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Insomnia and Natural Supplement Remedies

Sleep is one of the body’s basic requirements. At some point in their lives, most people have gotten too little sleep and felt the effects the following day. But what happens when you miss sleep on a daily basis? If you’re someone that can never seem to get to sleep at night or can’t stay asleep for the requisite 7-9 hours, you may have insomnia. Insomnia and the resulting sleep deprivation are growing conditions in our modern society. The tricky thing about insomnia, however, is that it’s not a single problem. Each case of insomnia can have its own unique set of causes.

What Can Cause Insomnia?

Even though it can be caused by a number of factors, there are some common causes. They can be grouped into 3 general categories.

Psychological Causes: Stress, anxiety, depression or recent trauma can all keep your mind in a space that’s not conducive to sleep. These are often the most common causes. The mind can start racing at night when all the lights are off and there’s no stimuli fighting for our attention.

Medical Causes: Many medical conditions can cause insomnia. These can include, but aren’t limited to respiratory problems like allergies and asthma, neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, or chronic pain from an injury.

Environmental Causes: These are often the most preventable and include inconsistent sleep habits, late night computer or TV viewing or working “graveyard” shifts. Something as simple as having a poorly designed sleep environment can cause insomnia too. A room that’s too bright, noisy or uncomfortable can prevent you from fully settling.

The Dangers of Sleep Drugs

sleep drug dangers Big pharmaceutical companies are constantly pushing ads for drugs like Ambien and Lunesta to help treat insomnia. Of couse, there are drawbacks to using drugs this strong. The nightmares people report from Ambien, the number one sleep aid, are very real. On the FDA’s Ambien medication guide the warning states:

“After taking AMBIEN, you may get up out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning, you may not remember that you did anything during the night. Reported activities include: driving a car (“sleep-driving”), making and eating food, talking on the phone, having sex, sleep-walking”

Clearly there’s a case to avoid strong sleep-inducing drugs.

Treat Insomnia Naturally

So, how can you combat insomnia without worrying about waking up in a McDonald’s drive-thru? The process starts by analyzing your environment. Is your room dark and quiet? Is your bed comfortable? Make sure you’re not watching TV or using the computer too close to bed time. After you’ve addressed these issues, the next step is to look into some supplements to help you fall asleep faster and get natural, sustained, restful sleep.

Supplements to Treat Insomnia

L-theanine: This supplement has fantastic benefits for both day and night users. The same effects that help improve a calm state while awake and combat stress can also help ease the mind and body before bed. A placebo-controlled Japanese study showed a 70% improvement in a number of sleep quality factors after using l-theanine.
Choline: Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that has significantly higher production during REM cycles. Inadequate levels of acetylcholine have been linked to sleep deprivation in multiple studies. Taking choline before bed can help ensure you’re getting the right amount of acetylcholine production during the night.
GABA: GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that has been directly linked to insomnia. In general, it works by slowing down certain parts of the brain at the right time so when levels are low, the brain will keep working just as it was during the waking state and it’s harder to fall asleep and get the right amount of deep sleep required to fully recover.
Melatonin: Melatonin, a hormone naturally produced in the body, is nature’s sleep regulator. At night, undisturbed by outside light sources like TV, Computers, Phones, Lamps, etc the body raises melatonin production and you get sleepy. Obviously, this can become problematic in the modern world where people are glued to a screen all the time. Without natural light signals, the body doesn’t fully know when to “shut down” and technically thinks it’s still daytime. Melatonin supplements before bed can help offset this and kickstart the sleep process.

Each of these supplements can be an effective weapon against insomnia. What’s even more important is that they can each be used safely and won’t leave you feeling hungover or groggy the next day. If a proper supplementation regime is combined with proper sleep habits, stress management, and nutrition and exercise, most common insomnia cases would likely be eliminated.

Sources

Run Ragged at Work or School? Tips to Improve your Sleep!

Lack of sleep or insomnia can be caused by a number of factors and have drastic effects on energy, mood, health, and general ability to perform tasks during the day. Between work, school, and a social life, it is next to impossible to find time to wind down and relax. And what little sleep you actually can get is often not very restful. Luckily, there are some supplements that can help improve your sleep and keep you in fighting shape.

Continue reading “Run Ragged at Work or School? Tips to Improve your Sleep!”

