Homeopathy for insomnia

You'll feel better after a good nights sleep.  Isn't that what they say?  But what if the sleep doesn't come?
Most of us will have had the odd sleepless night here and there for whatever reason, but for some others this is their normal.  Only it isn't normal.  
 
The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best.  So what happens if we're only getting 3-5 hours sleep per night?  Well......
- your immune system becomes compromised, resulting in more frequent illness. 
- your heart health is affected leaving you with a greater risk of heart attack or stroke
- your cancer risk increases
- you have brain fog and poor memory 
- your libido may become lowered or disappear altogether 
- you gain weight
- your diabetes risk increases 
- you may become accident prone 
- your skin suffers
Not a pretty picture.  
 
So, what can you do to overcome insomnia?  There are some simple things you can do to help yourself.  
- stick to a bedtime routine.  Find a time and a ritual that suits you and follow that nightly.  This will help your body and mind to wind down. 
- take regular exercise
- get plenty of natural light exposure throughout the day
- practice some mindfulness or meditation before bed
- limit screen time before bed
- keep your bedroom a tech free /low tech zone
 
All these things will certainly help to improve your sleep, but they may not address the underlying issue.  Many of us find it difficult to switch off at night and find ourselves overthinking when we should be sleeping.  This is where homeopathy steps in. 
 
The absolute best remedy to help you in overcoming chronic insomnia is what we call your constitutional remedy.  This is the remedy that is best suited to you as a whole person, mind, body and spirit.  To do this your homeopath will consult with you about all your symptoms, likes, dislikes, who you are as a person. They will then give you the remedy most suitable for you.  
 
But there are a few remedies that you can try yourself at home to help. 
 

• Coffea cruda - Drinking coffee causes a wakeful, somewhat excited state, and homeopathically prepared coffee is indicated for persons in just that same state.  This state is sometimes caused by joy, pleasurable excitement, or sudden happy surprises as well as by unexpected bad news. Such a state may also be found in those who drink too much wine or in those over-fatigued from long journeys. When the person lies down to attempt to sleep, the mind is simply awake with a flow of ideas.
• Nux vomica - In the classic Nux vomica type of insomnia, the patient can often fall asleep early, but awakens at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. with great mental activity or worries. When the time to rise rolls around, the patient finally feels able to sleep but instead must get up in a tired, irritable state. This type of acute insomnia is commonly brought on by the overuse of drugs and/or stimulants including alcohol, coffee, and wine, or by overwork or excess studying.

 

• Aconite - The patient needing Aconite is restless and excited with an anguished kind of fear. Such a state often comes on in the early stages of a sudden acute illness, often after a chill. But this state may also be caused by a shock or fright, such as a serious accident, natural disaster, or operation.

 

• Chamomilla - Those needing Chamomilla are usually in an irritable, uncivil state. They are often frantic with pain or irritability and say they "cannot stand it." They may have the peculiar symptom of being drowsy during the day, but unable to sleep in spite of sleepiness. This irritability is often found in teething infants who insist on being carried, or in adults who will walk the floor.

 

• Arnica - Those needing this remedy for insomnia have often been in a recent accident or had recent exertion and strain. Such a state is known to travellers as "jet lag." Many of my patients routinely use Arnica for jet lag with great success. The patient is overtired but cannot sleep and may feel bruised, or the bed may feel too hard. Remember Arnica for those who have nightmares of the accidents or the injuries that they have suffered.

 

• Cocculus - Those needing this remedy are sleepless from exhaustion. This often comes on from loss of sleep associated with night watching or nursing ill persons. Their sleep may be interrupted by waking and starting. Patients needing this remedy are often emotionally sensitive, easily offended, and intolerant of contradiction, or they may be extremely sad.  Motion sickness is a symptom often seen in those who will respond to this remedy.

 

• Gelsemium - Those needing this remedy for insomnia are often dull and drowsy, maybe even trembling. Yet they cannot get fully to sleep; their bodies are still and they may appear asleep from the outside, but they are on the edge of sleep internally. Sometimes they start on falling asleep. When finally asleep they may have restless sleep or a stupid, heavy sleep. Or, conversely, they may have a sort of nervous irritation, much like the Coffea patient, that comes on from anticipation of an upcoming event.

 
If you would like to talk further about your insomnia please feel free to get in touch Contact Solas Homeopathy