Insomnia Toolkit Blog

This is an amazing story of a dog who monitors his owner’s sleep, and wakes her up when sleep apnea causes her to stop breathing - every night…

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?The_dog_who_saves_his_owners_life_every_night&in_article_id=
777386&in_page_id=34

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The Insomnia Toolkit Package includes audio ebooks and regular ebooks that show you a wide range of insomnia treatments you can count on. Find out which techniques work best for you.

http://www.insomniatoolkit.com/package/

                     by Leon Altman

Reading is one of the better natural sleep aids. Of course, it all depends on what you read and when you read it. To be a good sleep aid, reading material must be a bit dull, but not too dull or something you have absolutely no interest in. The trick is to have enough interest so you want to keep reading, but soon you find yourself reading the same sentence over and over again.

That’s the sign that your book or article is doing its job. Now what’s considered good reading for sleep is a highly individual matter. And it has nothing to do with the quality of the writing. Some of the best works in English literature can make excellent sleeping material (we’ll get to that in a moment).

Beware of page-turners
First, a word on timing. An exciting page turner, like a Stephen King or james patterson novel may be a good way to get your mind off the day, and away from the television, but I would strongly advise you to stop reading such books an hour before you go to sleep. At that point, I’d advise turning to duller reading for sleep.

(Of course not all mystery/thriller authors have that page-turning quality. If you find one you like whose books are also slow-going you might want to add that author to your “reading for sleeping” list.)

No work-related or hobby-related reading
Another no-no is reading about a skill you are learning, or a work-related subject. For instance, let’s say you’re trying to fix your golf slice, and you’re reading the latest tips. Stop at least an hour before bedtime. Even if you’re not consciously thinking about your golf swing as you go to sleep, your subconscious may be mulling over the different techniques you’ve just read about. Read the rest of this entry »

Valerian is used for insomnia and other disorders and can be a useful alternative to benzodiazepine drugs.

In the United States Valerian is sold as a nutritional supplement. Therapeutic use has increased as dietary supplements have gained in popularity, especially after the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed in 1994. This law allowed the distribution of many agents as over-the-counter supplements, and therefore allowed them to bypass the regulatory requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Valerian is used against sleeping disorders, restlessness and anxiety, and as a muscle relaxant. Valerian often seems only to work when taken over longer periods (several weeks), though many users find that it takes effect immediately[citation needed]. Some studies have demonstrated that valerian extracts interact with the GABA and benzodiazepine receptors. Valerian is also used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. However, long term safety studies are missing. Valerian is sometimes recommended as a first-line treatment when benefit-risk analysis dictates. Valerian is often indicated as transition medication when discontinuing benzodiazepines.

Valerian has uses in herbal medicine as a sedative. The main current use of valerian is as a remedy for insomnia, with a recent meta-analysis providing some evidence of effectiveness.It has been recommended[citation needed] for epilepsy but that is not supported by research (although valproic acid, an analogue of one of Valerian’s constituents (valeric acid), is used as an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug). Valerian root generally does not lose effectiveness over time.

While shown to be an effective remedy for the reduction of anxiety, it has also been reported to cause agitation, headaches and night terrors in some individuals. This may be due to the fact that some people lack a digestive conversion property necessary to effectively break down Valerian. One study found that valerian tends to sedate the agitated person and stimulate the fatigued person, bringing about a balancing effect on the system.

 from Wikipedia

There is a series in the New York Post by Paul McKenna, who appaently is a new self-improvement sensation in England. One article (and podcast) is about insomnia. I checked it out. Most of the advice is not particularly new.

But then I came across a tip I’ve never heard before. It’s kind of interesting and makes sense when you think about it. Basically the tip is: “If you find yourself unable to get to sleep, simply close your eyes and describe whatever you are aware of silently to yourself in a relaxed, monotone voice. For example: “I see an ocean … I taste an orange … I see a swimming pool …”

 So it’s basically boring yourself to sleep. Not a bad idea.

Source: New York Post

You may have missed Dr. Daniel Carat’s defense of Trazodone in the New York Times. Trazonde, classified as an antidepressant, is used off-label to treat insomnia because it works well, is non-addictive and can be used long term. Dr. Carat, a highly respected research doctor, claims that drug companies are mounting attacks on trazonde, because it cost less than their products.

In the past few years, several articles have been published in professional journals that can only be described as trazodone-bashing, says Carat. But Carat notes that the authors of the studies have been paid by the companies that stand to gain from trazodone’s downfall.

I’m not endorsing Trazodone. But, give the defense by this noted authority, its benefits, and its minimal exposure in the media, it might be worth asking your doctor about it.

We welcome comments as well as personal experiences you’ve had in dealing with insomnia. If any particular treatment or resource has been helpful for you , please let us know so we can tell others.