Natural Remedies for Insomnia: A Comprehensive Guide

Niacinamide stops the chatter of the mind but take it with other B's they work together... It also helps sleep. First time I took it my mind went blank, freaked me out.

just out of curiosity... What about a baking soda bath or a baking soda with vinegar bath.... Maybe 1/4 cup of each.... then rinse it off, just in case. How do you drink your water? How much, when.. ? I use to drink a lot of water but until I followed the procedure in the watercure site it wasn't helping me. I'm so sorry you are suffering ... Love, Joy

It's me again, the chronic insomniac. I tried the molasses in sleep time tea--boy, did I get diarrhea! Only did 1 tsp, not a tbs. Mg loosens the bowels, with ibs-d I get it very fast and then it won't stop. If I take calcium in the correct ratio w/ mg it's bad, calcium alone helps slow it down. Big issue is the sleep. A post said taurine + l-glutamate + theanine. For me, did nothing. I added 5-htp to that mix, still nothing. Finally took 1 mg melatonin, would have slept but for the vomiting due to melatonin induced migraine. HELP! In spite of all this, I am healthy--exercise daily, garden, work, eat well. What am I doing wrong? My mind chatters all night long, if I fall asleep I awake with a jolt. Thanks for listening.

Hi, Let me know how your son gets on as my daughter has this night time teeth grinding and it's a struggle to get her to take bvits and CLO regularly. Thanks

Sleepy time tea does make me have to get up at night, too. But, if it is effective, you could make a sleepytime tincture, which would require a lot less liquid. You may be able to get some pre-make sleep tincture or your could make your own. One of my sons had terrible insomnia for a year and we made a sleep tincture that helped him a lot. Ray Comfort's book, Overcoming Insomnia was also helpful and humorous.

Here is the recipe for sleep tincture: equal parts of catnip, chamomile, passionflower, oatstraw and lemon balm. 1/4 part hops. Fill a glass jar with this. Cover the dry herbs with vodka. Let stand 2 weeks. Strain off herbs. Take 1 teaspoon in a little water at bedtime. You could even do this with a box of sleepytime tea. just put all the bags from the box in a jar and cover with vodka. (You can use glycerine if you want it alcohol free, it just won't be quite as strong. ) Let sit for two weeks and then remove tea bags. Take 1 teaspoon in a little water at bedtime. If you want it in a hurry, use the crock pot method. Place a towel in a crock pot. Place jar (I use a canning har) on towel. Fill crock pot with warm water to an inch below the top of the jar. Set crock pot on Low. Slow cook the tincture for 3 days. (You will have to keep adding water. I do not put a lid on the crock pot as the water gets a little too hot this way. ) Strain out the herbs. 1 teaspoon at bedtime.

Hope you find a good solution, soon!

I will try the blackstrap molasses--have some, just didn't think about it. The sleepy time tea is good, but it makes me go to the bathroom so much, I just can't drink anything or I'm up 10 times. Thanks.

I find chamomile tea or Sleepytime tea before bed to reallly help when I am having trouble sleeping. I have read about a number of people using 5-HTP for sleep help.

Blackstrap Molasses has magnesium in it and is a food instead of a supplement. It might work better than a supplement. 1 T. At bedtime. My son is trying this for bruxism and if my husband takes it before bed after a long day working outside (and sweating a lot) he won't get leg cramps. My point is, it doesn't take a ton to get results.

Valerian is another herb some people use to help with insomia.

Hope you get some good sleep soon.

What about those of us with ibs/d who can't take magnesium? It's so easy to say take 400 mg, but even 50 mg and I'm on the toilet all night. I use the magnesium oil but too much of that and I'm out with the D, too.

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.

I was on all sorts of pharmaceuticals to control chronic migraine for years, finally got off everything. Melatonin is a definite trigger for me--0.5mg and I'm vomiting, need drugs for migraine, can't see--if you have migraines, be careful.

2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with a teaspoon on honey in warm water before bed, along with magnesium, niacinamide, tumeric, vitamin C, and occasionally 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Has helped with lifelong insomnia problem.

Also important is to reduce naps during the day and focus on a quieting image when going to bed. Very important to find a way to calm the mind -- a form of prayer.

I don't expect a perfect night's sleep every night and am usually relieved with the improvement in sleep. Will still awaken after 3=hour sleep cycle but am able to drift back off pretty quickly and sleep till morning.

