Herb for insomnia/fitful sleep

chrissie_sue · 05-06-2003, 10:09 AM

Does anyone know of a good, safe herbal remedy I can take for insomnia and nightmares. I feel like it's been forever since I had a good night's rest. I don't want to take any drugs to help me sleep. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

lucie_nc · 05-06-2003, 11:20 AM

Are you adrenal glands doing OK? That may sound weird, but before you take something to help you sleep, you might look a little more systematic - are you fatigued during the day? Do you have dry skin, joint pain, mental fog? (any of the other symptoms of adrenal insufficiency). If so, you might look at getting a good boost of Siberian ginseng for 1-2 weeks (you don't want to take it long term). Also, a good multivitamin with some serious B complex support is the greatest. That might help your sleeping problem. Just two days of treating my adrenals I slept better than I had in years...

If you don't have an adrenal problem, I recommend Valerian. Again, you shouldn't take it for extended periods of time - you can build a resistance to it. But, I take it whenever I travel or have a big presentation the next day - it calms you down.

Good luck!!!
Lucie

chrissie_sue · 05-06-2003, 11:41 AM

Thank you so much for your reply

I had my adrenal glands tested and they came back just fine. I have been having some other problems lately and I think it's just stress related. I am going to try the Valerian for a little bit and see if it helps. Thanks for letting me know not to use it continuously, I didn't know that you could develop a tolerance for it. I really really do appreciate your advice

simone · 05-06-2003, 08:27 PM

I started taking Valerian at night a few days ago and I'm really surprised at the difference it makes. I suffer from insomnia and also then oversleep (which doctors don't seem to quite get, but basically I can't sleep at night and can't wake up during the day). I'm run down all the time and am very wary of taking any sedatives that might mess me up any more, but Valerian seems to be ok, and I read that it can help adrenals recover from exhaustion (good for me).

You can take Valerian a couple of times a day, or just at bed time (which is what I do). I couldn't find tablets so I'm using a tincture but it smells wierd (but is also supposed to work faster). What it really does for me is that it stops my mind from racing at night. Racing thoughts don't stop me from sleeping, they stop me from being able to relax enough to even approach sleeping. So sometimes even when I know I won't be able to sleep, I want to rest and the thoughts/anxiety won't let me do that. Trust me I have tried meditation etc., but nothing really helps cause if I lose focus for a second, the thoughts come beck. So far, Valerian seems to be helping.

Another option you can use is 5HTP (sold as a sleep and mood enhancer). It's the chemical precursor of serotonin which is the precursor of melatonin. At the beginning of this chemical chain it starts out as tryptophan which is an amino acid found in high concentrations in turkey (that's why it makes you sleepy) and also found in carbohydrate foods. At one point, my doctor prescribed me L-tryptophan instead of sedatives to see if it would help with my sleeping. At the time it didn't but that's because it was expensive so I didn't dose myself high enough. You can try L-tryptophan as well, but only you can only get it by prescription.

I have found 5HTP particularly helpful in dealing with withdrawal effects from antidepressants, and it may also help take the edge off of any carb cravings, but you have to take it between meals and NOT with protein foods (it will get "lost in the shuffle" with all of the other amino acids). You can take it with carbs to help you digest it better/faster. It has no side effects unless you take massive amounts and are also taking antidepressants at the same time, but it should be especially effective for you if you find that carbs make you tired (according to my reasoning).

I hope this helps you.
Simone

chrissie_sue · 05-07-2003, 06:34 AM

Wow--you sound just like me. I have trouble falling asleep at night and then I want to sleep all day. I took Valerian root last night and it seemed to relax me, but my mind just kept racing. I just can't stop thinking about so many things and then I get anxious. I have also tried meditation and all that and it just makes me more anxious! I thought I was just a weirdo-but I guess there's a reason for it to happen. I'm going to try the Valerian root again tonight. I don't think I'll use it every night though. Thanks for your reply!

lucie_nc · 05-07-2003, 12:11 PM

Yep, me too - I have the same exact problems!!

I wonder if insomnia is then also a symptom of hormonal imbalance? I know that pg women tend to have really fitful sleep and dreams, so I guess that makes sense. I have had trouble sleeping all my life. I just try to make sure I have plenty of time on weekends, etc., to catch up on my sleep. Of course, totally giving up caffeine surely helped a lot.

Thanks for sharing - good luck Chrissie!!,
Lucie

simone · 05-08-2003, 11:10 PM

Chrissie Sue --

This sounds wierd, but it's so nice to know there's someone out there who gets what I have to deal with. Doctors either think I'm exaggerating or they just doin't get it. It tool one doctor of mine a year to stop asking me to come in for AM appointments. He was so infuriating.

I'm trying to find a doctor right now to work with me on this stuff. I've had a major sleep disorder for 3 years and it is debilitating. I really believe that this is a result of adrenal problems (being "tired and wired" to me would indicate not enoughcortisol during the day but then too much at night). I've been doing a lot of research into this and found an amazingly comprehensive website where you can check your symptoms to see if you have possible adrenal or thyroid problems:

http://www.drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp

I am so bringing this to my new endo next week. In the meantime I'm taking Maca and Astralagus plus a slew of vitamins (especially B complex and cod liver oil) to try to get my energy back. I'm so tired of feeling like crap all of the time, and them people suggesting to me that I should try going to bed earlier!!!

