We all suffer from occasional insomnia. The causes are many, but for the most part, most of us are under quite a bit of stress, and whether it’s the mind that won’t shut off, or the restlessness of the body, the effect is the same: Sleepless nights, and a subsequent day of feeling foggy and “out of it”. My thanks to Amy Rothenberg, ND for the inspiration for this brief article on homeopathy for insomnia.
For most of my patients, there are generally two types of insomnia. The first type is when you can’t fall asleep, and the second type is when you wake up in the middle of the night. My recommendation is to try taking the homeopathic remedy upon falling asleep. But if you awake in the middle of the night, you may need to take another dose at that time. Also, please don’t drink a lot of liquids before bed if you tend to wake up to go to the bathroom. Get your liquids in throughout the day instead.
Our first remedy is Arsenicum album. This one is useful for people who have a lot of anxiety, agitation and restlessness. This one works great during a cold or flu when you also can’t get to sleep. Patients who need this remedy are generally tidy, chilly and feel most restless just after midnight. More of the controlling personality types.
Our next remedy is quite a bit different from Arsenicum album. It’s called Calcarea carbonica and is useful when a person feels overwhelmed with life and just can’t calm down and turn off after work. The person’s type is usually sweaty, with wet palms of hands, might be a bit overweight, tends to be shy, and is often constipated. This is the responsible type who is supporting a family and doing more than their fair share. Dependable types.
One of the more common homeopathic remedies for sleepless nights is actually one called Coffea cruda. This remedy works great when you can’t turn off the mind and feel agitated, as if you have just drank a lot of caffeine before bedtime. This person will be the nervous type and easily excited. They may have no trouble getting to sleep, but might wake up around 3 am and have trouble getting back to sleep.
Gelsemium is a great remedy for people who keep thinking about some event coming up, like a performance or exam, or big date of some type. Usually thought of as a flu and cold remedy, this one also works great when the eyes are drooping and tired, and you just cannot get fully to sleep. Especially good when you have chills up and down the spine and feel like you lack the courage to continue.
Ingatia amara is the first remedy to think of when sleeplessness is due to grief or loss. I can’t tell you how often I’ve given this remedy successfully to people who are experiencing grief, like the loss of a spouse or pet. It works amazingly well, when the reason for laying awake is from grief or sadness. There may be sighing, sobbing or a lot of yawning. The mood is changeable and they may be lots of tears.
There are many other homeopathic remedies for insomnia, but this should give you a good start. For occasional insomnia, just take a few pills of 12C potency before bed or when you wake in the middle of the night. If you have insomnia all the time, it’s best to consult with me, so we can pick a remedy that better matches, and also run a test of your various blood, hormones and neurotransmitters levels. This way we can more scientifically choose the right products for you.
There are some wonderful Chinese herbal products for insomnia as well, and I just want to touch a few of them now:
Schizzandra ZZZ
Grandma’s Sleep Formula
CH34
The best way to deal with insomnia is to take the saliva test to determine exactly which neurotransmitters in the brain are either overstimulated or lacking. This way we can choose the right products and homeopathics more quickly.
Best of luck on your path to wellness.