Tag Archives: insomnia

A Good Night’s Sleep

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
46

Everyone knows what a struggle the day can be if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep. Our energy and performance levels suffer, and so do our stress levels and our mood. Yet we can’t ‘make’ ourselves go to sleep and more than we can make ourselves remember things.

More than a third of adults have problems sleeping. If you’re one of them, you don’t have to suffer. There are many things you can do to help yourself without resorting to drastic measures like sleeping pills.

  1. First of all, try to maintain regular bed times and wake times, including weekends.
  2. Eat early – at least two hours before you go to bed. It takes this long to digest a meal. Late eating can cause indigestion, which disturbs sleep. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and helps with getting to sleep at night.
  3. Drinking close to bedtime can also disturb your sleep, so avoid drinking within two hours of bedtime and don’t drink stimulants (such as tea and coffee) after 6pm. An early evening drink such as chamomile tea can be helpful. Avoid alcohol – it may help you fall asleep but will dehydrate you, causing you to wake early with a dry mouth and throat.
  4. Exercise regularly, but don’t do anything strenuous within three hours of bedtime. Late afternoon is the best time. Regular exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and helps you sleep more deeply, but exercising close to bedtime makes falling asleep more difficult. It makes you more alert and raises body temperature (a cooler body temperature facilitates sleep).
  5. A very pleasant way to drift off to sleep is to practise physical and mental relaxation. Use a relaxation CD or DVD if it helps. Practise during the day so that when you need it the skill is easily used.
  6. Deep, rhythmic breathing helps enormously if you want to get to sleep. Combine it with visualising a peaceful scene.
  7. Clear your mind. An active mind interferes with sleep. If your mind is over active as bedtime approaches, write down whatever you are thinking about. Listing things you have to do tomorrow helps prevent worrying. Keep work-related things out of the bedroom – these may trigger anxious thoughts.
  8. Nightly rituals can send a strong message to the unconscious that it is time for sleep, for example, a warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading something calming in bed.
  9. Remember, we all need different amounts of sleep. Try out a few things, find what works for you, and don’t worry if you’re not sleeping as much as other family members. They may need more than you.

Ironically, the thing that prevents people sleeping the most is worrying that they won’t be able to sleep, so practise relaxation, and if you fancy it take up meditation.

Many people have overcome sleeping problems using the above techniques. I hope they work for you.

©David Lawrence Preston, 22.5.2019

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A Good Night’s Sleep

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
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Everyone knows what a struggle the day can be if they haven’t had a good night’s sleep. Our energy and performance levels suffer, and so do our stress levels and our mood. Yet we can’t ‘make’ ourselves go to sleep and more than we can make ourselves remember things.

More than a third of adults have problems sleeping. If you’re one of them, you don’t have to suffer. There are many things you can do to help yourself without resorting to drastic and potentially risky measures like sleeping pills:

  1. First of all, try to maintain regular bed times and wake times, including weekends.
  2. Eat early – at least two hours before you go to bed. It takes this long to digest a meal. Late eating can cause indigestion, which disturbs sleep. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and helps with getting to sleep at night.
  3. Drinking close to bedtime can also disturb your sleep, so avoid drinking within two hours of bedtime and don’t drink stimulants (such as tea and coffee) after 6pm. An early evening drink such as chamomile tea can be helpful. Avoid alcohol – it may help you fall asleep but will dehydrate you, causing you to wake early with a dry mouth and throat.
  4. Exercise regularly, but don’t do anything strenuous within three hours of bedtime. Late afternoon is the best time. Regular exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and helps you sleep more deeply, but exercising close to bedtime makes falling asleep more difficult. It makes you more alert and raises body temperature (a cooler body temperature facilitates sleep).
  5. A very pleasant way to drift off to sleep is to practise physical and mental relaxation. Use a relaxation CD or DVD if it helps. Practise during the day so that when you need it the skill is easily used.
  6. Deep, rhythmic breathing helps enormously if you want to get to sleep. Combine it with visualising a peaceful scene.
  7. Clear your mind. An active mind interferes with sleep. If your mind is over active as bedtime approaches, write down whatever you are thinking about. Listing things you have to do tomorrow helps prevent worrying. Keep work-related things out of the bedroom – these may trigger anxious thoughts.
  8. Nightly rituals can send a strong message to the unconscious that it is time for sleep, for example, a warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading something calming in bed.
  9. Remember, we all need different amounts of sleep. Try out a few things, find what works for you, and don’t worry if you’re not sleeping as much as other family members. They may need more than you.

Ironically, the thing that prevents people sleeping the most is worrying that they won’t be able to sleep, so practise relaxation, and if you fancy it take up meditation.

