Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

Gary, what dosage are you taking?

Me, too! I've tried everything and nothing works. Most supplements give me diarrhea. I just read online about a 'sleep switch' that Oxford Univ. has/is studying--says there is an exercise one can do to 'turn off' the wakefulness. I wish!

I recently read an article stating that liver disease is often associated w/ insomnia, and I can make a personal testament of that correlation in my life. Other diseases like hormonal disturbances, chronic infections, etc are also common causes of insomnia.

I think it fair to assume that a majority of insomnia cases are simply a side effect of some other primary disease.

Two things you might want to try for insomnia. Lavender essential oil, it's very relaxing and calming. Next, try a process called EFT. Sleep well!

Based on observing my husband, I think eating too much too late contributes to insomnia.

I have tried lavender essential oil and EFT. Neither worked for my insomnia.

Sorry to hear people are suffering with this. Have you tried deep breathing and meditating at night before you go to sleep? The idea is to get into your right brain which will deeply relax you. It's very difficult to do when your mind is racing, but the more you practice, the easier it gets. You need to give it 20 - 30 minutes. Eventually the brain recircuits itself and sleep gets easier. I also know a few women who feel hormone balancing herbal formulas helped a racing mind!

Dear Karin I think you hit the nail on the head describing a racing mind---now I can justify mentioning the MSG factor. MSG is a nerve stimulant. All foods contains some source of MSG. Many sources are hidden under names you would never suspect.

Gertie, read up on magnesium for insomnia.

Hello! I want to suggest you look into/try kelp tablets for your hypothyroidism--I prefer it to other sources of iodine because, of course, kelp is "found in nature" & contains many nutrients in a form that I feel is more compatible with the body than a synthesized form. Peace!

Flying Frog...How much Kelp do you take a day? Do you take it every day? Thanks

I'm currently using kelp, two teaspoons twice a day, I saw the post about potassium iodide and found it interesting because I just ordered some potassium iodide. I'll keep your post in mind in terms of the number of drops that you started with. The kelp hasn't helped with sleep so far, iodide is much stronger so that may be the issue. Another consideration is that there are various types of kelp, bladderwheck is the strongest, so that one may work. I've only taken it once so far, was using dulse, and I noticed the difference, it certainly is stronger!

Don't take your iodine late in the day, as that can worsen sleep.

If you use kelp you 1) don't get a lot of iodine and 2) may be getting heavy metals along with it. Check your source

Lugol's or Iodoral are sources of both Iodine and Potassium iodide, both forms of iodine that the body uses. You can make Lugol's yourself. Iodoral is the same proportions in tablet form.

I agree, iodine has helped my insomnia. I would have to take 2-3 mg melatonin every night and hated feeling dependent. I have been taking Lugol's for 5 days now (started with 2 drops of the 2% solution and have increased to 4) and I see an improvement. I have been able to decrease the melatonin to 1.5 mg and I feel pretty confident that I'll be able to eliminate the melatonin entirely! Even when I was woken in the night (something that would have me up for hours, normally), I was able to fall back asleep within 10 minutes or so.

BTW, I take the iodine in the morning, in cranberry juice.

I have had other positive effects with the iodine but will post about them after I've been using it for a couple of weeks.

Hi, I have just ordered Lugol's (5% iodine, 7% potassium iodide) because I am quite sure that I am iodine deficient. As you can't buy it anywhere in Europe I ordered it online. It is Hulda Clarks recipe and I have no idea how many drops to take. I saw the label on the site and it says one should take 6 drops a day, max. 3 days. This sounds like nonsense to me.... The lady selling it told me that in Hulda's book she advises 6 drops 4x a day for up to a week for stomach bacterial infections. All very confusing...... Dr. Brownstein says in his book that 1 drop of Lugol's 5% iodine and 10% potassium iodide amounts to 12,5mg. I think that the fact that Lugol's can come in so many combinations makes it very difficult to know how much to take. Right now I am at a loss so if anyone can help I would very much appreciate!

As far as insomnia goes I also hope that Lugol's will help me. Please keep us informed of any other changes you notice, I will do the same. I will be taking Lugol's for the insomnia, falling, weak hair, puffy eyes, dry skin..... By the way, I thought that Melatonin was a great thing after reading a book about it. It is not sold here in Europe so it is not something I can try!

