Great Tips For Overcoming Insomnia   

A Cup of Tea before Bedtime Seems too Easy Read on! 

   Recently a long-time friend sent an email and  asked for my help with her son’s terrible struggle with Insomnia. I hadn’t done any research on natural cures for sleep problems, but I know of others who suffer from sleeplessness so, I got busy seeing what I could find.    

   I was wonderfully encouraged by the results given for the following herbs:

   1. Chamomile Tea calms Digestion

    Millions of people use Chamomile each year with no side effects reported. Mark Stengler, N.D. recommends Chamomile tea before bedtime.

    (My husband, Bill and I, have a cup of herbal tea, often Chamomile tea every evening before bedtime. It has helped him with sleeplessness. Bill has some digestive problems which cause a gas build-up with repeated burping.)

    Stengler recommends chamomile tea to help relax the nervous system and digestive organs. The antispasmodic effect of chamomile provides abdominal pain relief, from the symptoms of gas.p.98 “The Natural Physicians Healing Therapies.”

    He recommended that a client suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome should drink a cup of chamomile tea with each meal. It was a dramatic improvement, within two weeks. Only flaring up when he ate too much fast-food! 

2. A combination of herbs calm you

    Dr. James Balch recommends not relying on one herb, such as Chamomile, on a regular basis but to rotate among several. He says to avoid chamomile if you are allergic to ragweed.

    For insomnia, take these before bedtime.: 473-475,Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

   * Combining California poppy, passion flower and valerian promote sound sleep. California poppy and Chamomile taken before bedtime, strengthens the nervous system and calms you before sleep.

   * Chamomile and Catnip have mild sedative properties. Dr. Balch says they are safe for children if taken in tea form. He recommends the following:

   * Millions can’t get to sleep due to restless leg syndrome (RLS). Their legs twitch, jerk and kick involuntarily. A deficiency of magnesium may be involved in RLS.

    * A lack of calcium and magnesium can cause you to wake up after a few hours and prevent return to sleep.

   * Kava Kava is a good relaxant. This herb can help you develop good sleep habits.

   * Avoid Alcohol. A small amount can induce sleep, but will invariably disrupt sleep later.

   * Avoid heavy meals three hours before bedtime.

   * Avoid bacon, ham, sausage, cheese, potatoes, chocolate, sauerkraut, sugar, spinach, tomatoes and wine close to bedtime. These contain tyramine, which increases release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.

    * One of the best remedies for insomnia is taking 5 mg of melatonin one hour before bedtime. Balch warns not to overuse melatonin; recent reports say more than occasional use can prevent the body’s natural production of it. P. Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

 3. Babies relieved of colic can sleep

    Stengler writes that Chamomile has been a godsend to parents with child suffering from colic. Many cases are related to abdominal pain due to intestinal gas. “Chamomile with its antispasmodic action relieved colic in short order.” He suggests to prevent a flare-up of colic, give ½ to 1 full teaspoon of cooled chamomile tea every 10 minutes. Parents told him after taking the tea their child passed some gas and settled down to sleep.P.98

   (I wish I had known about it when my first son, Lenny, was born. We lived in Alaska with only TWO doctors in the whole town and no pediatrician.

   My Dr thought he needed more Karo in his bottle. Next, he said to reduce the Karo. He was “practicing medicine,” but nothing helped. My little baby was crying and throwing up all the time. He didn’t keep much milk down so he cried when he was hungry too.

    I needed many blood transfusions after my Caesarian delivery and I was very weak when I went home with my adorable little boy. I tried to lie down every time he fell asleep. But he cried a lot!

   When he cried, I cried too. I read the baby books, but found no help. My mother worked, so she couldn’t be there to help me. She was a praying woman, who taught me to pray about every need. God DID help Lenny to live through it, and after about 6 months he stopped crying so often and kept cereal down.

   It wasn’t until my youngest son, Steve, was born, that I was told by a pediatrician that he was allergic to milk! They put him on a soy formula in the hospital and I kept him on that when we left for Alaska. Steve never suffered with colic! Praise the Lord!

   The Dr had insisted I fly to Seattle for a specialist to care for me in the Caesarian delivery. I thank the Lord for that decision, because in that hospital I learned that my children were both allergic to cow’s milk.)