For a good book on Do-In, a system of Asian exercises useful in treating insomnia, click on the title of this post. This will take you to amazon.com products. On the left of the page, click on the link for books about natural foods and exercise.
Please visit my website at Help For Insomnia. It contains links to companies selling books and other products related to insomnia.
I also have a website selling test preparation material at satmathbook.net
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Macrobiotic Approach to Sleep and Insomnia
The Importance of Sleep
The usual recommendation for sleep disorders is exercise. Exercise works spectacularly well for some people but, alas, the latest research is showing that exercise does not work for everyone. For example, a study of menopausal women that compared good sleepers with poor sleepers found that good sleep hygiene, which was defined as regular exercise, avoidance of caffeine and alcohol, and regular sleep hours, accounted for less than 20% of the difference between good and poor sleepers. This study showed that exercise did help but that its effects were modest.2
It is difficult to say anything definitive about the effects of exercise on sleep because of the way studies have been conducted. For example, most sleep studies seem to involve either men or middle-aged people of both sexes. There have been very few studies done on sleep disorders in younger women. The only studies I found using younger women as subjects were done in the late 1980s. Often, the studies showed no effect of exercise or only limited effects. 3
My own personal experience with exercise was that when I ate a standard American diet, exercise either did me no good or made me feel worse. When I began eating a more healthy diet, exercise provided a small improvement.
Still, even though some people do not benefit from exercise, the majority of people do find at least some benefit from it. Men and people of both sexes who develop sleep disorders later in life seem to benefit more than women and people who develop sleep disorders earlier in life.
Find an exercise you enjoy. Don’t try forcing yourself to do something you hate. If an activity bores you to tears, don’t do it. In the early stages of your recovery, going out and doing something you enjoy may be more important than the specific type of exercise.
Most people, no matter how sedentary, can find some activity they find pleasant. Maybe dancing would suit you. If you can’t dance, take a course at a local community college. If you are too shy to dance, walk in the park. Swim at a lake or ocean. Try to avoid swimming pools because of all the chemicals. Think of some activity you have always wanted to try and try it.
A good form of exercise is race walking. It is more strenuous than regular walking and it uses the arms and hips more but is stresses the back and joints less. Also useful are meridian stretches that can be found in many macrobiotic books.
There is an Asian system of exercise known as Do In (DOE EEN) that has a series of exercises to be done in the evening. These work. I find that I can barely get through all twenty of the exercises without feeling profoundly sleepy.
Another treatment that is especially useful for people who awaken too early in the morning is bright light treatment. If you have trouble falling asleep, expose yourself to bright light early in the day. If you fall asleep easily but awaken in the middle of the night, expose yourself to several hours of bright light in the early evening. Apparently, this treatment does something to reset the circadian rhythm.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help also. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people taking them show improved sleep. Animal experiments show that when animals deficient in omega-3 fatty acids are given these compounds as supplements, their melatonin secretion normalizes.4 Since melatonin plays an important role in sleep, this may benefit you.
If your insomnia is severe and you are desperate, try something called Diet Number 7, which is to eat brown rice only for a few days. In the evening, make a drink called Shoyo Ban. Take Kukicha twig tea, which has hardly any caffeine at all, and add 1 teaspoon of natural soy sauce. This works quite well but should not be taken for more than three or four days in a row.
Herbs, if they work, work only temporarily, because your body will develop a tolerance to them just like they do to drugs and, just like drugs, some of them can damage the liver if they are taken in high doses for a long period of time. However, they can be useful in the short term if you take them when beginning a macrobiotic diet because they will help you sleep until your body heals enough to sleep without them.
Many people have found that removing sugar from the diet leads to greatly improved sleep, perhaps because the blood sugar drop that follows eating a lot of sugar leads to cortisol release. A study of poor sleepers found that they have higher nighttime cortisol levels than good sleepers.5
If you have trouble sleeping, eliminate all caffeine and alcohol from your diet for a while and see if this helps.