Am very grateful for the information on this website.

Hello, have you tried GABA, tripyophan, melatonin, magnesium or iodine yet? You may like to read Dr Mercola's holistic advice on sleep issues too. He considers all factors including light and sound pollution, electromagnetic fields in your bedroom and emotional stressors etc. Hope these suggestions help.

I was just looking for answers and found a site that said to take a bath in baking soda and epson salts( magnesium)

1/2 cup to 1 cup each, equal amounts. The magnesium could make your bowels move in 1- 24 hours. Drink some water while you soak. Water soaks or swimmng cause us to shrivel up because it pulls water out of us

Another thing to try would be a dab of progesterone cream before bed 1/8 tsp. Rub in fat tissue, you might have a hormon imbalance, you have to patiently try hormones for at least a month while your system gets balanced and it =could be unpleasant at first as progesterone goes into estrogen sites and can cause estrogen dominant symptoms at first but then later..... So nice! Peaceful

For insomnia (it's a liver problem) look at your diet;no colas or alchohol or cigarettes. Take a really good kelp supplement and milk thistle and eat lots of fresh fruits and veg. Also look at the Blood Type Diet by Peter D'adamo. Sorry I'm not Ted but I know how horrible sleep deprivation can be and mine is better (to be fair mine was not as bad as yours) with the kelp and omega 3 oils like olive, linseed, and evening primrose oil. Good luck.

This question is for Ted. Dear Ted, I am writing to you abou my insomnia that I have for many years. I have been taking the sodium bicarbonate 1/2 tsp and potassium bicarbonate 1/4 tsp with a glass of water before bed for a few days. Unfortunately this hasn't worked. I only sleep for an hour at night and wake up more tired than when I went to bed. I am exhausted but my brain doesn't know that it needs to sleep. The sleep doen't come. I don't know what I am doing wrong, I don't nap, unable to, don't drink coffee or tea, only water. This is a nightmare. I am seeing a naturopath for a year and I am not getting any better. Please Ted I know you are busy but if you have some time please let me know what I should do. I'll be waiting for your response. Thank you, Paula

I had really bad side effects from 5-htp. I couldn't sleep, and every joint in my body hurt!!! It was 100mg slow release. I tried again 2 weeks later, same effects!!!! I threw them out, and found out these are known side effects to 5-htp. love Andrea C xxx

Even in small doses 5 HTP leaves me wide awake ALL NIGHT LONG if taken in evening. I've have started experimenting with taking it in morning, primarily for mood, however so far I have had not experienced any change or improved sleep.

5 HTP is supposedly useful for weight loss, pms, anxiety/depression, migraines and fibromyalgia in addition to insomnia. It is recommended to take it with vitamin B3 or C.

Hi Paula, Sounds like you are having reactions to the binders and fillers in your vitamins/supplements. The binders and fillers are more than likely made from plants. It is reported that our food is being engineered to last longer so it has become harder to digest. These genetically engineered plants have to be considered starch. This is noted from MY EXPERIENCE with what has happened to our food. Even the critters we eat or get milk and eggs from are being fed grains and grasses that are difficult for them to digest. I get the 2% milk IN GLASS and sometimes dilute that with a little water. Warm milk before bed helps me sleep. Skimmed milk is bad because, by law, vitamins have to be added and they can cause more problems. I would try to lay off the supplements for awhile because it will take a long time to get out of your system.

Hi, what brand of cherry juice did you use?

Please google Min-tran. It is a natural, food based product that helps with sleep issues. I have in the past taken 4-6 an hour before bed, and it knocks me off. It works with the para-sympathic side of the nervous system and brings the body to balance.

Also 'natural calm' magnesium powder that dissolves in warm water, a few hours before bed is excellent in resolving incomnia issues.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I read Ted's comments and am going to try the B3 (niacinamide) and B12. Those are 2 I haven't supplemented because I thought I was getting enough from food. Yes, I do exercise--I run/walk between 1-2 miles/day on the treadmill first thing in the morning, then I do QiGong around 3 in the afternoon. I stand rather than sit, walk every chance I get while at work. Weekends I clear land (very hilly) at our farm, set fenceposts, garden, yardwork, etc. I think the activity level is good. I get migraines from melatonin, so when I take it I keep it to no more than 1 mg. Calms Forte + 1 mg melatonin will work 1 day out of 4, typically. If I didn't have to work I would just nap as needed and not worry about it.

