Insomnia

Not being able to sleep at night drives you mad, makes you very tired, snappy and fed up. Sleep is crucial to us as it is the time when the body repairs and gathers energy.

Insomnia can be caused by several things. There are 2 types: the type when you can't get off and the type when you get off but wake early or several times during the night.

First, do the obvious, like stop drinking coffee, eating sugary or white foods after about 3pm. It is important to eat healthily, avoiding stimulant foods and drinks such as tea, coffee, sugar, fizzy drinks, white bread etc and eat lots of wholegrains, oily fish and vegetables. 

Build yourself a ritual that relaxes you before bed; some people have a relaxing bath, a chamomile tea and read a bit of a soothing book. Watching a stimulating drama on TV or reading a horror novel won't help!

If you are waking most nights between 3am and 5am, it is normally a blood sugar problem. We can advise you on how to deal with this simply.  It works for most sufferers.

If the problem is not getting off, a hypnotherapy tape can often help, supplemented with a couple of sessions of hypnotherapy to retrain your mind to shut up!

If the problem is tension or anxiety, we can offer an excellent homeopathic remedy called Valerianheel which acts like a mallet in a bottle. Check out homeopathic remedies here.

If pain or problems such as depression, hot flushes or restless legs are stopping you sleeping, please talk to us about how we can help.

Often the problem is related to your magnesium and calcium balance and taking extra magnesium along with 5HTP and B6 can help.

Also, check if any medication you are taking may be causing the problem - look at the side effects list and talk to your GP.

Important

Remember - always check out with your health practitioner or GP before starting anything new especially if you are taking any other medicines, are pregnant or trying to conceive or have high blood pressure. See here for more advice on interactions with meds and general cautions.