Removing allergens from your diet will help too. Allergic reactions result in the release of cortisol. Also, as mentioned earlier, cytokines which are released as a response to allergens seem to inhibit the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin, which plays an important role in sleep.
Try eating foods that are high in tryptophan like brown rice, oatmeal and soy foods. Oatmeal is high in tryptophan. Oatmeal and decaffeinated tea make an enjoyable breakfast. Since many breakfast places serve oatmeal, you can eat breakfast out if you have the time. Having a carbohydrate snack before bed may promote sleep by increasing serotonin synthesis. Be sure you are eating complex carbohydrates like brown rice and not simple sugars which can cause your blood sugar levels to swing wildly and aggravate insomnia.
Because the macrobiotic diet is rich in whole grains and sea vegetables, you will probably get more magnesium than you would if you ate the standard American diet. Foods that are rich in magnesium promote sleep.
From a macrobiotic point of view, trouble falling asleep usually involves too much yin. If you have trouble falling asleep, reduce your intake of sugar, alcohol, caffeine, fruits and fruit juices. Trouble staying asleep is often the result of a yang condition. In that case, eliminate meat and baked flour products like bread, bagels, rolls and cakes. Avoid too much salt. Emphasize yin vegetables, especially leafy greens.
Another, more unusual step to consider, is reducing your exposure to electromagnetic fields. A Japanese researcher, Tetsuye Nakazawa, published a study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine showing that office workers who used computers for more than five hours a day were far more prone to insomnia, depression, and irritability than office workers who did not use computers.6
Other studies have shown that variable electromagnetic fields but not static ones in the bedroom impair sleep.7 This effect seems to be stronger for women than for men. 8
A number of epidemiological studies show that people living closer to cell towers show impaired sleep.9 Again, women seem to be more severely affected. Other studies of exposure to cell phone radiation don’t show this effect however.
If you are having trouble sleeping, try minimizing exposure to computers, televisions and cell phones. It can’t hurt and it might help. Disconnect wireless baby monitors and smoke detectors. If you have a wireless security system, you might have to remove batteries from all the devices on doors and windows. Don’t just disarm the system because the devices will still emit wireless radiation.
If you can’t avoid these devices, there are ways to minimize the amount of electromagnetic radiation you absorb from them. The easiest way to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields is to keep as much distance between you and the device as possible. Try to keep all electronic devices at least three feet away from you.
If you must work with a computer, buy an LCD monitor, which emits only very low levels of magnetic radiation. Shield electric fields from the monitor by using a specially treated glass screen. They are available in any computer store. Be sure you buy a model that specifically states that it reduces electric fields and not just glare. The LCD monitor with a screen will greatly reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields from the computer. Enlarge the font on your computer and get a longer cord for the keyboard so that you can sit farther away. Place all other devices like the hard drive and printers far away from you.
In the bedroom, unplug all devices including the television set. Use a battery-powered alarm clock instead of a digital clock. Chose incandescent lighting instead of fluorescent lighting.
There are several companies that market shielding materials of various kinds. The one I know of can be reached via the internet at www.lessemf.com. I haven’t tried their products but many people find that they help. While I am in no way a devotee of New Age religion, I have friends who are and they swear crystals help them sleep better.
After you have finished using computers, cell phones and other similar devices, go for a walk outdoors in a park or other place with low levels of power lines and other devices.
I am not a big fan of exercise but I find that exercising after I have finished with computers and television for the day does help. However, exercising and then using the computer or going back into a bedroom with wireless devices is useless.
Try these steps for a week and see if your sleep improves. If you really want to minimize exposure to electromagnetic fields, go camping, but not near a cell tower. The first night will be a little hard because the croaking frogs will keep you awake but after you adjust to that, you may sleep more deeply than you have in years.
There are a few common macrobiotic remedies for insomnia often recommended. One is to soak your feet in warm water before going to bed. Another bit of advice that I have not tried is to keep some chopped onion, wrapped in a cloth, under your pillow. If you awaken during the night, sniff at the onion. Supposedly, the onion has a substance that will promote sleep.