Sorry you are experiencing insomnia. I have it occasionally and have found a few things that help.

Adrenals: I would start by finding out from a naturopath if your adrenals are overtaxed. You might have adrenal exhaustion and could benefit from some adrenal support supplements.

Exercising: Do you exercise? What time of the day do you exercise? This too may play into night time insomnia. Exercising earlier in the day is always better. If you don't get enough exercise, that too might exacerbate insomnia.

I would try ear plugs. My husband snores and I am a very light sleeper. They are a life saver!

Hi Tamara; I agree that there can be various ways to have success with the use of a supplement; dosage amount, timing of dosage, etc.

Another possibility is that certain co-factor nutrients may be needed to allow the vitamin to be available to the cells.

For instance, from what I've learned from reading on the Vitamin D Council website: Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin K2, and Boron are needed for vitamin D absorption. Zinc helps to prime vitamin D receptors.

Hi, Intractable diarrhea may be from a B12/Folate deficiency.

I am really afraid of doing a liver cleanse, after doing some research. It makes you really move things out. With ibs-d, I'm moving pretty fast as an everyday thing. Getting it to stop is the problem. If you haven't had diarrhea constantly for years, every single day, then you don't know what I mean. Seriously, I wear depends in order to go buy groceries. As I am now in a fairly good place, I'm not tinkering with it. The last flare I had lasted over a year and I needed a new mattress. I'll eat as well as I can, but I'm not asking for more diarrhea.

The Liver cleanse, is good, but you can't do anything for days! It works BUT you're gonna feel real nasty! Never mind House work, and stuff like that. The "DETOX" Reaction will get you! I know! I did this loads of times. Do not go to the ER. They will put you on drugs. Then you end up were you started and worse than that. I know. Belive me, I am detoxing and I feel real ill! BUT... I know it's working. Best of luck xx Love andrea c

Hi Connie, have you tried switching around when you take vitamin D? I noticed that you mentioned you take your B vitamins in the morning. There's mounting anecdotal evidence (since no one is doing a study on timing of intake) that vitamin D supplementation in the morning improves sleep in lots of different facets. For me, it made me drowsier at night so it's easier to fall asleep and my mood was better when waking (to me indicating that I was more rested). I believe that it acts like liquid, chemical sunshine and helps set our circadian rhythm. Seth Roberts has collected a sample of people's testimonies of morning vitamin D supplementation here: http://blog.sethroberts.net/category/sleep/vitamin-d3-and-sleep/

Hi Trudyg; Insomnia has been a problem for me too, and like you, I've tried many supplements and herbs. It is still difficult. What works for many, sometimes will have the opposite effect for me.

I try to keep a record of supplements, herbs, even foods that have a stimulating or relaxing effect.

I take B vitamin supplements, but most are stimulating, so I take them in the morning. ( I take extra B12 sublinguals. BTW, it helps my hot flashes. ) B12 suppresses melatonin in the day, allowing it to increase at night.

I do take Niacinamide, (B3), in the evening, it relaxes me. ( I take 250 mgs.)

I still take 1mg. of Melatonin in the evening. It helps, but it doesn't work alone for me.

This past year, I've had good results from taking 15mgs. of Zinc in the evening. ( It may help people with elevated evening cortisol, or possibly, elevated blood sugar.)

I take extra Potassium as a supplement, it also relaxes me.

There are many supplements that work miraculously for other folks, such as : Vitamin D, Magnesium, etc. , but I seem to have a paradoxical reaction to them - worsened insomnia. (I'm sure many folks could have this same reaction to the supplements that work for me.)

I believe my best success with insomnia is from finding the substances that interfere with sleep.

Good Wishes.

I would willingly do a liver cleanse IF I were sure it would not excacerbate my ibs-d. I'm doing too well controlling it to take a chance. The lemon juice/baking soda thing could start diarhhea and, w/ me, this can go on for a year or more once it starts. Eating beets I can do, I love them and do eat them frequently. Grow them in my garden, so I know they are organic. I eat lots of 'greens', whatever is growing at the moment, so I think my diet is pretty good overall. I eat chia seeds daily, drink homemade kefir, don't eat much meat but usually fish, maybe the grains is where I go wrong. The unprocessed grains usually get my bowels going, so I avoid them. I do appreciate the comments, will try the niacinamide. Thanks.