Easy Mood Fixes

Anyone who is suffering from a poor mood knows that it cannot be beaten simply from sheer willpower. To solve this mood problem, you could use some mood boosters, or some interesting tricks and techniques. These techniques become like a positive feedback loop, making it easier to continue improving one’s mood and outlook on things.

Change Your Focus:

Find something that you do on a regular basis and then just simply change your focus. A good example is going on a run or walk. Instead of allowing your mind to wander and think about problems, stresses, and other issues, focus on some task. This focus could be as simple as listening to the sound made by your feet as they hit the pavement. Or, count the number of people you pass. The idea to focus the mind on something not related to problems. It is called mindful engagement and can work wonders for improving the mood.

Continue reading “Easy Mood Fixes”

Critical Sleep Mistakes to Avoid

Sleeping seems to be on everyone’s mind right now. Unfortunately, current research published by The American Journal of Human Biology suggests that many people are committing a number of critical mistakes before or even during their sleep that can lead to sometimes harmful effects. Not only do you need to make sure to get enough sleep, but also to make sure that it is effective since the sleep process is critical for processing sugar, muscle growth and repair, healthy blood pressure levels, and much more. Be sure that you are not committing any of these sleep mistakes.

Raising Body Temperature:

In order to get to sleep most effectively, the internal body temperature must drop slightly. Unfortunately, many people engage in practices that can have the opposite effect. For example, taking a hot shower before going to sleep could mean that it takes a good 2 hours to fall asleep. Also, you should avoid working out or doing strenuous physical activity for at least 3 or 4 hours before sleeping. This waiting period is due to the fact that it can take a long time to cool down from exercise.
Continue reading “Critical Sleep Mistakes to Avoid”

Top 3 Supplements for Better Sleep and Relaxation

Sleep is becoming more of an issue for an increasing number of Americans these days. This problem is likely due to higher levels of stress at home and work, tougher economic conditions, lack of proper diet (who has the time anymore?), and many other factors seemingly beyond the scope of our control. Would you be surprised to learn that there are a number of all-natural supplements that can help lead to improved sleep and relaxation? How about if some of these supplements could even aid in reducing levels of stress? The top three picks for these benefits are discussed below. Continue reading “Top 3 Supplements for Better Sleep and Relaxation”

DMAE Benefits and Dosage for Better Sleep

DMAE is a naturally occurring brain compound that has also been made into a supplement form. This supplement has a number of different uses and benefits, with many users reporting it to be one of the best things they have ever tried. There is evidence suggesting that it can help everything from your mood to how much mental energy you feel. Sleep is also a big issue today. It seems as if too many people are not able to get enough sleep, fall asleep quickly enough, or stay asleep and wake feeling rested. Well, DMAE may just be an interesting solution to these problems. But wait, there’s more!

GABA + Glucosamine Plus to Soothe Pain for Better Relaxation

Introduction:

Sadly, too many people suffer from pain these days. This suffering is perhaps related to the fact that we are leading much busier and over-stressed lives where it seems that we have barely enough time to do all that we must and never enough to do what we should. This business can also lead to a higher level of nervousness and an inability to relax. When both of these problems are combined together it can be very difficult to eliminate pain if you cannot effectively relax. The answer to this problem may just be the combination of GABA and Glucosamine Plus. Continue reading “GABA + Glucosamine Plus to Soothe Pain for Better Relaxation”

Does Modafinil Disrupt Sleep?

Overview:

Modafinil is in a class of supplements known as eugeroics. Modafinil is actually a chemical stimulant, although its specific mode of action is not entirely understood. Even though it does not appear to work in a similar fashion to caffeine, there is a big interest in this supplement from those who are having sleep problems since it can be useful for staying awake and alert. Of course, this also raises the question as to whether or not Modafinil actually disrupts sleep.

Why Modafinil Is Used:

The main and stated clinical use of this supplement is for helping with narcolepsy. However, many people use Modafinil for a number of sleep problems and issues. People with sleep apnea who are using continuous positive airway pressure therapy to deal with sleep apnea will wake up and not feel rested on a regular basis. The thought is that this supplement can help. Also, people who work night shifts sometimes find it helpful to use such a supplement in an effort to stay awake. Continue reading “Does Modafinil Disrupt Sleep?”

Galantamine Supplements for Better Sleep

Overview:

Galantamine is a powerful and effective nootropic supplement. It has been consistently used to help improve memory and overall cognitive function. Beyond these effects, however, more and more users are considering this supplement for its positive sleep effects.