BTW, I've been told that Valerian can be addictive, and it shouldn't be used every night. On the other hand, the bottle I have says that you can take it a couple of times a day to deal with stress. So, I'm erring on the side of caution and taking a medium-sized dose at night. Like I mentioned, it doesn't put me to sleep, it slows my over-active brain enough so that I can relax enough to get some rest.

BTW2, meditation makes me wired too. I'm ok while I'm concentration but as soon as I stop, I'm right back to racing thoughts, sometimes worse than before.

I hope things get better for you.
Simone

lucie_nc · 05-09-2003, 12:01 AM

Hi again,

Simone - I heard that the alarmist stuff about Valerian is a little unfounded. It's been said that the closest pharmaceutical product to Valerian is Valium, which is why there was some concern a few years back about addiction. But it's NOT herbal valium, so it's not habit forming (anyway - that was what my ND told me). But supposedly you will build up a tolerance to it, so I just personally try not to use it unless I really need it... Also - I definitely have had the exact same adrenal stuff - high at night, low during the day - it was AWFUL!!!! Awful, awful - you feel like such a loser, 'coz you can't stick to a normal schedule at all. Thank god I had a job where I made my own hours at the time I was really bad....

My ND put me on adrenal glandulars, and I only had to take them about three months, and they helped INSTANTLY. The other funny thing was, I had this chronic back pain that would not go away - I had seen a chiropractor for years, and three different PTs, and done yoga - no matter what I did, there was this hard knot of pain in my back. Two days of adrenal support, and the pain was GONE. Completely gone! I felt better than I felt in years....

It's a cruel, cruel thing our bodies do to us, isn't it? And, again, my MD has never had a clue about this stuff. I think it's time to find an endo - how did you go about seeing an endo? Did you have to convince a primary care person for a referral? I'm tired of crying in the doctor's office out of frustration, and then pushing away the offered prescription for Prozac!!!!!!

Anyway - good luck Chrissie Sue, I hope the nightmares stop.

Lucie

simone · 05-09-2003, 08:33 PM

Lucie --

I actually saw an endo before that my doctor referred me to. She wa a ***** from hell and totally unhelpful. But because she was supposed to be an "expert" and she wasn't concerned, I wasn't concerned and I tool the bcps she gave me (which really screwed me up) and forgot about it. That was in august and now I've done so much research and discovered that I don't have to feel like crap all the time, so I went back to the doctors and asked for another referral. The doctor I saw didn't know anyone, but my mom did some asking around (she has many infirm friends) and got me the name of this endo 2 blocks from my place so I gave the gp the endo's name and number, and hse was happy to get me out of her hair.

It was so depressing, I was actually crying all the way home. I went in with research and print outs and the gp talked to me like I was an idiot who'd come in asking her about the latest fad diet or cure that I'd found on the internet. I'm trying to explain adrenal fatigue to her and she's like, "do you even know what that word means?" The worst part is that I didn't give her a piece of my mind -- I was too concerned with trying to be heard, which wasn't working anyways. It seems to me that if they can't help you , they just want you to disappear. And because I've been on antidepressants for a few years (the wrong treatment for ADRENAL problems, btw) the docs dismiss me as a neurotic hypochondriac looking for attention.

So, I'm going to see the new endo next week, and if I don't like him, I'm going to see a naturopath. I'm glad to hear that glandulars help with this because I was concerned that they might stimulate me too much. It's so hard to find a balance.

But my recommendation for dealing with doctors even though I haven't had too much success with them is to stick to your gums. Don't let them condescend to you and ask if they can't help you to please help you find someone who can (ie a specialist). I was really lucky getting the name of an endo from my mom, so maybe ask around friends and family to see if anyone can find one for you.

Good luck
Simone

mgreen72 · 08-01-2005, 12:12 PM

Does anyone know if it is safe to take Maca with metformin and effexor xr (antidepressant)? My dr. doesn't know much about herbs so he can't say. I really need something to help with my sex drive and I heard Maca works really well.

bethers · 08-01-2005, 02:11 PM

Naturopaths and Homeopaths are a great resource and very knowledgeable in these areas. I'm currently seeing a Naturopath for PCOS and TTC. Since she knows so much about hormones, foods, toxins, the environment, and natural/homeopathic remedies she can tell me what to take and what dosage would be appropriate. I'm glad that I am seeing her, as she told me to stay away from things like Black Cohosh and Soy - although they may work for others, it would hinder my body's progress in healing.
I highly recommend looking into seeing a Naturopath or Homeopath. Many will work with you & your regular dr or specialist.

Peyton's Momma · 08-01-2005, 03:42 PM

I have a hard time getting to sleep at night, so I take melatonin. I find it in the all natural section at Walgreens. I usually take 1 about 1/2 hour before I go to sleep, and I sleep like a log. And since it's something your body produces already, it's safe to take. I only recommend taking it for a couple of weeks though - you can build up a resistance to it.

Good luck!