Have you ever experienced waking in the night and unable to go back to sleep for hours because your brain is going a thousand miles an hour? You toss and turn, get your list together, work out all the concerns, get up and get a drink of water, stair at the ceiling and even count sheep. Maybe you just lay there possibly listening to your partner snore and your thinking......"Am I the only person in the world awake right now? I hate that. I have to confess that this scenario has been me lately. It is so frustrating that I had been dreading going to sleep. Oh sure, I can go to sleep and sleep like a log for about 3 hours and then I'm awake. So annoying. I decided to take my own advice. The advice I have given some of my clients. But I also did a little research on my personal issue.
Here is what my research turned up and what I did to take steps to correct this issue.
There are two types of insomnia. Primary and secondary.
Primary basically means it isn't caused by another health issue such as hyperthyroidism, depression, pain, caffeine or medication just to name a few. That would be secondary insomnia. I think secondary insomnia is easier to pinpoint than primary. Primary insomnia can creep up on you. The causes are the kind that build up over time. Examples would be stress over major life events such as a death, a divorce, a significant illness, a move to another city, empty nest, menopause or a job change. These types of things. It can also be triggered but not caused by the temperature of your room or noise in the room.
I decided that I have primary insomnia. Why? Well I have to confess I have been very worried and burdened by the events taking place in our country over the last year. It is also so frustrating to get anything done with all the restrictions in place. It seems like everything is more difficult. I have also overloaded my schedule lately with things that must be done but probably could have been spread out further with better planning. All of these things have caused me some major stress. The other thing is this. Ever since my daughter passed away 4 years ago I have not handled stress as well as I did before her passing. I thought it would get better and it has to a point but not where I need it to be. It was a very traumatic time and I feel I have experienced some PTSD. It has been a relief to realize what is causing all of this. That in and of itself is a stress reliever.
All of that said here is what I've done for myself that has been working like a charm. NOTE: It took about 1-2 weeks for all of this to start working so don't give up. Don't give up and run to the Dr and get on a prescription antianxiety med or sleeping pill. They don't reset you or teach you better habits. They only cause dependency. The underlying cause is still there.
I took my own advice from my ebook Stress, Anxiety and Sleep. That alone helped me a lot but I still was waking in the middle of the night frequently and not going back to sleep for 3-4 hours. That disrupts your REM sleep. REM sleep is very important because it has a big impact on your memory, focus and your overall mood. It can also affect your immune system and cause chronic pain to be worse. I researched more in depth about herbs for REM sleep and here is what I found.
The following herbs and supplements help with REM sleep and also to keep you asleep.
Chamomile, Valerian Root, Lemon Balm, Passion flower, hops, Periwinkle, Thyme, Jujube seed extract, Glycine, GABA, Magnesium chelate.
If you have anxiety try a couple of caps of Lemon balm or Passion flower when you are feeling anxious. Lemon balm works better for me but you be the judge.
I found most of these herbs in a synergy combination that have worked amazingly for me. I have been taking 2 caps of "Really Deep Sleep" from Rosemary's herb shop in Ruidoso about 1 hour before bed. You can call them or order on line.
The other combo I found is by MindBodyGreen. It is their version that contains GABA, glycine and jujube seed extract. The caps from Rosemary's are about 1/4 the price of the MBG ones but you might find that the MBG caps work best for you.
If you are experiencing sleep difficulty I do hope you will get my ebook, Stress, Anxiety and Sleep and try some herbs. They are non habit forming and can reset your sleep patterns.
Remember to always consult your health practitioner especially if you are on any medications.
Below are a few references if you are into reading medical literature.
https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/stages-of-sleep/rem-sleep/
https://www.thensf.org/what-is-rem-sleep/
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