Macrobiotic theory teaches that various organs in the body are more active at some times than others. Here is a chart listing the organs and their times of greatest activity.
Lungs 3 AM to 5 AM
Large Intestine 5 AM to 7 AM
Stomach 7 AM to 9 AM
Spleen-Pancreas (considered as one organ system in traditional Asian medicine.) 9 AM to 11 AM
Heart 11 AM to 1 PM
Small Intestine 1 PM to 3 PM
Bladder 3 PM to 5 PM
Kidney ( the adrenal glands and sex organs are often grouped together with the kidneys) 5 PM to 7 PM
Gall Bladder 11 Am to 1 AM
Liver 1 AM to 3 AM
If you find yourself waking up between 1 AM and 3 AM, macrobiotic teachers might tell you that there impaired liver function is disturbing your sleep. This is especially true if you are frequently angry or irritable. You will recall from the discussion of 5-elements theory that anger is the negative emotion associated with the liver. If you wake up between 3 and 5 AM, there might be a lung problem.
The kidneys are active between 7 and 9 PM. Most of us do not go to sleep then but this is the time that we are winding down and our bodies are getting ready for sleep. A problem with the kidneys (or the adrenal glands) will prevent your body from effectively preparing for sleep. According to macrobiotic theory, difficulty sleeping is ultimately traced to disordered kidney function. If the kidneys are too yang, you will be tense and have trouble settling into sleep. If the kidneys are too yin, you will be too nervous and “hyper” to sleep.
Sometimes, the kidneys interact with the liver to disturb sleep. From a macrobiotic point of view, when the liver becomes active, energy will start flowing upward from the liver. The energy from the kidney will “anchor” the energy from the liver and keep it from rising too rapidly. If the liver and kidneys are both healthy, the energy flow will be gradual and you will sleep undisturbed. However, suppose your liver is too yang and your kidneys are too yin. Energy will course out of the liver at a rapid rate and the weak kidney energy will be unable to keep it in check. In this case, you will awake with a jolt, seemingly for no reason.
Incidentally, if you are ordinarily a peaceful person but sometimes you just “lose it”, the reason may be a disordered liver. Great bursts of energy will suddenly rise from the liver—which the kidneys will be unable to balance—and you will experience this explosion of energy from the liver as anger.
Obviously, you will want to balance both your liver and kidneys to improve your sleep.
If your liver is “tight” and too yang, the best foods you can eat are leafy green vegetables. Barley and wheat are excellent foods especially if you use the varieties that have been planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. Roasted barley tea is an excellent beverage. If you are feeling especially tense, use small amounts of barley malt as a sweetener in the tea. Avoid excessive salt and foods that are too yang like meat, eggs and baked flour products. Choose lighter cooking methods like steaming. My personal experience was that my sleep improved greatly when I stopped eating baked flour, especially bagels. If you do crave bread, get sourdough bread and steam it before eating.
Strengthen the kidneys by eating small amounts of low-fat beans. Chickpeas and lentils are good. Azuki beans are especially good. A recipe for azuki bean tea is given in appendix. Drink this hot tea two or three times per week. The minerals found in seaweed are strengthening too but eat small amounts because of the high salt content. Too much seaweed will make you tense and leave you craving sugar. Try the ginger compress in the kidney region.
Still, the best macrobiotic remedy for insomnia seems to be eating a balanced diet free of sugar, fruit juices, meat and baked flour products and avoiding—as much as possible—the electromagnetic fields emanating from computers, cell phones, televisions and other wireless devices.
When you sleep better, you will be amazed at the change in your personality. You will be more patient and less irritable. Your relationships will improve. You will be more efficient at work and make fewer mistakes. Minor health problems like colds and allergies will bother you less. With proper sleep, you will be a whole new person.
1. Krystal, A.D. (2005). Advances in the treatment of insomnia. American Psychiatric Association 2005 annual meeting. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/507421
2. Cheek, R.E., Shaver, J.L., & Lentz, M.J. (2004). Lifestyle practices and nocturnal sleep in women with and without insomnia. Biological Research for Nursing, Vol 6, no 1, pp.46-58.
