Most of us have experienced insomnia (the inability to asleep) at some point in our lives. Usually, this is a short-term problem. However, there are a few individuals who suffer from chronic insomnia. Although chronic insomnia can be addressed by your doctor, there are a few strategies you can try to combat this normally innocuous nuisance before resorting to medications.

Tryptophan

The amino acid tryptophan is used in the human to produce the hormone serotonin. Serotonin contols the sleep-wake cycle. Foods high in tryptophan such as pumpkin seeds and turkey can sometimes help to relax an individual and make them tired. Because the process of tryptophan conversion can take a few hours, trying this strategy a few hours befor you intend to sleep may work best.

It's important to note that tryptophan can cause drowsiness - Can be dangerous to drive while taking tryptophan since it can cause drowsiness.

Calcium

calcium can depress the central nervous system (and nerve conduction in general) thus helping you to sleep. It's not a good idea to take excessive amounts of calcium to sleep, since excessive amounts can be accumulate in tissues and cause calcification, leading to long term serious health problems. However, if you "time" your daily calcium supplemtation towards the evening, this strategy can provide the calcium your body requires and cause relaxation or drowsiness at the same time.

Glucose

Sometimes a sugar-containing snack can help you to become drowsy fairly quickly. When we eat a meal containing carbohydrates, the pancreas releases insulin. The pancreas is a gland which produces hormones for digestion. One of these hormones is insulin. This hormone functions in lowering the level of sugar in the blood from the meal we just consumed. Consuming a snack high in sugar gives us an initial energy boost because once it is digested, the level of sugar in the blood temporarily rises. However, in response to this high level of sugar in the blood, the pancreas liberates a surge of insulin into the blood. This newly released insulin has the job of forcing the sugar (glucose) out of the blood stream and into the musles and liver, to be stored for later use. However, because of the sudden rise in sugar, the pancreas can liberate a slightly higher amount of insulin than is needed to lower the blood sugar to normal levels. Because of the slightly higher amount of insulin, the blood sugar is lowered 'ast normal levels and can bring it to even lower than normal levels. With this new temporary low blood sugar, the brain is now receiving slighly less glucose and becomes slightly 'drowsy'. We interpret this as sleepy and seek rest.

Tip - Keep in mind that this strategy does NOT mean, 'the more glucose you consume, the more tired you will become.' If high amounts of glucose are consumed, the body will react by storing as much as it can within the liver and muscle tissue. After these tissues are 'saturated' with sugar, the excess sugar can be converted into fat tissue.

Caffeine

Overindulgence with caffeine -containing products such as coffees, teas and chocolates can result in poor sleep quality to say the least. Caffeine is a stimulant that has an amphetamine-like effect on the body. Stimulants in general can temporarily increase adrenaline production, brain activity, raise blood pressure, increase nerve transmission, and muscle one. All of these stimulating effects are directed towards keeping you awake and lower your ability to sleep.

Because caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline (epinephrine) from the adrenal glands, several temporary side effects can occur, such as increased heart rate,palpitations, increased nerve activity and thus ;nervousness' without the 'normal genuine conscious reasons' for becoming nervous.

Caffeine also acts as a diiuretic. Diuretics cause water loss from the kidney. And as we know, one of the functions of the kidneys are to filter the blood in order to rid it of excess salts, water and detoxified substances. Thus, too much caffeine, especiallly before bedtime, and can be almost guaranteed to be awakened by the urge to make a trip to the bathroom.

Caffeine is also a stimulant of gastric acid production. Caffeine at any time can increase hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. This alone can cause discomfort or pain, not to mention an ulcer. When you lie in a horizontal position with incrased acid production, the watery acidic secretion can flow upward into the esophagus (throat) and cause inflammation and pain of course. None of this helps you sleep.

Lowering your consumption of caffeine, or even discontinuing use for a couple of weeks can completely reverse insomnia.

TIP - Keep in mind that symptoms of caffeine withdrawal can occur upon sudden cessation, especially if you are accumstomed to consuming high amounts of tea or coffee on a daily basis. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include headache and sometimes mild depression. These symptoms are usually temporary, but what some people do is lower the amount each day over the week until they've reduced their level to about one serving (eg 1 average coofee or tea) per day and then just quit.

Non-dietary strategies

Naps

Although naps may benefit some people, they may not be for you. You can see if this works for you through tirial and error. After you've tried the other strategies on this page, you should normally be able to have a catnap if need be, and still sleep well in the evening. If naps are giving you too much sleep in the afternoon and thus preventing sleep in the evening, stopping the naps usually helps.

TIP - If you are sleeping well in the evening, you normally won't need a nap. Nevertheless, some people find an afternoon nap both relaxing and refreshing, which is fantastic. However, if you don't want to nap because it's affecting your normal sleep pattern, yet are fatiqued during the day, you must ask yourself the reason for this. Daytime fatigue can be from reasons other than lack of sleep (diet, nutrition, stress, medications, noise, schedule, lifestyle, etc.) and must be addressed and corrected.

Take into account that while using these strategies to correct your sleep pattern, you may feel fatiqued for a few days. This is normal and temporary (a few days or so.) and subsides.

Stress is another cause of insomnia. Stressful or unpleasant thoughts can arise in the evening while we are most vulnerable because we are usually not thinking as much and this is when unpleasant thourhgs may arise.