Many people have overcome sleeping problems using the above techniques.

©David Lawrence Preston, 10.5.2019

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Hope for insomnia sufferers

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
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As a sufferer myself for many years, I have taken a close interest in the causes and remedies for sleep disturbances and insomnia.

Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep as long as we want. It comes in many forms and has many causes. Primary insomnia is a chronic, longstanding problem that bears little relationship to current conditions. Secondary insomnia occurs when sleeplessness is related to other issues in a person’s life, for instance, health concerns, money worries, pain, anxiety and depression.

More than a third of adults have problems sleeping and one in ten consider it a major problem in their lives. The groups most at risk are the over-60s, people suffering from emotional stress, shift workers and those who frequently travel through different time zones.

The day can be a real struggle if we haven’t had a good night’s sleep. Energy and performance levels suffer and we can become anxious, accident prone and bad tempered. Poor quality sleep can result in memory loss, poor concentration, indecisiveness, low libido, headaches, depression and many other problems.

Ironically, the thing that prevents people sleeping the most is worrying that they won’t be able to sleep! We can’t ‘make’ ourselves go to sleep and more than we can make ourselves remember things.

Insomnia can be categorised in various ways:

  • Transient/short term (less than a week). This can be caused by other factors, such as changes in the sleep environment (noise, heat, light, cold etc.), timing of sleep, stress, jetlag, digestive problems, and so on.
  •  Acute/medium term (up to a month). Acute insomnia is usually stress and/or worry related.
  •  Chronic/long term (more than a month). This can be caused by other disorders such as high levels of stress, trauma, fatigue, heightened sensitivity to light and noise, and so on.
  • Initial – difficulty falling asleep when first getting into bed. Initial insomnia is commonly due to emotional disturbances, anxiety, phobic states and depression.
  • Matutinal insomnia – waking early in the morning and being unable to get back to sleep. Early morning waking can be a sign of depression and is also common with ageing.
  • Inverted sleep rhythm – the sufferer doesn’t feel sleepy at bedtime and may feel tired during the day. This is very common when people take sedatives.

Common remedies

There are many things you can try if you suffer from insomnia without resorting to drastic measures like sleeping pills. The following remedies have varying degrees of success:

Sleep

1. A change of habits

A simple change of habits is unlikely to offer relief for chronic and acute insomnia.

  1. Try to maintain regular bed times and waking times, including at weekends.
  2. Use the bed only for sleep and sex, not work.
  3. Eat at least two hours before you go to bed. Late eating can cause indigestion, which disturbs sleep. Drinking close to bedtime can also disturb your sleep.
  4. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and helps with getting to sleep at night.
  5. Exposure to natural light during the day aids sleep.
  6. Avoid stimulants (especially caffeine) after 6pm. An early evening drink such as chamomile tea can be helpful.
  7. Avoid alcohol – it may help you fall asleep but will dehydrate you, causing you to wake early with a dry mouth and throat.
  8. Exercise regularly, but don’t do anything strenuous within three hours of bedtime. Regular exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and helps you sleep more deeply, but can make sleep more difficult if too close to bedtime.
  9. Clear your mind. If your mind is over active as bedtime approaches, write your worries down and make a list of things you have to do tomorrow.
  10. Nightly rituals can send a strong message to the unconscious that it is time for sleep, for example, a warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading something calming.
  11. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, have a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. You can catch up on your sleep without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm. Nap in the early afternoon, and limit it to thirty minutes.
  12. If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your bedtime, do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

2. Relaxation and Meditation

Some people have eased their sleeping problems by practising physical and mental relaxation, mindfulness practice and meditation. Deep, rhythmic breathing helps enormously if you want to get to sleep. Combine it with visualising a peaceful scene.

Practise during the day so that the skill is ingrained when you need it. Two twenty-minute daily sessions can be helpful, and you can use a self-hypnosis/relaxation audio tape or DVD if it helps.

Calm

3. Over-the-counter (OTC) remedies

OTC remedies include herbs such as valerian and chamomile and various synthetic preparations. The main active ingredient in OTC sleeping pills is antihistamine. While the positive effects have not been medically verified through research, side effects such as next-day drowsiness, feeling off balance, constipation, urinary retention and dry mouth can be common. There are also questions about their effectiveness and safety in the long-term. As with any medication, it is advisable to consult your doctor before taking OTC sleep aids.

4. Pharmaceutical remedies

Pharmaceutical remedies include sleeping pills and other medications not specifically for insomnia but which cause drowsiness. In general, sleeping pills and sleep medications are most effective when used sparingly for short-term conditions, such as traveling across time zones or recovering from medical procedures.