A simple Liver cleanse is to eat lots of Beets.

Well, it has been a little while so you may want to google some info but you should eat fruits (which are the cleaners) and veggies (which are the builders), Avoid sugars, alcohol, white flour products. Lean meats and healthy grains I think are acceptable. Do some more research. Also get some liver cleanse pills. I was told by a naturopath that if you are having trouble sleeping or wake up thru the night it is because sleep is disturbed because the liver is busy processing so many toxins. So at the end of the day cleanup your diet. Diet is king.

Try "Insomnia" by Hyland. I"ve used it for years and it has worked for several people who I've recommended it to (I always offer to buy their bottle if it doesn't work for them). It's a tiny homeopathic tablet that dissolves under your tongue. One or two should solve your sleeplessness and a bottle of 50 costs less than $10 so it's definitely cost effective. Totally counterintuitive as to why it should work but it does. It's more effective than melatonin, ambien, and all the other things I tried. Now, I always have some at home by the bed and definitely when I travel. Especially good for those nights when the tape in your head won't turn off or if you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I've taken one tab to get back to sleep when I had to be up in 2-3 hrs; two or three when first going to bed, if needed. You won't have a 'hangover' like some of those others give you. Hope this helps you get some rest.

Yes, how do you cleanse your liver? I will do anything as I have severe insomnia and sleep only couple hours every night so please let me know any suggestions how to get into a sleep clinic would be great. Thanks Jade

How does a liver cleanse help insomnia? Also, the melatonin ultra is just one of the things I have already tried without success. Please, is there nothing else out there? How do you cleanse a liver?

Trudyg, I like you tried them all for sleeping. Finally I stumbled onto Melatonin Ultra, 3 mg melatonin, theanine, GABA, chamomile, valerian, B6 and calcium. You're to take 1, 2 if jet lagged. I've been taking 1. 5 the past year and backed off to just one tab 2 weeks ago as I'm on my way to bed, not earlier than that. I fall asleep fast. My problem is I have "waking insomnia" where I sleep three or four hours then am wide awake. Have had it many years. This product has helped me sleep through most nights. Hope you try it and it works for you also.

Not sure what magnesium oil is, but magnesium tabs helped me a lot.

You need to cleanse your liver. Just my guess.

I read in bed before attempting to sleep (terrible insomnia). I put a low-light wattage bulb in the bed light. My husband bought me a new Paperwight Kindle for Christmas. Now, I do not put a light on to read and adjust the "back light" on the Kindle to minimum. I fall asleep much faster, and am noticing less insomnia.

I have tried everything I can think of for my insomnia: melatonin, 5-HTP, L-theanine, valerian, chamomile, aromatherapy, hypnosis, guided imagery, sleep sounds, Sleep Relax formula, Fatigued to Fantastic Sleep, acv, coconut oil, sleep hygiene techniques, tapping, coffee crudea, calms forte, progesterone, magnesium oil, relaxing bath, exercise---what's left to try? I am 55, post-menopausal (take evening primrose oil for hot flashes), not on any medications except now I'm taking ambien because I must get some sleep. Yes, I wake up in 6 hours, but I don't feel rested and I am then somewhat loopy/sleepy all day so it's not an answer. Please help me! I am desperate! Oh, one more thing, probably the big issue--my husband has emphysema and wheezes. It's not really possible to sleep farther away from him (small house). When I do go to sleep, I sleep maybe 45 minutes and then am awake again, cycling like this most of the night. Thanks.

Paula, I am sorry to hear how you are suffering. I too suffered years from insomnia and constipation. Since I have started taking probiotic yogurt and Kefir, my constipation is completely cured. Now I have bowel movement everyday. You can buy Kefir at the store, after that make your own with couple of spoons of the store bought Kefir. That will save u money. If you are lactose intolerant, you can make resuvelac at home, just google resuvelac. I also take magnesium at bed time everyday. I sleep pretty good now. I hope this will help you. Good Luck!!!!

I've suffered from insomnia on and off and its soo debilitating and I really feel for you!!!

First off, diet is important... Sugary starchy foods in my experience make it harder for me to sleep. Up your veggies!

You might wanna look into amino acids 5htp and GABA... If your still on any psych meds this may not be your best bet though. But research them and make sure you take them at the right times through out the day. for 5htp late afternoon and before bed is best and GABA you wanna just take before bed because it reallyyyy chills you out.

