular disease so he set out to discover why the "standard protocols" didn't work. Dr. Eric Berg said we need only FIVE grams of carbs per day & our livers can make the 5gm from fat or protein.

The 'medical establishment' is controlled by the drug/pharmaceutical industry to profit from illness & injury.

If 'doctors' want to 'help' people do they have to charge so much? I don't think so.
Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

St Johns Wort is good for anxiety and depression, also a calmative. I found it helps with restless sleep when taken on an empty stomach. However be cautious when taking it because, similar to grapefruit, it will interact with other medications and supplements.

Cannabis tea seems to work for getting back to sleep. I heard indica strain is better for relaxing than sativa. Put like 1/2 grams of dried herb into 8oz boiling water let steep and cover to infuse for as long as you can. Keep in mind this can have side effects such as racing thoughts, anxiety, dry mouth and increased heart rate, keep this in mind as everybody is different, so use caution if you're on any medications.

High vitamin D can lead to terrible insomnia and, secondary to that, exacerbate all your symptoms.

Fantastic! I usually use bones for broth that are given to me by a friend. They raise one hog and one steer every year for personal consumption and cannot use all the bones so give me a good bit of them. He also hunts, so I get turkey and venison bones as well. All natural, so I feel comfortable using them for my bone broth. Unfortunately, I have no good source for chicken bones. Even though I keep chickens, I rarely butcher them. But, this past weekend, I butchered a particularly vicious cock and he's been invited to dinner tonight. I will put those bones into my stewpot and cook them down. I am looking forward to seeing if this works for me as well. BTW, I don't think there's anything magical about bone broth, but I do feel it contains something we need in a form usable to us. Sure wish I knew what that was but, meh, as long as it works and we know how to get it, I'm good with that. Thanks for the hint.

Bone Broth for Insomnia

I've posted before regarding insomnia cures, but I have a new one I'd like to share. My sleep has improved dramatically since I started taking calcium/magnesium supplements at night and increasing the amount of potassium I consume each day. I accidentally discovered another tool to add to my arsenal of sleeping enhancements, bone broth. I've been trying to lose weight and have been increasing the amount of water and other low calorie liquids I consume during the day. I decided to try bone broth since it's low calorie and I like chicken soup. I drank a cup of warmed up chicken bone broth one afternoon and shortly thereafter fell asleep on the couch. I felt like I'd been drugged but I didn't think it was caused by the bone broth. A couple of days later I drank a cup after dinner because I was still hungry, once again I fell asleep. Now I was intrigued so I started drinking a cup about a half an hour before bed. Man, I fall asleep almost instantly and have slept through the night several times (which rarely happens since I've gotten older.) I don't know if this will work for everyone but it couldn't hurt to give it a try.

I know this is an old post, but a calcified pineal gland will contribute to sleep problems, and lemon water will help decalcify pineal gland.

Vitamin B complex for insomnia and stress

Take B complex vitamins to help with insomnia. Sleep disturbances can be the result of B vitamin deficiency. B vitamins are really good for stress relief, too. I take a quality brand from Genestra that has all the B vitamins and find I sleep better when I take it during the day.

When I stop taking the B vitamins the sleep problems seems to return, hope this helps.