3. Meintjes AF, Driver HS, Shapiro CM.(1989) Improved physical fitness failed to alter the EEG patterns of sleep in young women. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol.;9(1-2):123-7.
4. Monia Zaouali-Ajina, Abdallah Gharib*, Georges Durand , Noureddine Gazzah**, Bruno Claustrat , Claude Gharib &Nicole Sarda (1999). Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid-Enriched Phospholipids Normalize Urinary Melatonin Excretion in Adult (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Deficient Rats. Journal of Nutrition. 1999;129:2074-2080.)
5. Vgontzas, A. N., Bixler, E. O., Lin, H.M., Prolo, P., Mastorakos, G; Vela-Bueno A., Kales A., & Chrousos G.P. (2001). Chronic insomnia is associated with nyctohemeral activiaiton of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: clinical implications. Journal of Clinical and Endocrinological Metabolisim. 86(8), 87-94.
6. Nakazawa, T., Okubo, Y. Suwazono, Y., Kobayashi, E, Komine, S., Kato, N., & Nogawa, K. (2002). Association between daily VDT use and subjective symptoms. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 42 (5), 421-426.
7. Cook, G.C. (1999). Human sleep in 60 Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics, 20 (5), 277-83.
See also: .Akerstedt T, Arnetz B, Ficca G, Paulsson LE, Kallner A 50-Hz electromagnetic field impairs sleep. J Sleep Res. 1999 Mar;8(1):77-81.
Related Articles, Links
8. Graham, C., Sastre A., & Gerkovich N.M. (2000). Nocturanal magnetic filed exposure: gender-specific effects on heart rate variability and sleep. Clinical Neurophysiology, 111(11) 1934-5.
9. Santini R, Santini P, Danze JM, Le Ruz P, Seigne M.. (2002). Investigation on the health of people living near mobile telephone relay stations: I/Incidence according to distance and sex. Pathol. Biol. 50(10) 621.
Please visit my website at Help For Insomnia. It contains links to companies selling books and other products related to insomnia.
I also have a website selling test preparation material at satmathbook.net
The usual recommendation for sleep disorders is exercise. Exercise works spectacularly well for some people but, alas, the latest research is showing that exercise does not work for everyone. For example, a study of menopausal women that compared good sleepers with poor sleepers found that good sleep hygiene, which was defined as regular exercise, avoidance of caffeine and alcohol, and regular sleep hours, accounted for less than 20% of the difference between good and poor sleepers. This study showed that exercise did help but that its effects were modest.2
It is difficult to say anything definitive about the effects of exercise on sleep because of the way studies have been conducted. For example, most sleep studies seem to involve either men or middle-aged people of both sexes. There have been very few studies done on sleep disorders in younger women. The only studies I found using younger women as subjects were done in the late 1980s. Often, the studies showed no effect of exercise or only limited effects. 3
My own personal experience with exercise was that when I ate a standard American diet, exercise either did me no good or made me feel worse. When I began eating a more healthy diet, exercise provided a small improvement.
Still, even though some people do not benefit from exercise, the majority of people do find at least some benefit from it. Men and people of both sexes who develop sleep disorders later in life seem to benefit more than women and people who develop sleep disorders earlier in life.
Find an exercise you enjoy. Don’t try forcing yourself to do something you hate. If an activity bores you to tears, don’t do it. In the early stages of your recovery, going out and doing something you enjoy may be more important than the specific type of exercise.
Most people, no matter how sedentary, can find some activity they find pleasant. Maybe dancing would suit you. If you can’t dance, take a course at a local community college. If you are too shy to dance, walk in the park. Swim at a lake or ocean. Try to avoid swimming pools because of all the chemicals. Think of some activity you have always wanted to try and try it.
A good form of exercise is race walking. It is more strenuous than regular walking and it uses the arms and hips more but is stresses the back and joints less. Also useful are meridian stretches that can be found in many macrobiotic books.