I see your constipated so you should look into getting some magnesium citrate in powder form... itll relax you AND help you poop.

There's this cream called adrena calm thats really amazing you just rub it on your feet at night and instantly you feel better I know were not supossed to hock products but this reallyyyyy works for me. they sell it on amazon.

Since you've been on meds for a while your liver might be over taxed... that's been the case with me in the past and when I take better care of my liver (milk thistle supplements) I notice a difference in my sleeping and my energy.

Also finding a connection to a higher power of some sort has been a great comfort to me. Be it universal energy, God, Allah, Buddha, Mary, you angels or spirit guides... Sometimes we need to reach out to a power greater than ourselves to restore our lives to balance and peace. Prayer and meditation are very important tools in my life. Sometimes just starting simple and just saying help me!! There is help and comfort there :)

Try to take it easy the more we stress out about the insomnia the worse it gets. just take a deep breathe and let yourself be guided to the solution.

Sending you good vibes!!

Dear Ted, I have severe insomnia, I have nights that I don't sleep anything and I get severe depressed with anxiety. I took many antidepressants, sleeping pills and anxiety medication over the years and nothing works. I can't work because I don't have any energy, I am very forgetful, a lot of migraines and I just can't function. I go through this everyday since I was 8 years of age and I am almost 37 years old. I spent a lot of money going to different people hoping they would help me but instead I ended up with an empty wallet. On top of everything I don't have a supportive family, they don't understand my problems and I don't think they believe me when I tell them I don't sleep, even though I have the dark circles and puffy eyes to prove it. I am the only one in my family with this and they don't understand my situation. This is a nightmare that I have to deal everyday and a lot of the times I just rather die. I also have bad circulation, severe constipation, dry eyes and leg cramps. I have been taking baking soda with water after lunch and dinner and there are no changes. I haven't taken any medication for over a year and I just take vitamins. I have tried almost every remedy there is for insomnia and nothing worked. I'll try anything you recommend. Please help me, I am suffering a lot. Thank you so much.

Paula from Canada

I am new to the site and I must say that I am impressed. I enjoy reading what real people have to say about treating their ailments, and what they treat them with. It's been educational. There is one thing that I looked for here that I didn't find was OAT STRAW TEA. I've done a lot of reading about it in other places, and even saw a segment about it on a television show. I was impressed enought that I got some to try out. It is said to be good for a number of ailments from high cholesterol to increasing your libido. I have been using it for a short time. When the coffee pot is empty (my only vice) I make up a tea bag and let it steep. I really don't know yet what it might be doing for my cholesterol, but it does seem to be aiding in a good night's sleep.

Better But With Side Effects

I am a diabetic and have tried L-Tryptophan for sleep. It works great for sleep but it raises my blood sugar. I searched for articles regarding this and found many that stated tryptophan can cause a rise in blood sugar levels. I had excellent control of blood sugar levels and started taking tryptophan. Everytime I took this supplement at night my blood sugar would be high in the morning. When I quit taking it, no problem. Such a bummer too, because the tryptophan helped me get a good night sleep without prescription sleeping meds. I am going to try GABA now and see how that works.

Castor oil has given me the best nights' (plural) sleep in a very long time!

Sheila

My husband travels a lot and does not rest well when he sleeps. I'd heard so much about how Tart Cherry Juice helps with sleep issues, so I decided to give it a try. We both had a cup one night about 2hours before bed. Wow!! What a wonderful surprise. I was awaken about 3am. He said he didn't know what was going on, but he was "in the mood". 3 orgasms for him! Needless to say, tart cherry juice is a staple in our house. I did notice I was more aroused too.

We joked about it the next morning. But, guess what. When I searched the benefits online, it did what it was supposed to do.

As for our sleep... I have noticed a deeper sleep and he's noticed less grogginess when in the morning.

Hi, I wish I could take acv, but due to candida, I feel awful when I take it, my pain increases and I feel just rotten. Is there another way to take it with out the side effects? or a substitute? Thanks, butterfly

Hi Judy, Some times we miss the things available in our own kitchen. Try a pinch of ground Nutmeg in a cup of milk before going to sleep. It works. Good Luck, Baldev

5htp and GABA supplements were sooo helpful for my insomnia. Taken in the late afternoon and right before bed. The GABA especially just knocks you out feels like a xanax and 5htp really helps quiet the worrisome thoughts.

