(12-03-13) How to overcome insomnia without prescription drugs

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Are the worries of life keeping you up at night? Do you have
trouble unwinding at the end of the day, and end up staring at the television
or ceiling for hours trying to fall asleep? If getting normal rest is
troublesome for you, there is hope apart from having to pop a sleeping pill
every night just to get some shut-eye. Here are some helpful tips for
overcoming insomnia without the use of prescription drugs:

1) Avoid processed foods You are probably starting to notice a pattern with
many of our papers on conquering illness -- changing your diet is the key to
vibrant health. So much of the food people eat today contains high amounts of
refined sugar, processed flours, chemical flavor enhancers, food colorings, and
shelf-stable oils and preservatives that the average person simply is not
getting the nutrients he or she needs to achieve systemic equilibrium. Refined
sugar and other simple carbohydrates, for instance, are very quickly absorbed
into the bloodstream where they tend to overstimulate the body and interfere
with normal sleeping patterns.

According to Dr. Michael Murray, N.D., artificial food colorings may also be
to blame, as these chemical compounds trigger a stimulant response that can put
your body into "fight or flight" mode, where adrenaline, also known as
cortisol, and other hormones are released in excess, signaling to your body
that it is time to be awake and alert. Cutting processed foods out of your
diet, particularly from the time between when the sun goes down and when you go
to bed, can help promote restfulness and calm in preparation for sleep (http:
//doctormurray.com).

2) Fortify your diet with whole fruits and vegetables, 'superfoods'. Since
cutting out certain foods from your diet leaves an even greater nutritional
void, it is important to replace these foods with more appropriate ones. In the
case of frequent insomnia, organically-grown whole fruits and vegetables are an
important addition to your diet as most varieties promote alkalinity and
inhibit the feeding of candida and other harmful yeasts that can actually be a
cause of insomnia-producing anxiety for some people. Many people have reported
success overcoming insomnia by switching to a completely alkaline-forming diet,
at least for a few days (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Along with this, consuming high-density "green" supplements and powders like
BOKU Superfood and Amazing Grass can help level out your nervous system and
feed your body concentrated doses of not only "superfood" fruits and
vegetables, but also a diverse array of probiotics, microalgae, and other foods
of which you are likely not eating enough, or perhaps not eating at all.
Juicing fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in the morning and mixing in some
green superfood powder is a great way to start your day on the right foot so
you will feel ready to sleep once nighttime arrives (http://www.naturalnews.
com/022753_food_superfood_taste.html).

3) Turn off all your electronic gadgets a few hours before going to bed. In
order for your body to know that it is the appropriate time to begin producing
sleep hormones like melatonin, light sources must be kept off or at least very
dimly lit in the few hours prior to bedtime. The constant glow that comes from
looking at your television, computer, tablet, and mobile phone screens
basically signals to your brain that it is still daytime, which inhibits the
normal production of sleep hormones that calm your brain and induce
restfulness.

"We all suffer from light pollution -- we have lights on 24/7, which keeps our
brains chronically aroused," says Rubin Naiman, a clinical assistant professor
of medicine at the University of Arizona's Program in Integrative Medicine, and
sleep director at the Miraval Resort in Tucson, Arizona, about how excess light
can create insomnia. "Most people don't recognize how essential darkness is for
a sound night's sleep" (http://www.msnbc.msn.com).

4) Exercise daily to exert energy. Another common cause of insomnia is lack of
physical exercise, which creates natural sleepiness in your body after a long
day. Many people sit in fluorescent-lit cubicles for most of the day, and come
home and spend more sedentary time on the couch watching television. By
engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every day, even if
this means just going for a quick walk around the neighborhood, or lifting
weights and exerting your muscles, especially if you are a man, you will
naturally fatigue your body to the point that sleep will come much more easily
at the end of the day.

"The body must exert energy to get physically tired," says James Maas, a
professor of psychology at Cornell University, and author of the book Power
Sleep. And this energy exertion, numerous studies have shown, actually works
better than benzodiazepines and other types of sleeping pills at inducing sleep
and improving sleep quality.

For more helpful sleeping tips, check out the links below.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.msnbc.msn.com

http://doctormurray.com

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.