Insomnia
Updated Aug. 16th, 2019
Insomnia is a condition of habitual sleeplessness that affects approximately one in ten individuals and becomes more common as we age. It can involve either the inability to fall asleep, or the inability to stay asleep, or both.
Causes of Insomnia
Many factors can affect whether or not you are able to get to sleep deeply and soundly on any given night.
Some causes of insomnia include: use of stimulants like caffeine or nicotine, evening eating, evening exercise, shift work, an uncomfortable sleep environment, a weak bladder, and mental-emotional causes, such as worry, grief or stress. Stress can have a large impact on your ability to relax and subsequently get to sleep. Chronic neurotransmitter deficiencies can make it difficult to get to sleep no matter how well you arrange all other factors, and nutritional deficiencies can reduce your body's ability to produce these important brain messengers. Chronic insomnia is usually caused by a medical condition such as: hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, restless leg syndrome, arthritis, indigestion or breathing disorders like sleep apnea. Half of all chronic insomniacs suffer from depression or another psychological disorder.
Nutritional Support
Nutritional support for insomnia should include supplements to address each of the potential causes of insomnia including: stress reduction, optimizing neurotransmitter production, and addressing potential sleep disorders. See our article on sleep for more information on sleep disorders.
Stress reduction can be supported with a number of effective and safe nutritional supplements and herbs. A foundation for any stress reduction program should always include nutritional and herbal support for your adrenal glands. Use a combination of B complex and vitamin C along with a herbal adrenal formula that includes Siberian ginseng, licorice, and ashwaghanda or rhodiola. Most people notice that this combination helps to take the "edge" off of their stress. For more information on reducing stress, please click here.
Optimizing neurotransmitter production is crucial, as these are the chemical messengers that tell your brain when it's time to go to sleep. Melatonin is a neurohormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Often used for jet lag, this supplement helps to "reset" your sleep cycle when it has been disrupted by travel or irregular sleeping.
The amino acid 5HTP is the direct precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is partly responsible for sound sleep, healthy mood and for feeling calm and happy. The herb St. John's wort can also help to elevate neurotransmitter levels and reduce anxiety and nervousness. Please note that none of these supplements should be taken with prescription antidepressants.
Conventional Treatment
Conventional treatment of insomnia involves sedative or tranquilizing medication. Sedatives make insomnia worse because they induce a sleep that lacks normal REM patterning. They also are psychologically and physically addicting and can increase the risk of certain sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea. Tranquilizer side effects include: confusion, sluggishness, restlessness, anxiety and dependency. Over the counter sleep medications have side effects such as agitation, confusion, depression, dry mouth and a worsening of prostate conditions. Overall, individuals on sleep medications are 50% more likely to die in accidents than those who are not on such medications.
Sleep Hygiene
Maintaining regular sleeping habits is an essential component of healthy sleep. Go to bed only when you are tired and do not stay in bed if you are not sleepy. Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex. Get up at the same time each day. Do not nap unless it is a daily routine, and exercise during the day but not before bed. Take a hot bath or shower 1-2 hours before bed. Keep the bedroom quiet and comfortable. If necessary, use a white noise machine to generate background noise to overcome any ambient noise present in your home. Put worries out of your mind and focus your thinking on positive things.
Eating for Sleep
Nutritional considerations for insomnia are as follows. Eat foods containing tryptophan at dinner and for a bedtime snack, such as: warm milk, bananas, dates, figs, nut butter, tuna, turkey and yogurt. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which induces sleep and prevents waking. Avoid taking stimulants, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, heavy meals and cold/flu medications in the evening. Try lettuce juice with lemon for a sleep inducing drink, as it contains an opium-like substance and an anti-cramping agent.
Important Information
Insomnia is a frustrating and trying condition that can often leave sufferers feeling hopeless and without the restorative time needed to approach their problem productively. If you, or someone you know is overwhelmed with insomnia, reach out to local support programs or a healthcare practitioner to help you get back on the road to health.
I've suffered from insomnia off and on for years. I thought I had tried everything but I now really want to try the lettuce and lemon juice. I totally agree with the whole sleep hygiene as I've found this to be very helpful for me - actually the most helpful so far. Now if I can only stop the late night snacking - mostly on chips. I definitely agree with this article that eating too late makes for a bad sleep.
I’ve had insomnia due to PTSD and have struggled in finding the right solution for me. This article concisely covers the basics of what to work on to improve your sleep! It turned out that personally, it was more about addressing the underlying anxiety during the waking hours that helped greatly with improving my sleep.
Specifically, drinking teas has helped me a lot. Green tea in the afternoon (and never past suppertime as it keeps me up..). Also, herbal teas like passionflower and valerian for after supper. Chamomille too but I’m not a huge fan of the taste so I prefer the blended teas that include passionflower.
I’ve also found magnesium supplements like Relax MG help, especially with restlessness.
Hello Andria,
It's excellent to hear stories like yours and how our articles have helped you learn how to care for your health and supports any health concerns or issues you're having. After all, that's why we work so hard on providing these articles. Teas, sleep hygiene, supporting cognitive health, stress, anxiety and overwhelm as well as taking relaxing supplements, like magnesium can definitely make for a winning bedtime routine. Green tea in the afternoon is great, as theanine supports cognitive health very well. Glad you found protocols to help you get a more restful nights sleep.
Have a healthy day!
This article is super helpful! I have chronic and severe insomnia. I use melatonin and 5HTP on and off but there are so many other tips here for me to try out. Looking forward to trying them and sleeping better. Thank you!
Hello Amy,
We're happy you found our article and hope some of these tips help you. There's nothing worse than not getting a quality nights sleep. Magnesium, like Relax MG, can also be helpful with falling asleep as well as taking inventory on your sleep hygiene.
Happy sleeping & stay well!
This is a great article. I have tried so many remedies for insomnia. I have taken valerian and melatonin and although these do help, it is limited. I have stopped caffeine and liquids after 6 pm along with taking magnesium. I will follow the tips in this article.
Hello Roger,
Sleep hygiene is very important and often overlooked. Magnesium, especially RelaxMG formula, is a great supplement to support a good nights rest, as is stopping caffeine and even electronics usage at a certain point in the night too. Consider a nightitme yoga or meditation as well. Hope these other tips help!
Happy sleeping.
I tried the melatonin after being told that perhaps my levels might be low. I have always had a lot of difficulty falling asleep, and if I happen to wake up for any reason, it is hard to fall back to sleep. The melatonin really helps and is a very cost effective way to help improve sleep.
Hello, Denise,
Thank you for sharing your experience with melatonin and how much it helped you with your sleep difficulties. Happy to hear that you're sleeping better now with the help of a natural remedy. If you'd like to learn more about melatonin check out our other article:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/supplements/meltatonin/
Have a healthy day!