The good news is that not everyone necessarily needs eight hours of sleep a night. Some people define themselves as insomniacs, because they regularly sleep only five or six hours. Actually, they should think of themselves as high-energy people who d

[Read the Article]

The sleeping environment can have an important bearing on both types of insomniacs. Noise, an uncomfortable bed, a noisy partner, and light are obvious distractions, but there are others. One often overlooked factor is temperature. Most people sleep

[Read the Article]

As an herbalist, I find most of my solutions for insomnia in the plant world. I most often recommend reishi mushrooms, hops, valerian, skullcap, passionflower, lemon balm, or kava-kava. The type of herb and the dose depend on a person's specific cond

[Read the Article]

The causes of insomnia are varied, but psychological factors are present in more than 50 percent of the cases. Environmental and dietary factors also play a prominent role, and statistics show that, for unknown reasons, insomnia is more common in fem

[Read the Article]

The "stress" symptoms most commonly seen by the health care practitioner are insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness. Fortunately, there are alternatives to the use of prescription medications-- many herbal and nutritional remedies work quite w

[Read the Article]

St. John's wort presents a wonderful paradox. Known to healers for thousands of years, it has become an overnight sensation in the modern media. No doubt utilized by some of the earliest civilizations, the oldest records of its use come from Greek an

[Read the Article]

While hypericin has received most of the attention in scientific research, there are other chemicals in St. John's wort that may contribute to its antidepressant effects. These ingredients have a number of additional properti

[Read the Article]

St. John's wort has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and to stimulate the immune system. Ointments containing the herb have been valuable tools for medics on the fields of battle until this century, when they were replaced by synthetic

[Read the Article]

St. John's wort has been shown to have dramatic antiviral activity, although in dosages much higher than those required to treat depression. Experiments, both in test tubes and in animals, have indicated that two of the active chemicals in the plant,

[Read the Article]

St. John's wort can also be used to treat SAD. As we saw in Chapter 2, persons with SAD, a form of major depression, are profoundly affected by the lack of sunlight that occurs in autumn and winter. This triggers biochemical changes in the brain, dir

[Read the Article]

One of St. John's wort's major advantages over prescription antidepressant medications is its ability to promote a better quality of sleep. Unlike St. John's wort, most antidepressants lengthen the time it takes to enter the REM (rapid eye movement)

[Read the Article]

There are many herbs with reputations as being effective sleep remedies, but there are no legal plants that will put a person out! The key to successful treatment of insomnia is to find the cause and deal with it. This may be anything in the realm of

[Read the Article]

An occasional sleepless night is nothing to worry about. But if insomnia bothers you for three weeks or longer, it can be a real medical problem. Some medical problems that lead to insomnia in women include: Depression and anxiety disorders.

[Read the Article]

Many old-fashioned remedies for sleeplessness work, and work well. Next time you find yourself unable to sleep, try these time-tested cures. Avoid caffeine in all forms after lunchtime. (Coffee, tea, chocolate, colas, and some other soft drink

[Read the Article]

Do you ever find yourself wide awake long after you go to bed at night? Well, you're not alone. An estimated 40 million Americans are bothered by insomnia. They either have trouble falling asleep at night, wake up in the middle of the night, or wake

[Read the Article]

Jetlag can occur when people travel quickly across several time zones, causing their internal biological rhythm to be out of synch with the new destination time. Sleep problems tend to be more common when people travel from west to east as it is more

[Read the Article]

Menopause is a stage in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone and she stops having her monthly menstrual cycle (her period). It is a normal part of aging and marks the end of a woman's reproductive year

[Read the Article]

A health treatment that is not classified as standard western medical practice is referred to as "alternative." Alternative therapy encompasses a variety of disciplines that include everything from diet and exercise to mental conditioning a

[Read the Article]

Depression is a mood disorder that is characterized by sadness, or having the blues. Nearly everyone feels sad or down from time to time. Sometimes, however, the sad feelings become intense, last for long periods, and keep a person from leading a nor

[Read the Article]

A sleep study or polysomnogram (PSG) is a multiple-component test that electronically transmits and records specific physical activities while you sleep. The recordings become data that are analyzed by a qualified sleep specialist to determine whethe

[Read the Article]

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a sleep disorder characterized by rhythmic movements of the limbs during sleep. The movements typically involve the legs, but upper extremity movements may also occur. Movements occur periodically throughout

[Read the Article]

Snoring is a common condition that can affect all people at any age, although it occurs more frequently in men and people who are overweight. Snoring has a tendency to worsen with age. Forty-five percent of adults snore occasionally, while 25% are co

[Read the Article]

Circadian rhythm disorders are disruptions in a person's circadian rhythm -- a name given to the "internal body clock" that regulates the (approximately) 24-hour cycle of biological processes in animals and plants. The term circadian comes

[Read the Article]

Sleep disturbances have been associated with drug use, drug abuse and withdrawal from drug abuse. Sleep disturbances also have been linked to the use of alcohol and to chronic alcoholism. Drugs and Sleep Many prescription and nonprescription medica

[Read the Article]

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder that causes tingling, pulling, creeping or painful sensations in the legs at night. This sensation is brought on by lying down in bed or sitting for prolonged periods, such as while driving or at a the

[Read the Article]

Although it is not as common as sleepwalking, nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED) can occur during sleepwalking. People with this disorder eat while they are asleep. They often walk into the kitchen and prepare food without a recollectio

[Read the Article]

Nightmares are vivid nocturnal events that can cause feelings of fear, terror, and/or anxiety. Usually, the person having a nightmare is abruptly awakened from REM sleep and is able to describe detailed dream content. Usually, the person having a nig

[Read the Article]

Sleep and psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression are closely related. Psychiatric disorders are the leading cause of insomnia, the inability to sleep. In addition to insomnia, people with psychiatric disorders have other sleep pro

[Read the Article]

Hypersomnia, or excessive sleepiness, is a condition in which a person has trouble staying awake during the day. People who have hypersomnia can fall asleep at any time; for instance, at work or while they are driving. They may also have other sleep-

[Read the Article]

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. These sudden sleep

[Read the Article]