There is an Asian system of exercise known as Do In (DOE EEN) that has a series of exercises to be done in the evening. These work. I find that I can barely get through all twenty of the exercises without feeling profoundly sleepy.
Another treatment that is especially useful for people who awaken too early in the morning is bright light treatment. If you have trouble falling asleep, expose yourself to bright light early in the day. If you fall asleep easily but awaken in the middle of the night, expose yourself to several hours of bright light in the early evening. Apparently, this treatment does something to reset the circadian rhythm.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help also. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people taking them show improved sleep. Animal experiments show that when animals deficient in omega-3 fatty acids are given these compounds as supplements, their melatonin secretion normalizes.4 Since melatonin plays an important role in sleep, this may benefit you.
If your insomnia is severe and you are desperate, try something called Diet Number 7, which is to eat brown rice only for a few days. In the evening, make a drink called Shoyo Ban. Take Kukicha twig tea, which has hardly any caffeine at all, and add 1 teaspoon of natural soy sauce. This works quite well but should not be taken for more than three or four days in a row.
Herbs, if they work, work only temporarily, because your body will develop a tolerance to them just like they do to drugs and, just like drugs, some of them can damage the liver if they are taken in high doses for a long period of time. However, they can be useful in the short term if you take them when beginning a macrobiotic diet because they will help you sleep until your body heals enough to sleep without them.
Many people have found that removing sugar from the diet leads to greatly improved sleep, perhaps because the blood sugar drop that follows eating a lot of sugar leads to cortisol release. A study of poor sleepers found that they have higher nighttime cortisol levels than good sleepers.5
If you have trouble sleeping, eliminate all caffeine and alcohol from your diet for a while and see if this helps.
Removing allergens from your diet will help too. Allergic reactions result in the release of cortisol. Also, as mentioned earlier, cytokines which are released as a response to allergens seem to inhibit the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin, which plays an important role in sleep.
Try eating foods that are high in tryptophan like brown rice, oatmeal and soy foods. Oatmeal is high in tryptophan. Oatmeal and decaffeinated tea make an enjoyable breakfast. Since many breakfast places serve oatmeal, you can eat breakfast out if you have the time. Having a carbohydrate snack before bed may promote sleep by increasing serotonin synthesis. Be sure you are eating complex carbohydrates like brown rice and not simple sugars which can cause your blood sugar levels to swing wildly and aggravate insomnia.
Because the macrobiotic diet is rich in whole grains and sea vegetables, you will probably get more magnesium than you would if you ate the standard American diet. Foods that are rich in magnesium promote sleep.
From a macrobiotic point of view, trouble falling asleep usually involves too much yin. If you have trouble falling asleep, reduce your intake of sugar, alcohol, caffeine, fruits and fruit juices. Trouble staying asleep is often the result of a yang condition. In that case, eliminate meat and baked flour products like bread, bagels, rolls and cakes. Avoid too much salt. Emphasize yin vegetables, especially leafy greens.
Another, more unusual step to consider, is reducing your exposure to electromagnetic fields. A Japanese researcher, Tetsuye Nakazawa, published a study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine showing that office workers who used computers for more than five hours a day were far more prone to insomnia, depression, and irritability than office workers who did not use computers.6
Other studies have shown that variable electromagnetic fields but not static ones in the bedroom impair sleep.7 This effect seems to be stronger for women than for men. 8
A number of epidemiological studies show that people living closer to cell towers show impaired sleep.9 Again, women seem to be more severely affected. Other studies of exposure to cell phone radiation don’t show this effect however.
If you are having trouble sleeping, try minimizing exposure to computers, televisions and cell phones. It can’t hurt and it might help. Disconnect wireless baby monitors and smoke detectors. If you have a wireless security system, you might have to remove batteries from all the devices on doors and windows. Don’t just disarm the system because the devices will still emit wireless radiation.
If you can’t avoid these devices, there are ways to minimize the amount of electromagnetic radiation you absorb from them. The easiest way to reduce exposure to electromagnetic fields is to keep as much distance between you and the device as possible. Try to keep all electronic devices at least three feet away from you.