Stress can cause insomnia because unpleasant thoughts or worrying causes adrenaline production and release. As we''ve discussed, adrenaline is a strong stimulant and can keep you awake.

Fortunately, adrenaline is fast acting, but the immediate effects are short-lived. the problem that can occur with repetitive worrying is that continued adrenaline release can also affect blood sugar levels, and other hormone levels. The effects of altered blood sugar levels and other hormones can last for hours and therefore, affect sleep.

Strategies to combat stress and promote sleep

Meditation
During the eveining, if you aren't required to use your brain for significant work and would like to relax, some of the above strategies can lower brain activity (calcium, tryptophan, etc.).

Other strategies include meditation, or training yourself to empty your mind of immediate thoughts by concentrating on an image or even a thought. Sometimes hanging a picture on the wall of a relaxing scene such as the country, or the beach can help you relax. Closing the eyes and generating a relaxing image can equally help.

Reading

Reading is a very effective supplement for relaxing. Reading helps you forget other thoughts by focusing on the subject of the book, magazine, etc. I find that academic or fact-retaining material works best sometimes. This is because retaining the facts causes the brain to work and this causes mental fatige after a period. Of course, others may prefer a relaxing story, and this can be equally effective.

Light and Melatonin

Light can inhibit sleep because of chemical reasons alone. Although your eyelids may be closed, any light that penetrates still stimulates the retina (back of the eye). Once light stimulates the retina, nerve impulses transmitted to the brain cause melatonin production. Melatonin helps to control the sleep-wake cycle. Because we associate sunlight with normal living and thus keeping awake, if unwanted light is present while you are trying to sleep, it may keep you awake.

If any light sources are interfering with relaxation after turning off the main light, eye patches work well.

Noise reduction Although this seems obvious, many of us believe we can sleep well with noise present. We may be able to, but noise definitely increases brain activity. Different types of noises can cause the brain to interpret them as possible threats, causing partial or complete awakening. And of course, noises can also stimulate dreams to occur and adrenaline release. Overall, this can result in a poor night's rest.

If residual noise is present, soft earplugs can help. If ear plugs fail to help (ie., noise is still 'getting through'), you may find that relaxing music is even more advantageous, since it will drown out negative noises and provide the brain with soothing and relaxing sounds.

Comfort
The little things sometimes mean so much. An inexpensive pair of soft comfy cotton socks and loose comfortable nightwear are more relaxing than tight, 'grabbing' clothing. Some people find it even more comfy to sleep with minimal or even no clothing. If this is the case, then soft, clean sheets are a must.

Many synthetic (man-made) fibers can cause ithching, dermatitis, and as a result, a terrible sleep.

Temperature
Temperature is another factor which can govern the way we sleep. Temperatures either too hot or cold can cause ineffective sleeps. When the temperature is too warm, you lose water, and your throat becomes dry. This not only causes s 'sticky throat'. and possible snoring, but can cause problems in the morhing upon awakening, such as dry, irritated, or mucus-laden sinues, a 'pasty' feeling in the mouth that can last for hours and early morning fatique, due to dehydration (and poor sleep quality).

Cold temperatures can affect sleep as well. Sometimes a cool sleep is helpful and beneficial. However, extreme cold while sleeping should always be avoided. On cold nights, it can be dangerous to leave the window open, as room temperatures can drup to dangerous levels. That aside, cold temperatures cause microscopic shivering increases in muscle tissue. This can cause restless sleeps.

If you're trying to lower your energy bill and want to combine this with a decent night's sleep, the best investment you can make is a soft, comfy, and warm duvet. A decent duvet and cotton cover can keep virtually all of your bodily produced heat inside the blanket thereby not compelling you to turn the heat on high during sleep.

For married couples only!

Love-making is another excellent way to combat insomnia. Love-making obviously expends energy and therefore, can help you to burn extra energy you may have in the evening.

Love-making also reduces levels of stress since you are concentrating on your partner and not other thoughts. The orgasm also causes the release of of opiate-like hormones in the brain, which in turn, causse euphoria and relaxation.

Some final points

In the clinical setting, we find that trying these strategies combats 99.9 percent of all cases of insomnia.

If you've given these tips an honest try and stil have problems sleepint, then a visit to your doctor is a wise choice. The usual reason found by a doctor for insomnia is either the reasons above any, or STRESS that simply is NOT being controlled by the patient. More rarely are any medical conditions that cause insomnia, but in the unlikely event that your doctor suspects a medical condition may be causing insomnia, he or she can have you take a few simple tests to find out, and address the problem acccordingly.

It's easy for me to tell you to reduce your stress. However, it may be difficult for you because sometimes, life is hard to deal with and this is understandable.
The doctor may give you a mild sleeping aid which is usually affective. many doctors will give tryptophan tablets, which can be given on prescription. There are a few other medications that your doctor can give you. Some of the mild ones are amytriptyline, which is used for many things such as back pain, mild depression and insomnia. Your doctor may also give you something a bit stronger such as valium or related drug. These medicines work well, but they come with their side effects, such as drowsiness sometimes inthe morning. And we musn't forget that valium can cause dependency. Your doctor should discuss these issues with you as well, but it's safe to say, if you can, always try the natural strategies first, since they are the safest and can promote great sleep for life.