Insomnia
Insomnia is a common condition that is resolved with a comprehensive natural medicine program. Like all conditions, it is important to resolve the underlying problem that is causing the insomnia. The following are physiologic reasons that a person may be having trouble sleeping:
Busy Mind
“I can’t get out of bed, but yet when I go to bed my mind races.” This kind of symptom typically means that a person's adrenal gland hormones such as cortisol are high at night and low in the morning. This is the opposite of what they should be. A person's adrenal gland should be active in the morning to get the person ready for the day and inactive at night to get them ready for sleep. If you are interested in the tests we perform to check this, please respond to this newsletter.
The treatment of this condition can be quite simple or complex. The first step is to take adrenal gland supplements early in the day.
If morning hormone levels are really low then adding some natural DHEA or cortisol may be needed. Sometimes there are physiologic reasons why cortisol levels are high at night. Since cortisol is the main stress hormone in the body, the person may be allergic to something in their home such as mold, fungus, animal dander, or dust and these items would have to be addressed. If the person has a glass of wine or alcohol at night this could be the reason. So again a comprehensive evaluation would be needed to figure out the reason for the high cortisols at night.
Of course if the cause of the busy mind is a late night caffeine - then quit the coffee. One must realize that nicotine in cigarettes is also a stimulant. Soda has caffeine in it. Anything that is a stimulant whether it is a pharmaceutical drug, street drug, exercise late at night, hormone, or whatever, any kind of major stimulation at night can lead to a busy mind and sleeplessness.
Busy Life
Many people are doing too much. If a person's mind is racing at night and life work or responsibilities are overwhelming then the person has to slow down.
Busy Digestion
There are people that eat very little all day and gorge at night. This causes your body systems - organs/digestive, to get revved up at night. To get a good night sleep your body has to go into the rest mode. It will not do this if one is eating and drinking shortly before bed. Two hours before sleeping do not eat or drink anything.
Poor Oxygenation
Some people don’t oxygenate well at night. Many of these people are snorers. Snoring is completely abnormal. The most common reason a person can’t breathe well during sleep is obesity. For the person with sleep issues and obesity, weight loss is a must.
Some people have sleep apnea. This is a condition where the body has trouble getting good breaths throughout the night. This condition needs to be evaluated in a sleep lab. The treatment of it will depend upon the cause of the sleep apnea. A comprehensive natural medicine evaluation can help.
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain causes a stressor on the body. The body releases cortisol to help control the pain. The cortisol keeps a person up. The best way to get rid of chronic pain is not to spend $1000 on a mattress but to get Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy will stimulate the body to repair the painful area. To learn more about Prolotherapy.
Chronic Disease
Any type of chronic disease has the potential to cause sleeplessness. If the disease doesn’t do it then the medicines the person is prescribed by their allopathic doctor surely does. The best approach to potentially curing a chronic disease is to correct the underlying physiology of what is causing the condition. The person trained to do this is a doctor who specializes in natural medicine.
Deep Sleep Deficiency
Dr. Hauser believes most people with insomnia have a deficit or inability to get into deep sleep. The problem is quite common and complex. It may be as simple as the person urinating too much at night because they drink most of their liquids at night. A good rule of thumb is to drink 2/3 of your water in the morning, 1/3 in the afternoon and none at night. Some people have an anti-diuretic hormone deficiency (ADH) and thus drink and urinate a lot because the body is missing the hormone (or low levels of the hormone) that helps the body retain water (ADH link in our website). Giving the hormone at night will decrease the urination at night and help with sleep.
Some people need herbal remedies prescribed to help with sleep.
Summary
For the person with sleep difficulties a comprehensive natural medicine approach is best. Looking at the above potential causes of the sleeplessness is a good place to start. Despite all the ‘new bed ads’ your mattress is generally not the cause of your insomnia. Once the ‘true’ cause is found and corrected, good sleep can be obtained for a lifetime.
Four Things to Look for with Insomnia
Ross A. Hauser, M.D.
“Doctor, I am doing terrible! All my fatigue and body pain are back!” The patient was so depressed. I looked at my previous notes when I saw her about three months before. During that visit, we did not have to change much of her regime because she was doing great. So what happened? The patient reiterated how she had moved into a new home and with all of the moving her back was killing her. Ah…back pain leading to sleeplessness. She received Prolotherapy to her back and whalla!... great sleep!
Sleeplessness has a cause. Find the cause and the insomnia goes away. Insomnia is a common cause of chronic fatigue, body pain, poor concentration, anxiety, depression, and poor athletic performance.
The Beginning
When did it start? What was going on when the insomnia stared. It started with being married. Was this due to the fact that your spouse likes the room warmer than you? If so, the simple solution might be as simple as putting a fan on your side of the bed, so it is the temperature that you like. It started with a new job. Figure out why this is causing sleeplessness. Talk about it. Figure out what bothers you about your job. When this is accomplished, the insomnia goes away. Did it start after a surgery? Then perhaps some neural therapy might be needed in the scar area to help you.
Pain
We find that most people’s insomnia is due to pain. Get rid of the pain, get the sleep going! The best treatment we have found to relieve pain is Prolotherapy. If you have pain keeping you awake, then Prolotherapy could be the key to a good night’s sleep.
Cortisol and Stress
The stress hormone in your body that controls when you wake up and when you go to sleep is called Cortisol. Blood Cortisol levels are supposed to be high in the morning and low in the evening. The high levels in the morning help you wake up and the low levels in the evening help you feel tired in preparation for sleep. A patient recently came to us for insomnia. He told me if someone could help him get a good night’s sleep, his life would be wonderful. Upon testing his Cortisol levels, we found that his levels were exactly opposite of what they should be. We did a Timmin’s Hormone Profile (Adrenal Stress Test) and found out that his Cortisol levels were too high in the evening. As it turned out, he ate almost all of his food at night. Eating late at night, for some people, can cause them to stay awake. We instructed him to balance out his eating times and that amazingly reversed the Cortisol problem. Guess what? His sleep patterns also improved. He was finally able to get a good night’s sleep!
Interestingly enough, not eating may actually cause the same problem. If you eat no food at night because you aren’t hungry or you are working late, then the body makes Cortisol to keep your blood sugar up. The high Cortisol could keep you up at night.
Urinating During the Night
Many people don’t sleep because they are urinating throughout the night. This could be because of too much coffee or fluid consumption at night. So stop it! Excessive thirst or urination can, though, be a significant problem called Diabetes Insipidus.
Diabetes Insipidus is caused by a deficiency in the hormone Vasopressin or Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH). This is one of the main hormones that helps the body retain the water it needs. If a person doesn’t make enough ADH, then they may become chronically dehydrated. Diabetes Insipidus can cause dehydration, joint pain, vertebral disc dehydration, cartilage problems, dizziness, and fatigue. It is documented by urine and blood tests.
Another patient came to us with a myriad of complaints, including fatigue, dizziness, body pains, and poor concentration. She thought she might be a candidate for Prolotherapy. Upon further questioning, she revealed that she was getting terrible sleep. She felt like she needed to drink a gallon of water every day. She would have to get up multiple times in the night to go to the bathroom. Blood and urine tests confirmed Diabetes Insipidus. She was placed on Antidiuretic Hormone. Her dose was carefully increased to the point where she could sleep through the night without having to get up to use the bathroom.
Health is a precious gift. But this type of gift takes some work to maintain. What are you doing to preserve this gift?
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