Galantamine:

Galantamine is extracted from the flowers of the Galanthus Caucasius plant or synthetically created. Either way, thissupplement is believed to work by inhibiting the Acetylcholinesterase system within the brain. Essentially, this inhibiting tends to increase the level of key neurotransmitters within the brain. These neurotransmitters are highly involved in a number of memory, learning, and other key cognitive processes.

Sleep Better with a Galantamine Supplement:

Galantamine’s method of action is considered to be inhibitory, so it limits the number of neurons which are firing within the brain. This limitation also induces a feeling of relaxation and possibly even overall wellbeing in certain situations. Both of these effects ultimately lead to a person being able to better relax and fall asleep. Once asleep, you will be much more likely to remain asleep for the entire night and have restful and fulfilling sleep.

Galantamine for Lucid Dreaming:

Another interesting effect of Galantamine is the inducement of what are known as lucid dreams. A lucid dream is a type of dream where the dreamer actually realizes that he is dreaming and is able to control the process. The entire experience becomes very vivid and alive. This is actually the most popular supplement used to help promote this type of dreaming.

The reason why Galantamine works for lucid dreaming is because it inhibits the breakdown of Acetylcholine, which is primarily responsible for promoting REM sleep. Taking Galantamine actually leads to longer and more intense REM sleep, which is the stage in which dreaming occurs. Of course, in order to do this properly, the supplement must be taken mid-way through the night, usually after an initial 4 hours or so of deep sleep.

Galantamine Side Effects:

This supplement is generally tolerated. However, on occasion there may be some mild side effects. These effects usually include intestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. These are normally only seen in high doses. Typical fixes include reducing the dosage to the recommended level or discontinuation for a few days.

Galantamine Supplement Dosage:

There really is no recommended dose at this point. Some people will respond to as little as 4mg every other day. As always, start with a lower dose and only increase as needed.

A Review of the Benefits of Sleep Aid RX

Are you suffering from poor sleeping patterns? This could be due to a number of reasons including too much stress, poor diet, not enough exercise, or a number of other factors. Even if someone is experiencing a fair amount of anxiety, this can certainly affect sleep. Many people these days also have difficulty ‘unwinding’ or a relaxing after a long day, which means they do not get as much sleep as they need. Sleep Aid RX may be an all-natural solution to help you relax and sleep better.

What is Included in Sleep Aid RX?

Sleep Aid RX is a proprietary formulation of all-natural ingredients. These include Lemon Balm, Passion Flower, Melatonin, Valerian Root, and GABA. Each of these substances by themselves has been shown to have some excellent sleep aid properties. Taken together there is some evidence to suggest that it might have a synergistic effect, acting stronger together than they would individually.

Lemon Balm Benefits

Lemon Balm has been used medicinally for over 2,000 years, going all the way back to the ancient Greeks. It is believed to help soothe tension and even may have some effects on symptoms normally associated with mood disorders. In some parts of the world, notably Europe, it has been used as for anxiety and insomnia. There is evidence to suggest that it helps people relax, fall asleep faster, and ease sleep disorders.

Passion Flower

This substance is a plant native to the southeast and midwestern portions of North America. It has been used as a folk remedy to help alleviate anxiety for a number of years. There are also some studies which indicate the flower might also have aphrodisiac properties. Users do report that this supplement has helped reduce their restlessness, anxiety, and nervousness. An unexpected additional benefit is that Passion Flower also seems to have mild anti-cough properties. This would almost certainly help someone who was experiencing sleep problems and a mild cold at the same time.

Melatonin Benefits

As a precursor to the powerful hormone serotonin Melatonin is one of the most common sleep aid supplements. There is a lot of scientific research indicating that it helps to reduce anxiety and can exert a calming effect on the body. It is also believed helpful in restoring balance to the natural circadian rhythms, which will benefit those people who have irregular schedules and are often needing to be awake at night.

Valerian Root

This is an interesting ingredient that actually helps out all of the others. For starters, it is believed to increase the level of circulating GABA, helping the brain to sort of ‘turn off’ and relax. Additionally, it will not cause grogginess in the morning.

This product should be considered by anyone with sleep issues. Given all of the powerful (yet still natural) ingredients, Sleep Aid RX has the very real potential to give you back the ability to get a good night’s sleep once again.