Many doctors do not recommend use of prescription drugs over a long period due to the risk of side effects and addiction. Also, you may build up a tolerance, which means that you will have to take more and more for them to work. Recent research has also shown that they do not affect everyone equally: some are less effective for older people, while others actually work better in the over 65s. If in doubt, consult your doctor.

Of course, sleeping pills don’t cure the underlying cause of insomnia, and can even make the problem worse in the long run. You may come to rely on sleeping pills, and then be unable to sleep without them, and if you stop the medication abruptly, have withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and shaking.

Note – it is illegal to drive in some countries after taking some sleeping medications.

5. Psychotherapy

If insomnia is caused by psychological factors, psychotherapy or even hypnosis may be used. The most common form is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT assumes that changing dysfunctional thinking or seeing it differently leads to changes in feelings and behaviour. CBT has been shown to be effective for the treatment of a variety of conditions including anxiety, low self-confidence, phobias and relationship problems.

6. Bioenergetic Approaches

Various devices have been developed in the past half century which use the  clinically proven technology of low frequency, short duration, low intensity magnetic pulses to influence body tissues.

The Earth produces natural magnetic fields (Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields or PEMF) which are fundamental to our health and wellbeing. These fields are a natural feature of our environment and as necessary for our health as good food, fresh water, warmth, sunlight and oxygen. PEMF in the natural world varies from 0-30 Hz (Hertz). The Earth’s magnetic field resonates at 11 Hz, waves from the atmosphere (known as ‘Shuman Waves’) and geomagnetic frequencies from the earth below at 7.8 Hz. Waves around this level are energising and healthy. Too high, and the brain is too highly aroused making sleep difficult. Alarmingly, many household appliances give off at least 50-60 Hz, and (even more alarmingly) computers and mobile (cell) phone even more.

PEMF therapeutic appliances aim to counter the harmful effects of man-made fields with pulsed, low level frequencies. They come in various guises. You can lie on a magnetic field mat costing two or three thousand pounds or more, or place a small device on the body, or wear one on the wrist. PEMF therapy, used daily – has many benefits. In essence, PEMF re-energises the cells, and in addition, have been shown to lower cortisol (the stress hormones) levels, improve sleep quality, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and relax the muscles.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It is my hope that one day – soon – PEMF technology will be accepted by the medical profession so that it can help many more people. Let’s see!

© David Lawrence Preston, 2019

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Important

Nothing in this article is intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a doctor if you have any health concerns that may require diagnosis or treatment. Any statements made concerning products and services represent the opinion of the author alone.

The Only Difference is the Dose

Posted on by David Lawrence Preston
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Humans have always ingested substances they believe to bring health. E.g. many foods are believed to heal, such as prunes for constipation, honey and lemon for colds, garlic as an antiseptic, and so on. Then there are herbs, valued for their efficacious effects everywhere. In some cultures, they even eat soil for its healing properties.

What do all these substances have in common?  They all change the body’s chemistry, and we know how powerful changes in our biochemistry can be. Even procedures that appear as mechanical as an organ transplant have biochemical components, hence the need for transplant recipients to take anti-rejection drugs.

Is illness primarily a change in our biochemistry? Is there nothing more to healing than of finding where the body’s chemistry is out of kilter and correcting it? That’s what many people believe.

Salad

 

Healing substances traditionally came from nature

Take herbs for example – they can be taken in their natural state, or made into tinctures and tablets, or smoked. Water’s healing properties have also long been recognised, and dietary therapy is a major plank of traditional Chinese medicine.  The Greek physician Hippocrates advised two thousand years ago to let our food be our medicine and our medicine be our food.

However, we now take our healing doses in stronger form. Originally most drugs were simply highly concentrated forms of plant and other natural essences, but nowadays most drugs are developed from chemical concoctions in laboratories. Biochemists try to isolate the active chemical ingredients in substances known to have healing properties and turn them into pills, powders and liquids etc. So pervasive is this approach that drugs have become synonymous with mainstream medicine.  And they do work – to some degree, at least!

How drugs are developed

But few people realise how new drugs are ‘invented’. Mostly it’s a trial and error process, and some, like Viagra, are discovered by accident. Viagra was intended as a treatment for angina, but researchers noticed a strange side effect (!!). Marketing people quickly realised they had a profitable product on their hands. It’s not unusual for manufacturers to discover what a drug will do only when they trial it, and side effects may not come to notice until the drug is launched onto the market.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a totally safe drug. By their very nature they are designed to alter a biological process. The question is – what risks are we willing to take in our pursuit of a ‘cure’?

Shortcomings of drugs

If the Hippocratic Oath – to do no harm – were taken seriously, many pharmaceutical medicines would never be prescribed, because they are unpredictable and often highly toxic. Most doctors are aware of their shortcomings. One told me that the only difference between most drugs and poisons is the dose!

