Insomnia

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Supplements for Insomnia

Clatterbuck (Maryland) on 02/24/2024
5 out of 5 stars

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.

REPLY   4      

Iron Improved Sleep

Ted (Melbourne ) on 02/20/2024
5 out of 5 stars

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!
REPLY   5      

Avoid Sugar for Insomnia

brad (Ontario) on 11/09/2023
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   2      



Taurine and L-Glutamine for Insomnia

Raphael (TX) on 10/31/2023
5 out of 5 stars

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.

REPLY   6      

Inositol for Insomnia

Gary (Oregon, US) on 04/05/2015
5 out of 5 stars

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.

REPLY   8      

Sleep Issues Solved by Spinach Powder

Clatterbuck (Beltsville, Md) on 04/01/2023
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   4      

Papaya for Better Sleep

Clatterbuck (Beltsville, Md) on 03/22/2023
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   2      

Thyme Essential Oil for Insomnia

Brad (Ontario) on 01/23/2023
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   4      

St Johns Wort for Insomnia

Brad (Ontario) on 12/08/2022
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   2      

Cannabis Tea for Insomnia

Brad (Ontario) on 11/26/2022
5 out of 5 stars

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.
REPLY   2      

High Vitamin D Can Cause Insomnia

Mister (EUSSR) on 11/18/2022
0 out of 5 stars

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

Bone Broth for Insomnia

Maureen (MD) on 11/13/2022
5 out of 5 stars

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.

REPLY   4      

Vitamin B Complex for Stress and Insomnia

Brad (Cobourg, Ontario) on 11/02/2022
5 out of 5 stars

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.

REPLY   4      

Melatonin for Insomnia

RB (Somewhere in Europe) on 09/07/2022
1 out of 5 stars

On the positive side, for insomnia, I can always rely on Melatonin, or its precursors (5-HTP and or L-Tryptophan), for one day, and one day only, on day 1.

However, on the negative side, when, on day 2, I attempt to use the same supplement at the same dose, I have insomnia on day 2. Then when, on day 3, I double my initial dose, then it works for me again, but only on day 3. It does not work for me on day 4. On day 4 I have insomnia again. Then when, on day 5, I quadruple my initial dose, then it works for me again, but only on day 5. On day 6, I have insomnia again, because my quadrupled initial dose is not high enough for me on day 6. Now, this kind of inconsistent and erratic performance motivates me to dump my supply of Melatonin, 5-HTP and L-Tryptophan, and start taking something else (for insomnia). Because, as to Melatonin and or its precursors, it is a tremendous challenge for me to try to determine what the proper dose should be for me.

All in all, based on the many books that have been written about Melatonin, I find it amazing how overrated and overpraised Melatonin is, when in reality Melatonin and its precursors perform unreliably and inconsistently.

REPLY   6      

Dried Figs for Insomnia

Junebug (East Earl, PA) on 05/31/2022
5 out of 5 stars

I have noticed that my trouble sleeping vanished when I started snacking on dried figs (maybe about a cup a day). An eye twitch that I had been suffering with for over a year also disappeared. I noticed the improvement less than a week after starting to eat the figs. I skipped one day, and that night the sleeplessness returned. I resumed eating figs the next day and my sleep improved. It’s been about a month now and I am so impressed by the results! I have read that figs are a good source of various vitamins and minerals, so I think it might be the combination that works for me. I had tried eliminating caffeine and taking magnesium supplements with no effect. I also tried mag-rich foods like hemp and pumpkin seeds with no effect. Potassium-rich bananas and avocados never helped me either.
REPLY   3      

Insomnia a Sign of Your Liver and Kidney Detoxing

Faith (Unalaska) on 03/30/2022
5 out of 5 stars

For Insomnia and waking up at 2-3AM in the morning thats the liver and kidneys trying to detox.
REPLY   2      

Calcium as a Sleep Aid

Connie (Utah) on 03/16/2022
5 out of 5 stars

Agree on Calcium as top sleep aid. I believe I've tried it all, including medications, but especially nutrition.

It seems obvious now, but I'd always tried calcium with other supplements.

I've gone so long with this deficiency, that I need calcium chelate without co-factors. It's something genetic because family members had other signs, such as heart arrhythmias, anxiety, so on. I'm taking a lot so I think it's an individualized thing.

REPLY   2      

Multiple Remedies for Insomnia Cause RLS!

lucy (nashville, tn) on 03/14/2022
0 out of 5 stars

some of the herbal remedies for sleep all make my legs so restless!! I've tried valerian, hops, 5http, chamomile, melatonin, and some antihistamines. jump like frog legs, I am so tired..
REPLY         

Zinc for Better Sleep

KS (IL) on 02/04/2022
5 out of 5 stars

I starting adding 30mg of zinc for Covid prevention, besides D3. Couple of weeks later I realized I had been sleeping much better; deeper, remembering dreams, less frequently getting up and only in the first couple of hours. (I take meds with a lot of water before bedtime.) And the zinc was the only new addition. After a little research I found out that yes, indeed, zinc does help with sleep disorders.
REPLY   6      

D3 for Insomnia

Kathi (New Brunswick, NJ) on 02/07/2009
5 out of 5 stars

I developed severe insomnia last winter (nov 07) and went through quite a trial for months, with none of the many things I tried helping much except some tips on how to improve sleep habits through cognitive behavioral therapy. I was doing better May-Oct 08 then all of a sudden the same severe insomnia symptom was back in full force. Last month I decided to try vitamin D3 2000 IU/day, after reading so many recent articles about the importance of this sunshine vitamin. I chose tablets with D3 source from lanolin, since I am allergic to fish. Within a week I was sleeping soundly at night, and I am continuing to sleep well. In retrospect, it is likely that I became more susceptible to vit. D deficiency after I became lactose intolerant and stopped drinking milk.
REPLY   2