Hello Judy from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Please google Rutavala Essential Oil. Rub it liberally on your back neck, temples, wrists (and bottom of feet) about 1/2 hr before bedtime, and you will find that it miraculously lulls you into sleep.

I generally do a sea salt bath with lavender oil for about 20 mins. Then rinse off with soap/water, and do the rutavala oil routine before turning off the lights.

I also know folks who put 2-3 drops of rutavala oil in empty 00 size capsules and drink with water (however I have not needed to try this) since liberally applying oil takes care of my 20 yrs of insomnia.

Good luck, T

I have found that valerien root, passion flower, melatonin, and 5htp all help me to get a good night sleep. You have to experiment a bit to see what is the right amount of each to take. If you have emotional issues, worry, anxiety etc that are keeping you awake I recommend doing EFT or emotional freedom techniques. You can google EFT tapping points for insomnia and get lots of info/videos.

I am having a real hard time finding something to help with my sleep problems. I have tried the magnesium, niacimide and soda with apple cider vinegar. No luck so far for myself but, amazing results for insomniac daughter. Thinking about trying 5 htp next. Any thought or suggestions would be appreciated.

I store the fresh cilantro in a plastic container in the refrigerator with water to soak and it stays fresh for about 2 weeks.

I've been plagued with insomnia for a very long time and had a little success with melatonin and 5-HTP.

However, after reading a book on controlling low blood sugar, I found a total insomnia cure. Simply have about 3/4 cup of plain yogurt or Kefir immediately before going to bed, and anytime you wake up at night. You will fall asleep easily, quickly, soundly. It's important that it's plain yogurt (either cow or goat) NOT soy, NO additives, NO fruit, and NOT just milk (all of these have natural or added sugars or lactose which will wreak havoc on your pancreas and defeat the purpose) Plain yogurt and kefir are essenitally free of lactose (milk sugar) because the probiotic bacteria have already digested this substance. Goat and Cow yogurt are both high in tryptophan , a natural precurosor to melatonin, htp, and seratonin, which are the chemicals your brain produces to cue your body to relax and sleep.

I incidentally cured my reflux with this, too. Even though you are told Not to eat at bedtime if you have reflux (gerd), I think the probiotics in my kefir snacks actually healed the lower esophogeal sphincter ( which controls the reflux)

The book I mentioned is by Richard L. Hansler, titled Great Sleep! Reducd Cancer! : A Scientific Approach to Great Sleep. It's an inexpensive book, but you can read parts of it anyway on the Amazon site. Here is a press release from 2006:

Reducing the Risk of Cancer by 50 Percent Appears Possible by Blocking Blue Light in the Evening

Blind people have half the incidence of cancer, most likely because they make melatonin 9 or 10 hours a night according to a recent study at Harvard University. The body can only make melatonin when in the dark. For most people this is 6 or 7 hours a night. It's the blue component of light that causes melatonin suppression. Glasses that block blue light worn a few hours before bedtime allow melatonin to flow for 9 or 10 hours.
University Heights, OH (PRWEB) March 8, 2006

Blind people have about half the risk of cancer as people with normal vision according to a large study by the National Health Service. The most likely reason is that they produce melatonin and other secretions from the pineal gland for 9 or 10 hours a night while the rest of us only make them for 6 or 7 hours a night. Melatonin is a powerful cancer fighter, but the body only make it when in the dark. Exposing the eyes to light shuts down the pineal gland.

But there is good news. Not all colors of light cause melatonin suppression. It's only the blue rays that cause the problem. This means that blocking the blue light from entering the eye the pineal gland can continue making melatonin.

The fact that blind people only have half the rate of cancer was first discovered in the 90s and has been confirmed by more recent studies. A related study of women who consistently sleep unusually long found that the incidence of breast cancer for women who slept nine hours or more a night was only about one fourth that of women who slept 6 or 7 hours a night. A subsequent study found that women who slept unusually long made melatonin for a similarly unusually long time.

Concern about the use of light at night began when it was found that nurses who worked night shift from time to time had a higher incidence of breast cancer. Something about disrupting the circadian rhythm of the body was causing a higher risk of cancer. Studies in animals show that continuous exposure to light accelerates the rate of growth of cancerous tumors. The mechanism is thought to be the lack of melatonin.