Francisca, one drop of Lugol's (5% iodine, 10% iodide) is 6. 25 mg. There isn't really a set amount to take, it all depends on the person. I think it is generally believed that a maintenance dosage is 50 mg. Many people take more depending on what illnesses they may have. It might be best to start out slow and gradually increase your dose since many people can have detox symptoms. I have been taking Iodoral (pill form of Lugol's) since last March and I am up to 62. 5 mg. I have some thyroid issues and uterine fibroids along with sluggish adrenal glands. It is also recommended that you supplement iodine with Vitamin C, magnesium, selenium and unrefined sea salt (like Celtic). I think it is best to take it all at one time early in the day since taking it too late can cause sleep problems in some.

If you want to get some really good information I would suggest joining the iodine Yahoo group. The moderators are very knowledgeable and have lots of experience using iodine. The group owner had thyroid cancer and used very large doses of iodine to help cure herself.

Francesca, you can relatively easily buy iodine in Europe, just need to google it while entering the right keywords. By the way, Melatonin is sold in drugstores in the vitamin section, I did not enter a store yet where it was not sold and I have also seen it in several countries. I am not sure if you live at a really small place, or you don't look at the right place, but I would be more careful with generalizations about what you can and can't find in such a large area as Europe.

Francisca, if Melatonin is on the EU ban list, try 5 Hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) before retiring as it stimulates the penial gland to secrete melatonin. If 5HTP is not available try regular L-Tryptophan or foods high in T like Turkey.

Eva, I do live in a small town now but I used to live in France near Switzerland and Germany. I looked everywhere but I never found any melatonin, they told me that it wasn't allowed in the EU, only melatonin percursors. I am not sure but I think that I also asked in De Tuinen when I was in Holland last year. I am going to the UK next week and I can try again in a very good health food store where I mostly go to.

Lisa, now I feel even more hopeless... You say that one drop is 6,25 mg, Dr. Brownstein says it is 12,5mg.... I will try to find that Yahoo group and maybe I just start with one drop. I am taking vit. C, 1000mg a day, am using magnesium chloride transdermally (dilute myself in water) and will buy some selenium soon (I do eat walnuts most day as I picket a lot during the Autumn). I also take a bit of Celtic Salt now and then, apart from what I take in my food!

Thanks Timh, yes, melatonin percursor are allowed here. I tried one but it didn't really have any effect. I am not waiting to go the the UK next week and pick up the Lugol's I ordered on the Internet at my sister-in-law's. Actually my biggest problem is my husband's snoring. Once he wakes me up I have trouble going back to sleep and by now I am not used to sleeping all night anymore. When he leaves early in the morning I often sleep like I am in a coma just then I wake up too late and have difficulty sleeping in the evening again!

Mamallama, from all that I have read, Vitamin C (which is in your juice) is not to be taken at the same time as Lugol's. Lugol's is comprised of iodine and iodide and the Vitamin C will convert the iodine to iodide. For this reason I always take my Lugol's in water & wait at least an hour or more before I eat or take my suppliments (including my Vitamin C). Hope this helps.

Linda :-)

http://curezone.com/faq/q.asp?a=13, 281, 2962&q=630

"Let's go through the titration process with a specific example: the titration of vitamin C by iodine. The chemical name for vitamin C is ascorbic acid. When Iodine and ascorbic acid are combined in solution, a chemical reaction takes place. In this chemical reaction, the ascorbic acid molecule loses electrons, which are transferred to the iodine molecule. Chemists call this type of reaction an oxidation/reduction reaction (or redox reaction for short). The ascorbic acid is oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, and the iodine is reduced to Iodide ions. Oxidation-reduction reactions always occur in pairs like this. The molecule that loses electrons is oxidized, and the molecule that accepts the electrons is reduced."

We need ioDINE AND ioDIDE:

From "Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It":

"It was thought that the intestinal tract could easily convert iodine to iodide, but research has shown this is not true. Different tissues of the body respond to different forms of iodine. The thyroid gland primarily utilizes ioDIDE.... the breasts, on the other hand, primarily utilize ioDINE....