If you must work with a computer, buy an LCD monitor, which emits only very low levels of magnetic radiation. Shield electric fields from the monitor by using a specially treated glass screen. They are available in any computer store. Be sure you buy a model that specifically states that it reduces electric fields and not just glare. The LCD monitor with a screen will greatly reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields from the computer. Enlarge the font on your computer and get a longer cord for the keyboard so that you can sit farther away. Place all other devices like the hard drive and printers far away from you.
In the bedroom, unplug all devices including the television set. Use a battery-powered alarm clock instead of a digital clock. Chose incandescent lighting instead of fluorescent lighting.
There are several companies that market shielding materials of various kinds. The one I know of can be reached via the internet at www.lessemf.com. I haven’t tried their products but many people find that they help. While I am in no way a devotee of New Age religion, I have friends who are and they swear crystals help them sleep better.
After you have finished using computers, cell phones and other similar devices, go for a walk outdoors in a park or other place with low levels of power lines and other devices.
I am not a big fan of exercise but I find that exercising after I have finished with computers and television for the day does help. However, exercising and then using the computer or going back into a bedroom with wireless devices is useless.
Try these steps for a week and see if your sleep improves. If you really want to minimize exposure to electromagnetic fields, go camping, but not near a cell tower. The first night will be a little hard because the croaking frogs will keep you awake but after you adjust to that, you may sleep more deeply than you have in years.
There are a few common macrobiotic remedies for insomnia often recommended. One is to soak your feet in warm water before going to bed. Another bit of advice that I have not tried is to keep some chopped onion, wrapped in a cloth, under your pillow. If you awaken during the night, sniff at the onion. Supposedly, the onion has a substance that will promote sleep.
Macrobiotic theory teaches that various organs in the body are more active at some times than others. Here is a chart listing the organs and their times of greatest activity.
Lungs 3 AM to 5 AM
Large Intestine 5 AM to 7 AM
Stomach 7 AM to 9 AM
Spleen-Pancreas (considered as one organ system in traditional Asian medicine.) 9 AM to 11 AM
Heart 11 AM to 1 PM
Small Intestine 1 PM to 3 PM
Bladder 3 PM to 5 PM
Kidney ( the adrenal glands and sex organs are often grouped together with the kidneys) 5 PM to 7 PM
Gall Bladder 11 Am to 1 AM
Liver 1 AM to 3 AM
If you find yourself waking up between 1 AM and 3 AM, macrobiotic teachers might tell you that there impaired liver function is disturbing your sleep. This is especially true if you are frequently angry or irritable. You will recall from the discussion of 5-elements theory that anger is the negative emotion associated with the liver. If you wake up between 3 and 5 AM, there might be a lung problem.
The kidneys are active between 7 and 9 PM. Most of us do not go to sleep then but this is the time that we are winding down and our bodies are getting ready for sleep. A problem with the kidneys (or the adrenal glands) will prevent your body from effectively preparing for sleep. According to macrobiotic theory, difficulty sleeping is ultimately traced to disordered kidney function. If the kidneys are too yang, you will be tense and have trouble settling into sleep. If the kidneys are too yin, you will be too nervous and “hyper” to sleep.
Sometimes, the kidneys interact with the liver to disturb sleep. From a macrobiotic point of view, when the liver becomes active, energy will start flowing upward from the liver. The energy from the kidney will “anchor” the energy from the liver and keep it from rising too rapidly. If the liver and kidneys are both healthy, the energy flow will be gradual and you will sleep undisturbed. However, suppose your liver is too yang and your kidneys are too yin. Energy will course out of the liver at a rapid rate and the weak kidney energy will be unable to keep it in check. In this case, you will awake with a jolt, seemingly for no reason.
Incidentally, if you are ordinarily a peaceful person but sometimes you just “lose it”, the reason may be a disordered liver. Great bursts of energy will suddenly rise from the liver—which the kidneys will be unable to balance—and you will experience this explosion of energy from the liver as anger.
