October 21, 2020 general

In last week’s blog, Part 1, we discussed the problems with sleep drugs as well as how habits and lifestyle factors can improve our rest. Now let us look at natural support.

• Brain Light Pro. Most people acquire (rent to own or buy) one of these wonderful devices for brain damage, anxiety, depression, stroke recovery, general brain health and memory, etc. But, I find that a nightly 20-minute session is wonderfully relaxing. I have even used it when I awoke at 3 AM on a Saturday and really, really needed to get back to sleep before the radio show. So simple, just rest the crown of red lights around your head and push a button. The healing light penetrates deeply where it reduces inflammation and improves circulation in the brain. No pill does that!
• Supplements.
  • Magnesium. I think it makes sense to first try a nutrient that we need anyway for other purposes. Magnesium has hundreds of jobs in the body and is lacking in the US diet. It is very relaxing for muscles and nerves. One form that specifically connects to the brain and that I have found helpful for sleep is magnesium threonate. I take one every night. It should be available in most stores. (HBN has no connection to Lucky vitamin.)
  • Combination. Jarrow’s Sleep Optimizer is a nice formula with popular sleep herbs, neurotransmitters and melatonin. (Jarrow is a longtime valued HBN sponsor.)
  • Ashwagandha. Long appreciated as a stress reducer, recent research points to sleep and insomnia benefits from the gentle herb ashwagandha. It is an adaptogen—meaning that, unlike drugs which force a process one direction, an adaptogen increases or decreases function moving toward normal. That is much safer.
  • Melatonin. This hormone is released in the brain and in the intestinal tract. It is well known to help with sleep and jet lag. I recommend starting with a small amount, either 1 mg or even half of that. Some people take too much, and it does not work well. You might have heard news that melatonin was one component of President Trump’s covid19 treatment along with vitamin D, zinc and medications. This study tells why. Take it at least 30-60 minutes before bed so it can get busy. Buying a sublingual make sense because you can have it on the nightstand and not need to get up for water.
  • CBD. CBD is known for being relaxing. For many folks, working on relaxation all day makes restful sleep easier to come by than hoping to turn off stress suddenly just because the clock says it is bedtime. We recommend our sponsor CV Sciences Plus CBD.
  • Homeopathic help. The simplest and least expensive homeopathic is the single remedy coffea cruda. It does the opposite of coffee and is helpful even if you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind seems to be racing. (The dose is 5 tiny pellets that go into the lid when you turn it. I keep mine in the nightstand already primed with 5 ready to put under my tongue as needed.) Dr. King has a helpful Sleep Aid spray that is very easy to use and addresses many reasons for sleeplessness.

If pain keeps you awake. Pain medications have side effects which can be very serious. I believe that the best approach is to safely and completely fix what is causing the pain. Nothing does that as well as Infiniti Stem Cell Therapy. Instead of side effects, people report a wide range of “fringe benefits”. (Infinity Stem Cell Therapy is a sponsor of the show but know this: I begged them to become one because I was so blown away by the results people including my family were getting.) Call (972) 303-0683 and ask for a valuable but  complimentary consultation.

Mental tricks to turn off the mental “to-do list”. I find it helps to have already written down my to-do list so that I can let it go. But, if I need to distract myself from rehashing issues of the day or thinking about what is coming, prayer is a wonderful solution.  But, I also have a simple and slightly silly trick that works because it takes a tiny bit of concentration to keep my mind from wandering. I count off various things alphabetically on my fingers while breathing deeply with each item. Any category of items will work—the US states, state capitals, vegetables, car brands*, items at the hardware store, etc. *(Cars are my newest fun one and watching for new ones passes the time on the highway…they don’t make me sleepy there.)

Sweet dreams!