Sometimes the authorities are reluctant to take a product off the market even after it has been suspected of being dangerous. For example, a drug claimed to relieve diabetes, Avandia, was still on the market three years after it was shown to kill 19% of those who took it![1]

Shortcomings include:

  1. Cost. Most of the world’s population can’t afford them; some countries, like Hungary and Cuba, fund research into alternatives simply because they don’t want to be held hostage by the multinational drug companies.
  2. Tolerance – with any drug, you build up tolerance. The more you take, the more you need to get the same effect/‘benefits’.
  3. Side effects. Read the information leaflet that comes with any prescribed drug, and you will find a long (and sometime shocking) list of its possible side effects. For example, Seroxat (Paroxetine) has been blamed for causing chronic hepatitis, seizures, suicidal tendencies and abnormal bleeding and is also believed to raise the suicide rate by a factor of eight!!!
  4. Modern medicine assumes that we all function the same, hence individual differences are not taken into account. No-one knows for sure what a drug will do to an individual until they take it.
  5. Addiction. There is no difference in effect between addiction to street drugs like heroin and addiction to, say, painkillers, the only difference is that the latter are easily available.
  6. Suppressing short-term symptoms using drugs can cause long-term illness.
  7. Drugs also distort diagnoses. When a new drug is announced to address a particular condition, suddenly more people seek treatment claiming to have that condition.

Antidepressants

Over 80% of prescriptions for anti-depressants are for SSRI’s – Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors, the best known of which are Paroxetine and Fluoxetine (Prozac).

They are based on a theory first proposed in 1967, that people become depressed because they are low in serotonin, a neurotransmitter which acts on the peripheral and central nervous system. However, this theory has never been proved. One expert, Dr Jeffrey Lacasse from Florida State University[2], states ‘There is not a single peer-reviewed article that can be accurately cited to support claims of serotonin deficiency in any mental disorder.’

Until the 1990s, research (mostly financed by the pharmaceutical companies) showed that antidepressants helped about three quarters of people with depression, which reinforced the belief that they were safe and effective. But then a seminal study in 1998[3] showed that, yes, they lift depression in most patients, but are no more than effective than placebos.

There are alternatives. Psychotherapy works well for moderate and severe depression, and  a combination of psychotherapy and a short course of antidepressants works even better. But except in cases of very severe chronic depression, the largest part of the drugs’ effect comes from the fact that patients expect to be helped by them, and not from any direct chemical action on the brain.

The debate continues, and sadly in the public consciousness, the pharmaceutical companies with their huge advertising and public relations budgets are probably winning.

Modern medicine

Preventative drugs

It is in the drug companies’ interests to make us dependent on them, which is why a new generation of drugs don’t just treat the problems we have, but are marketed as preventatives for illnesses we may have one day. Statins, for example, reduce cholesterol in the blood, thus – it is claimed – reducing the risk of heart attacks, angina and strokes. These claims are based on the premise that high cholesterol is a major factor in heart attacks – yet 75% of heart attack victims have been shown to have normal levels of cholesterol!

The pharmaceutical companies recommend that statins be given to people with ‘normal’ levels of cholesterol as a preventative – hence ‘normal’ is now perceived as ‘risky.’  They want us all to take drugs as preventatives, not just those who are ill. The public increasingly accept this, believing they can have a longer, healthier life the easy way.

It seems the pharmaceutical industry has us under mass hypnosis. It dominates the medical journals and reigns unchallenged in medical schools. It spends a fortune on sales promotion and successfully challenges any approach to healing that does not serve its interests (including most forms of natural medicine).

Do drugs have their place?

Despite all this, drugs do have their place. They can bring quick relief; sometimes they are essential because they are all we have, such as anti-rejection drugs which can bring transplant patients a reasonable quality of life, and drugs for mental health conditions such as bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia which enable sufferers to live a relatively normal life.

I believe that one day most pharmaceuticals will be as redundant as leeches are today. As a society we are still to tap the full potential of the mind’s capacity to heal or take energy and informational medicine seriously. The new AcuPearl range, for instance, has shown remarkable effects for pain relief, insomnia, anxiety and depression. Can you imagine Dr Crusher using pharmaceuticals on the Starship Enterprise? I think not!

 

©David Lawrence Preston, 8.5.2016

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[1] Source: What Doctors Don’t Tell You, e-bulletin, 2nd March 2010, www.wddty.com

[2] Co author of the essay, ‘Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect Between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature,’ PLoS Med, 2005; 12: 1211-6

[3] Whose findings were reinforced by landmark research in The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted by Irving Kirsch and Guy Sapirstein of the University of Connecticut.