Because different tissues concentrate different forms of iodine, using a supplement that contains both iodine and iodide is preferable to using a supplement that contains only one form, As mentioned above, the breasts concentrate iodine. The prostate gland concentrates iodine. The thyroid gland and the skin primarily concentrate iodide. Other tissues, including the kidneys, spleen, liver, blood, salivary glands and intestines can concentrate either form. With different tissues responding to different forms of iodine, it would make common sense that a greater therapeutic benefit from iodine will be achieved by using a COMBINATION OF IODINE AND IODIDE. My clinical experience has proven, beyond a doubt, that a combination of IODINE/IODIDE (e. G. , Lugol's or Iodoral) is much more effective than an iodide only supplement (e. G. , SSKI and most other liquid iodide formulations)."

Francisca, I am taking the same strength as you, although I bought mine from J. Crows. I began with 1 drop a day (which is 6. 25 mg) and worked up to 8 drops a day (which is 50 mg) as Dr Brownstein reccommends. I'll continue with that dose for 2-3 months and then taper down to a daily maintaence dose of 2 drops a day (12. 5 mg) for life as recommended.

Just be sure to take it on an empty stomach and wait an hour or so before before eating or taking any supplements (read my post earlier in this thread).

Linda :-)

Thanks Linda, I will pick it up on Friday evening so will start on Saturday morning. Funny enough I can't find the instructions of how to take it in Dr. Brownsteins book. Are you sure that one should take it one hour before eating? I hope that it can be done during the day or else I will have to wait for 1 hour before having breakfast, which is not always possible! I underline the books I read in order to find anything of importance more easily but I couldn't find that information....

To Francisca from Zug,

The number of milligrams per drop can differ very widely dependent upon the size of the dropper used, and additionally the exact mg amount will differ dependent upon whether the drop is released from a dropper held exactly vertically, or from a dropper which is slanted sideways at the time the drop is released. So it is a ballpark, but not precise to talk about how many drops = 1 milligram, etc.

Exact precision with Lugol's 5% (that's what I have) is not usually critical, unless there is some special case-specific medical circumstance. Lugol's has been in extensive use in the USA for more than 100 years. Its use and effects are well-documented and easily findable on the web.

Dr. Brownstein is a good source of info on this. Also there is an Iodine Supplementation forum (VWT Forum) on Curezone where many knowledgeable folks have posted their own experiences with it for several years.

I have taken from 1 drop per day to more than 15 with a standard-sized eyedropper orally off and on for months at a time, for probably 12 years now. So IMHO not necessary to stress about a milligram difference here and there. Just always start with less and err on the side of caution, and work up very slowly. I would not take it without having food in my stomach *first*.

If I am uncertain about its effects, I can paint it on my skin.

Linda

Hi Francisca, I think you're way safer ingesting it with food and water, than off by itself. Iodine is some pretty strong stuff. I like to have a buffer around it, just the same as when I take Cayenne Pepper. Just because you can get it past your teeth and down the hatch doesn't mean it won't burn something else. Those are tender little mucous membranes down there.

I take 5-8 drops of Lugol's every morning, I just drip it into the last half-inch of coffee in the bottom of my coffee cup and slug it down during breakfast :-).

I also drop it into Orange Juice if I'm not having coffee that day :-).

I like strong tastes to wipe out the chemical flavor of Iodine.

I think about it this way: after Iodine was removed from bread is when more people began to be deficient in it. So it works when baked into bread. Nobody ingests bread without eating :-).

Don't stress over the timing too much.

Linda :-)

Kelp tablets are not efficient. You need to take 5-10 of them to get a single gram of iodine. I recommend Lugols, and increased seafood consumption. For those outside of the US, you may be able to buy iodine tabs in higher doses. I know iodoral is available some places.

I live in the UK but get my melatonin from the USA from Iherb. It's very cheap and if you choose the slower shipping, very cheap to ship or even free depending on the spend.

Acsessing MELATONIN you can send for it via internet.I live in NZ and here we are only able to get it at 3mg via MD script so I order it online and have found an outlet via Australia (www.... au )that has its source from America.They sell it from 3mg up to 10mg and the brand I usually get has small amount B6 added to it and it has an instant factor and a time release over the night incorporated into the tablet. I get it free shipping over a smallish outlay for the order. Works out hugely cheaper than a script and I can bulk up the order if I want (I take it every night)at the mg count that suits me.

