 Insomnia is a frustrating experience which affects a person both physically and psychologically. It is a condition wherein a person is unable to go to sleep or has a poor quality of sleep despite being tired. Everyone has trouble with insomnia once in a while, but a persistent sleep problem indicates a subtle imbalance in the individual. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, about sixty million people in the US alone suffer from chronic insomnia or have extended periods of insomnia every year. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reported that insomnia tends to increase with age and is more common in women, especially after menopause. Statistics reveal that forty percent of women and thirty percent of men are affected by insomnia. Sleep problems are of three types – 1) transient insomnia which lasts for 2-3 days, 2) short-term insomnia lasting for about three weeks, and 3) chronic insomnia, when one has insomnia for most nights over a period of three weeks or longer. Chronic insomnia is a very serious malady that may lead to mental health problems such as depression or drug abuse. Although symptoms may vary, the most common symptoms of insomnia include lying awake for a long time at night before getting to sleep, waking up frequently in the night, waking up early in the morning without being able to get back to sleep, feeling tired and un-refreshed by sleep, an inability to concentrate or function properly during the day and irritability. A study, published by BMC Women's Health in 2007, conducted to determine whether ethnic differences in insomnia symptoms are mediated by differences in repressive coping styles, revealed that black women deal more effectively with sleep interfering psychological processes than white women and thus report fewer insomnia symptoms because of a greater ability to route negative emotions from consciousness. It may be noted that sleeplessness itself does not cause any permanent harm to the individual’s health. It is more debilitating when insomnia is accompanied by or is caused by other, more serious conditions. Primarily, the causes of insomnia can be due to pain or discomfort, noise, light, jet lag, snoring, loss or worry, bereavement, stress, mental health problems, side effects of consuming alcohol or drugs and sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, sleepwalking, or sleep apnea. Conventional drugs for insomnia do help a person in falling asleep but ultimately lead them to wake up un-refreshed. This undoubtedly affects the natural health of a person. Furthermore, these drugs tend to be addictive and make falling asleep on one’s own more difficult. Moreover, conventional medicines suppress the symptoms of illness rather than cure it. Homeopathy, on the other hand, is an effective means of curing insomnia. Homeopathic medicines offer a safer alternative for treating sleeplessness. They are absolutely free of side effects or toxic reactions, and relatively inexpensive. The following questions help in homeopathic diagnosis of insomnia: 1. What could be the probable cause of insomnia – an emotional upset, stress, over-exertion, physical pain, or something else? 2. Is the person irritable or anxious while trying to get to sleep? 3. Is it restlessness? Does the bed or pillow feel uncomfortable? 4. Does the person find it difficult to fall asleep initially? 5. If the person wakes up in the night, at what time does he awaken? 6. Is there frequent sighing or yawning? 7. Does one sob or weep while asleep? Holistic treatment of insomnia through homeopathy involves improving the general state of health of the patient. Brian Kaplan, MD, a noted homeopathic physician, suggests that for successful treatment of insomnia, the symptoms should be considered in totality. That is, apart from the sleep problem, attention should also be paid to any other physical or psychological problems the patient might be suffering from. The following homeopathic remedies may be considered depending upon the type of insomnia suffered.
• Arnica: Cannot sleep because bed or the pillow feels too hard, restlessness, or overtiredness.
• Arsenicum: Sleeplessness due to anxiety or fear, or sleeplessness after physical or mental overexertion; suffocative fits during sleep; insomnia after midnight.
• Chamomilla: Insomnia due to irritability, or physical pains, or dependence on sedatives; weeping and wailing during sleep.
• Coffea: Over-activity of mind, insomnia after hearing good news or bad news, or insomnia after the use of caffeinated beverages.
• Gelsemium: Insomnia due to anxiety about an upcoming event, exhaustion, or from uncontrollable thinking.
• Ignatia: Insomnia because of a recent grieving experience, with itching of arms and violent yawning.
• Nux vomica: Sleeplessness after 3 a.m. until towards morning, feeling of wretchedness after awakening.
• Passiflora: Insomnia in infants and the aged, mentally worried with tendency to convulsions.
• Pulsatilla: First sleep restless, waking up languid and un-refreshed; uncontrollable sleepiness in the afternoon; hands held over the head during sleep.
The dosage is the 6th, 12th, or 30th potency every thirty minutes, up to three doses. Another remedy needs to be considered if sleep does not occur. Chronic insomnia and insomnia due to pain requires professional homeopathic care.
In order to get a good night’s sleep, the National Sleep Foundation recommends a few simple measures to be followed regularly. Some of these measures are as follows.
Establishing a sleep routine and following the pattern without fail helps relieve or prevent insomnia. Daily exercise often helps one sleep, though a workout just before bedtime is not recommended. A relaxing routine, such as reading or a warm bath makes it easier to fall asleep.
Maintaining a comfortable room temperature in the bedroom also helps one to fall asleep. On the other hand, caffeinated beverages, nicotine, and alcohol keep people awake. Smokers sleep light and wake up very early due to nicotine withdrawal. Similarly, alcohol disturbs deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep causing one to sleep lightly. Since sunlight helps reset the biological clock of a person, exposure to morning sunlight is helpful to people having sleep problems.
When sleeplessness strikes, it is best not to fight it. Trying to fall asleep only aggravates the problem. It is best to get out of bed and listen to music, read, or do a repetitive task until one begins to feel sleepy. The process may have to be repeated several times initially, but before long, it should break the cycle.
REFERENCES
1. Boericke, William: Pocket Manual of Homeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory & Indian Drugs, B. Jain Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 1991.
2. Cummings, Stephen, and Dana Ullman: Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicines. Penguin Publishers, USA, 1997.
3. Ullman, Dana: Homeopathy A-Z, Hay House, Inc., USA, 1999.
4. www.ninds.nih.gov
5. www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
6. (BMC Women's Health 2007, 7:1) http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6874/7/1
7. www.drkaplan.co.uk/artc/insomia.htm
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