Obviously, you will want to balance both your liver and kidneys to improve your sleep.
If your liver is “tight” and too yang, the best foods you can eat are leafy green vegetables. Barley and wheat are excellent foods especially if you use the varieties that have been planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. Roasted barley tea is an excellent beverage. If you are feeling especially tense, use small amounts of barley malt as a sweetener in the tea. Avoid excessive salt and foods that are too yang like meat, eggs and baked flour products. Choose lighter cooking methods like steaming. My personal experience was that my sleep improved greatly when I stopped eating baked flour, especially bagels. If you do crave bread, get sourdough bread and steam it before eating.
Strengthen the kidneys by eating small amounts of low-fat beans. Chickpeas and lentils are good. Azuki beans are especially good. A recipe for azuki bean tea is given in appendix. Drink this hot tea two or three times per week. The minerals found in seaweed are strengthening too but eat small amounts because of the high salt content. Too much seaweed will make you tense and leave you craving sugar. Try the ginger compress in the kidney region.
Still, the best macrobiotic remedy for insomnia seems to be eating a balanced diet free of sugar, fruit juices, meat and baked flour products and avoiding—as much as possible—the electromagnetic fields emanating from computers, cell phones, televisions and other wireless devices.
When you sleep better, you will be amazed at the change in your personality. You will be more patient and less irritable. Your relationships will improve. You will be more efficient at work and make fewer mistakes. Minor health problems like colds and allergies will bother you less. With proper sleep, you will be a whole new person.
1. Krystal, A.D. (2005). Advances in the treatment of insomnia. American Psychiatric Association 2005 annual meeting. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/507421
2. Cheek, R.E., Shaver, J.L., & Lentz, M.J. (2004). Lifestyle practices and nocturnal sleep in women with and without insomnia. Biological Research for Nursing, Vol 6, no 1, pp.46-58.
3. Meintjes AF, Driver HS, Shapiro CM.(1989) Improved physical fitness failed to alter the EEG patterns of sleep in young women. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol.;9(1-2):123-7.
4. Monia Zaouali-Ajina, Abdallah Gharib*, Georges Durand , Noureddine Gazzah**, Bruno Claustrat , Claude Gharib &Nicole Sarda (1999). Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid-Enriched Phospholipids Normalize Urinary Melatonin Excretion in Adult (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Deficient Rats. Journal of Nutrition. 1999;129:2074-2080.)
5. Vgontzas, A. N., Bixler, E. O., Lin, H.M., Prolo, P., Mastorakos, G; Vela-Bueno A., Kales A., & Chrousos G.P. (2001). Chronic insomnia is associated with nyctohemeral activiaiton of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: clinical implications. Journal of Clinical and Endocrinological Metabolisim. 86(8), 87-94.
6. Nakazawa, T., Okubo, Y. Suwazono, Y., Kobayashi, E, Komine, S., Kato, N., & Nogawa, K. (2002). Association between daily VDT use and subjective symptoms. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 42 (5), 421-426.
7. Cook, G.C. (1999). Human sleep in 60 Hz magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics, 20 (5), 277-83.
See also: .Akerstedt T, Arnetz B, Ficca G, Paulsson LE, Kallner A 50-Hz electromagnetic field impairs sleep. J Sleep Res. 1999 Mar;8(1):77-81.
Related Articles, Links
8. Graham, C., Sastre A., & Gerkovich N.M. (2000). Nocturanal magnetic filed exposure: gender-specific effects on heart rate variability and sleep. Clinical Neurophysiology, 111(11) 1934-5.
9. Santini R, Santini P, Danze JM, Le Ruz P, Seigne M.. (2002). Investigation on the health of people living near mobile telephone relay stations: I/Incidence according to distance and sex. Pathol. Biol. 50(10) 621.
Please visit my website at Help For Insomnia. It contains links to companies selling books and other products related to insomnia.
I also have a website selling test preparation material at satmathbook.net
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