I was 65 when I first took it and a remarkable thing happened.

I lay on my bed all day in a state of profound bliss and relaxation with my eyes partially closed not wanting to stir.

Sleeplessness had set in with menopause and I had noticed this affliction also in my mother and a sister a year younger than l.

Gal, I've taken Blackstrap Molasses for iron, when nothing else worked. I wonder if it would work for sleep.

Dear Gal,

I think the best way to take Iron is with Blackstrap Molasses. A tablespoon once a day. I have also used Floradix. That works well, but it is expensive.

Using a cast iron skillet is also a great way to get iron into your foods. I use my cast iron skillet daily.

The herb, Yellow Dock is also high in iron.

~Mama to Many~

Yes, I started using cacao (Cocoa) in the powder form. It is very healthy. I have researched it on the internet and it has the most flavanoids (immune booster) of any food. As well it is a pure protein. Do not mix with dairy as they block many of these nutrients.

Cacao is rich in magnesium, which helps to promote sleep. That is why some people also have relief from insomnia from taking magnesium orally or taking epsom salt baths. :)

I have a question for Victoria. I am very interested in the HGH at night product but I cannot find it sold anywhere. If you still have a bottle could you please post the ingredients here?

I have tried everything just about to help me get to sleep. I have just started taking GABA and it helps me get a better sleep but does not help me to get to sleep. A lot of suplements help at first but over time quit working so I cannot rate the GABA just yet. I do think you must be right about having a good bowel movement helping to make a better sleep at night. I notice when I have a good early bowel movement I can get to sleep better at night. I also have IBS so I want to work on that as well.

Tryptophan is metabolized into melatonin. I have taken melatonin as a sleep aid and it has helped, but the effect is not always lasting so I have gotten in the habit of taking one capsule about two hours before I plan to go to bed and then one more capsule an hour later and then one capsule at bedtime. It is harder to take this way than just three capsules at bedtime, but it seems more effective for me this way because I am quite drowsy by the time I go to bed and I sleep without waking, unless I have to go the bathroom, but I fall right back to sleep after the bathroom.

I imagine that taking it this way would be similar to timed release melatonin, but I have tried timed release melatonin and it didn't work as well as taking the melatonin as above in a one, two, three fashion.

I've never tried it with tryptophan, so I don't know if it would work the same.

I only use this method when I know I want or need to get a good night's rest and it has been fairly reliable toward that end.

Art

I can't use melatonin, it triggers migraines. Maybe I'll do the tryp in that way, small dose an hour before the main dose. Thanks

I tried L-Tryptophan several nights, thought one of the other substances was what kept me alert-awake. (I was taking several things at once - B3, herbs, etc, in desperate effort to get some sleep! Bad idea for figuring what is causing a worse problem instead of helping) I was having strange feelings in my chest which I now know to be heart palpitations.

Thinking no sleep meant I wasn't taking enough L-Triptophan (and that one of the other tools was causing the strange chest thumps), I upped from 500 mg to 1000 mg (2 pills) and took only L-Tryptophan (to eliminating, I thought, whatever was causing the chest spasms). But an hour after I got to bed wow was my heartbeat crazy! Like my whole chest was throbbing! Felt like a superslow beat 5 times the usual strength, but wrist pulse revealed a weak pulse beat in between the super big ones, so the rate was normal but the strength unusual. Really scary to have a resting heartbeat that intrudes on your awareness! Got up and searched for the half life - 1-2 hours. That was reassuring. An hour later my heartbeat was still too strong but far less so. (Food based L-Triptophan has a 10-12 hour half life because it's bound to protein; the pure supplement has a short half life.)

BTW, L-Triptophan supplement wearing off fast means it might be good for helping some people get to sleep but not keeping them asleep.

Not me, I was up all night thinking of how bad the smell was. Tried again after a week, put some on a cotton ball, same thing. Moved it farther away so no smell, but still no sleep.

The last distillation of lavender produces a "water". There is term for it which I have forgotten. We found it in CA, but anyone distilling the plant should have it. Sprayed on the face and pillow, it induces sleep. Gentle enough for the babies, and tho fragrant, does not have the intense scent of the oil. Works as well as warm milk or chamomile, but not well enough to overcome the intense pain of neuropathy.