Last fall the results of a milestone study were published. The response of human breast cancers to blood with and without pineal secretions was studied. Breast cancers grew rapidly when exposed to blood without melatonin but only very slowly when the blood contained melatonin. Dr. Blask who led the study said that "Melatonin puts the cancer to sleep at night". Unfortunately exposing the eyes to light at night wakes up the cancer and lets it grow rapidly.

Wearing glasses that block the blue light for a few hours before going to bed lets people regain the long hours of melatonin flow that is experienced by blind people. The glasses allow the yellow, orange and red light to pass through so one can read, watch television or work on a computer with no problem. Users of the glasses also report a marked improvement in sleep, which supports the idea that more melatonin is being produced. This minor change in life style could cut cancer risk in half.

You should also avoid the bright light from cell phones.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/May/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

Hi all you unwilling Night-Owls: I came across some life-saving information on the benefits of blocking the blue part of the light spectrum before bedtime. Please look at the 3 links below, since they explain this better than I can. Note that blue light is emitted from all light bulbs, and most especially florescent and energy-saver bulbs, as well as from computer monitors and TV screens. You can wear special glasses that block these blue waves for a few hours before bed time. The first link is an inexpensive book, and you can read portions of it on the Amazon site. The author claims that blocking blue-spectrum light waves before sleep also slashes cancer risk by half, since blue light waves diminish melatonin, and melatonin is cancer-protective. Keep in mind that if you suffer from Seasonal-Affective disorder, you WANT the blue light waves. However, confine the blue light waves to your DAY hours, since getting them in the night hours can ruin your sleep, and thus contribute to depression.

Also keep in mind that taking melatonin as a SUPPLEMENT, I mean in pill or capsule form, can bring on depression. So if you have a depression issue, I recommend getting your melatonin (and good sleep) by blocking blue light waves at night, instead of by taking melatonin supplements. You can find online a lot more information about all this. Pleasant dreams!

Steven, by another of those "cosmic connections" I, only minutes ago, recommended both Glutamine and Taurine to V to help mental function as well as sleep. Anyway, if you wish to increase your dream awareness during sleep, try any otc herbal sleep aid combination that includes at least Valerian and Passionflower. If this doesn't much good, try some Calea and Lucid Dream inducing music or any meditation/relaxation music (many of which found on YouTube). In addition to Melatonin, i've recently had real good results w/ 5HTP before retiring.

UPDATE: I found the last ingredient that is allowing me to sleep solidly throught the night with no awakenings - L-glutamine (1/4 tsp[1 gm] in the morning)! It has been working for two weeks now. The only catch is I guess I'm sleeping so soundly I have no recall of dreams anymore. Taurine and Theanine seemed to increase dream recall for awhile. I reduced my dose of b-12 also which I believe was contributing to an increase of dream recall, so that is something to play around with, but for now I'm happy with solid sleep so I can live during the day instead of dreams.

After three years of crippling insomina and trying every remedy under the sun (supplements and drugs) I finally found relief with a combination of taurine and theanine. I'm still not a champion sleeper with actual energy, but I don't feel like I'm dying everyday. I am able to fall asleep fairly promptly, and now when I wake up in the middle of the night I actually return to solid sleep and not fragmented. I still could use more sleep in the morning if if it weren't for having to go to work, but I can actually catch successful naps at lunchtime now too, just from the one dose at night time. The one catch is after about a month I was having insomnia again for a week and I had to increase the theanine dose from 100mg at night to 200mg, and it did work. Which is the recommended dose anyway, but I hope I don't have to keep increasing. But at least I know for a fact the theanine is helping. I've never taken the taurine on its own (500mg), so I'm not being a good scientist, can't say for certainty that helps, but other have recommeded this combo, and it's working for me.

I have trouble sleeping, I have been watching Dr. Oz and talking about belly fat blasters so have been taking safflower for that. My husband and I both were taking them in the morning and I was falling back asleep and he was getting super sleepy during his drive to work. We left the safflower out because I had remembered reading somewhere that safflower can be beneficial for insomnia, so we stopped taking in the the morning and were fine. Now I take them at night and works way better than melatonin!

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.

Re: Nightmares, sleeplessness. In the book, FOOD AND THE GUT REACTION, page 11 tells us that milk/dairy products can cause terrible nightmares or night terrors. This was the case with our son, as a teenager. A chance conversation alerted us to this information, and his nightmares stopped immediately. Good luck.