Well Woman Blog

Insomnia is becoming a major epidemic; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that overall, more than 1 in 10 people, or 11.1 percent, did not get enough sleep or rest on any night in the past 30 days.

There are many causes of insomnia but most of them seem to be connected to our unhealthy approach to dealing with stress and not having peace of mind. Worrying about finances, all the things that we need to do or that are going wrong, creates fear, nervousness and anxiousness in our bodies. Certified hypnotherapist and teacher of natural healings, ChicagoHealers.com practitioner Karen Erickson offers the following holistic ways to fight insomnia.

1. Explore Hypnotherapy – Hypnotherapy is a type of treatment in which the patient is in a state of sleep and guided through healing. It is a great holistic approach for treating insomnia. A hypnotherapist can:

• Train your brain to go to sleep when you crawl into bed at night, to let go all your fears and worries.
• Help you get rid of your anxieties, fears, and panic attacks by helping you find the true cause of the fears and release them.
• Give you suggestions so you handle stress better throughout the day and give you tools to reinforce staying centered and peaceful.
• Bring you back in balance so you handle life better.

2. Cut the Caffeine-Cut out caffeine completely or drink only low sugar free caffeine drinks, such as green or white tea.
3. Have quiet time- Meditate at least 30 minutes a day or go for walks in nature or do yoga.
4. No Late Night Eating – Don't eat food 3 hours before going to bed.
5. Eat healthy-Eat regular healthy meals throughout the day – don't go long periods of time without eating and then fill up on junk food.
6. Try Chamomile-Drink chamomile tea at night to help ease you into sleep.
7. Helpful Supplements

• Take a good quality magnesium supplement which helps muscles relax and relieves anxiousness
• Take valerian root herbal supplement right before bedtime which helps with the calming of the mind

8. No Nighttime TV- Don't watch TV in your bed at night and make sure the TV and radio are turned off. You will not have peaceful sleep with constant noise going on in the background programming your unconscious mind.
9. Darkness- Make sure your room is dark – the darker the room the better, light disrupts the production of healthy neurotransmitters.

If you are suffering from insomnia, maybe the above items can help you.

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• Sleep Problems May Not Be Menopause
• Depression and Sleep