Holistic tips to fight insomnia

March 4, 2010 — A survey from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that overall, more than one in 10 people, or 11.1 percent, did not get enough sleep or rest on any night in the past 30 days.

There are many causes of insomnia but most of them seem to be connected to our unhealthy approach to dealing with stress and not having peace of mind.

Worrying about finances, all the things we need to do or all the things going wrong, creates fear, nervousness, and anxiousness in our bodies. Certified hypnotherapist and teacher of natural healings, ChicagoHealers.com practitioner Karen Erickson offers the following holistic ways to fight insomnia.

1. Explore hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is a type of treatment in which the patient is in a state of sleep and guided through healing. A hypnotherapist can:

• Train your brain to go to sleep when you crawl into bed at night, to let go all your fears and worries.

• Help you get rid of your anxieties, fears, and panic attacks by helping you find the true cause of the fears and release them.

• Give you suggestions to handle stress better throughout the day and give you tools to reinforce staying centered and peaceful.

• Bring you back in balance so you handle life better.

2. Cut caffeine. Cut out caffeine completely or drink only low sugar-free caffeine drinks, such as green or white tea.

3. Have quiet time. Meditate at least 30 minutes a day. Go for walks or do yoga.

4. No late night eating. Don’t eat food three hours before going to bed.

5. Eat healthy. Eat regular healthy meals throughout the day. Don’t go long periods of time without eating and then fill up on junk food.

6. Try chamomile. Drink chamomile tea at night to help ease you into sleep.

7. Take supplements. Take a good quality magnesium supplement, which helps muscles relax and relieves anxiousness. Take valerian root herbal supplement right before bedtime which helps with the calming of the mind

8. No nighttime TV. Don’t watch TV in your bed at night. You will not have peaceful sleep with constant noise going on in the background programming your unconscious mind.

9. Make sure your room is dark. The darker the room the better. Light disrupts the production of healthy neurotransmitters

Source: ChicagoHealers.com, www.ChicagoHealers.com