Sleep aid

Sleep disorders:

When there is either too much or not enough sleep, or abnormal sleep behavior, these result in disturbances and affect our sleep. Since we sleep in stages which occur on a regluar nightly basis every 90-120 minutes, the actual periods of deep sleep (those that allow us to feel rested) become longer from one sleep stage to the next. Insomnia is either difficulty in falling asleep (sleep-onset insomnia) or difficulty in remaining asleep (sleep-maintenance insomnia). This can be due to various factors including, irregular sleep schedule, use of stimulants (especially later in the evening), too much fluid intake, sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, presence of pain due to medical reasons, stress, worry, anxiety, depression.

The three principal sleep disorders are Insomnia, Sleep Apnea and Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS).

Some recommendations:

• For Insomnia a hot foot bath with mustard powder taken before bedtime can help.
• Meditation, listening to music and other methods to stop the mind.
• For insomnia taking a natural sleep aid like a plant extract such as Herbs Etc Deep Sleep or Nervine Tonic
• For Sleep Apnea an overnight polysomnography and the recommended treatment is a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for the nasal passage) with dietary recommendations and supplemental support.
• For Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), take folic acid 10-30 mg, iron and magnesium supplementation and 500-600 mg of calcium
• Ask the advice of a Naturopath for a personalized approach