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Home > Health Conditions > Insomnia

Insomnia

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  • Not sleeping so well? Eating fiber might help - CNET, 1/16/16 - "a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine zeroes in the specific impact of fiber on sleep, saying it leads to deeper, more restorative rest. The study also suggests more saturated fats and sugar consumed throughout the day have the opposite effect ... The study out of Columbia University associates a higher fiber intake with more time spent in a dreamless deep stage of sleep known as slow-wave sleep ... Fill your day with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and steer clear of too much sugar and saturated fats"
  • Intensive training affects the sleep, performance and mood of athletes, but more carbs may help - Science Daily, 12/11/15 - "the extra time under the covers didn't result in any more actual sleep. "Sleep efficiency was significantly reduced during the intensified training period," the researchers observed, with the number of times the athletes woke throughout the night significantly increased. In addition, the cyclists reported changes in their moods as the study went on, including higher tension, anger, fatigue, confusion, depression and increased feelings and symptoms of stress ... he team concluded that a high carbohydrate regime reduced some, but not all, of the effects of hard training. The moderate-carb athletes recorded more sleep time, but this may demonstrate higher levels of fatigue and a greater need for recovery when following that diet"
  • Long sleep and high blood copper levels go hand in hand - Science Daily, 9/14/15 - "Based on this study, however, it is impossible to say whether sleeping long results in high serum copper concentrations or vice versa" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.
  • The effect of melatonin on sleep and quality of life in patients with advanced breast cancer - Support Care Cancer. 2015 Aug 11 - "Thirty-two patients with metastatic breast cancer, receiving hormonal or trastuzumab therapy, took 5 mg of melatonin at bedtime for 2 months ... Bedtime melatonin was associated with a significant improvement in a marker of objective sleep quality, sleep fragmentation and quantity, subjective sleep, fatigue severity, global quality of life, and social and cognitive functioning scales. Morning clock gene expression was increased following bedtime melatonin intake" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.  I like the peppermint flavored by Source Naturals.
  • iPads, tablets, smartphones disrupt good sleep, study finds - The Washington Post, 12/22/14 - "During a two-week inpatient experiment involving a dozen adults, some participants were asked to read on an iPad for four hours each night before bedtime, for five consecutive nights. Others read printed books in dim light. After a week, the groups switched ... participants using iPads displayed reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone that typically increases in the evening and helps induce sleepiness. They took longer to fall asleep, and spent less time in restorative REM, or rapid-eye movement, sleep ... the iPad readers reported being sleepier and less alert the following morning, even after eight hours of sleep. They also displayed delayed circadian rhythms ... although the study used only iPads, the effect isn't unique to that device. Other products produce similar blue-light emissions, including tablets, e-readers, smartphones, laptops and LED monitors" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
  • New Study Shows Melatonin Makes Old Bones Stronger - Dr. Michael Murray, 6/3/14 - "One of the underlying causes of low melatonin levels as a person ages may be low vitamin B12 levels. Vitamin B12 is a necessary cofactor in the manufacture of melatonin ... Methylcobalamin is the body’s active form of vitamin B12. Methylcobalamin has been shown to help some people suffering from what is referred to as sleep-wake disorder ... In people with sleep wake disorders, taking methylcobalamin (3 mg daily first thing in the morning) has often led to improved sleep quality, increased daytime alertness and concentration, and improved mood. Much of the benefit appears to be a result of methylcobalamin influencing melatonin secretion" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.
  • Higher levels of omega-3 in diet are associated with better sleep, study shows - Science Daily, 3/6/14 - "Of the children rated as having poor sleep, the researchers fitted wrist sensors to 43 of them to monitor their movements in bed over five nights. This exploratory pilot study showed that the children on a course of daily supplements of omega-3 had nearly one hour (58 minutes) more sleep and seven fewer waking episodes per night compared with the children taking the corn or soybean placebo ... higher blood levels of the long-chain omega-3 DHA (the main omega-3 fatty acid found in the brain) are significantly associated with better sleep, including less bedtime resistance, parasomnias and total sleep disturbance. It adds that higher ratios of DHA in relation to the long-chain omega-6 fatty acid AA (arachidonic acid) are also associated with fewer sleep problems" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
  • Dietary amino acids improve sleep problems in mice with traumatic brain injury - Science Daily, 12/11/13 - "the scientists gave the injured mice a dietary therapy of branched chain amino acids -- which humans get most often through foods high in protein, including red meat, poultry and eggs. Branched chain amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by neurons in the brain. Like the oil in a car engine, branched chain amino acids keep neurons running smoothly and boost neuron excitability. The branched chain amino acids restored the orexin neurons in the injured mice to a normal activity level, and improved wakefulness ... If a dietary supplement can improve sleeping and waking patterns as well as cognitive problems, it could help brain-injured patients regain crucial functions ... human patients with a variety of disorders have been treated with branched chain amino acid therapy for up to two years without adverse effects" - See BCAA products at Amazon.com.
  • The relationship between metformin therapy and sleep quantity and quality in patients with Type 2 diabetes referred for potential sleep disorders - Diabet Med. 2013 Nov 16 - "Given that sleep disorders are known to be related to insulin resistance, and metformin has favourable effects on insulin resistance and on ventilatory drive, we sought to determine whether metformin therapy was related to sleep variables in a group of patients with Type 2 diabetes ... Total sleep time and sleep efficiency were higher in metformin-treated patients than in patients not treated with metformin [total sleep time: 6 h 39 min vs. 6 h 3 min, respectively (P = 0.002); sleep efficiency: 77.9 +/- 12.3 vs. 71.5 +/- 17.2%, respectively" - See metformin at IAS.
  • Melatonin Prolonged Release : In the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients Aged ≥55 years - Drugs Aging. 2012 Oct 9 - "Melatonin prolonged release (PR) 2 mg is approved for the treatment of primary insomnia characterized by poor sleep quality in patients aged ≥55 years in the EU and elsewhere ... Administration of melatonin PR 2 mg 1-2 h before bedtime mimics the natural secretion pattern of melatonin, thereby leading to improvements in the circadian regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. In older adults, melatonin PR 2 mg had no effect on psychomotor functions, memory recall or driving skills during the night or the next morning relative to placebo, and was associated with significantly less impairment on many of these tasks relative to zolpidem 10 mg alone or in combination with melatonin PR 2 mg. In 3-week and 6-month, randomized, double-blind clinical trials in patients with primary insomnia aged ≥55 years, melatonin PR 2 mg 1-2 h before bedtime was associated with significant improvements relative to placebo in many sleep and daytime parameters, including sleep quality and latency, morning alertness and health-related quality of life. Melatonin PR 2 mg was very well tolerated in clinical trials in older patients, with a tolerability profile that was similar to that of placebo. Short- or longer-term treatment with melatonin PR 2 mg was not associated with dependence, tolerance, rebound insomnia or withdrawal symptoms" - See Source Naturals, Melatonin, Peppermint Flavored Sublingual, 2.5 mg, 240 Tablets.
  • Light from self-luminous tablet computers can affect evening melatonin, delaying sleep - Science Daily, 8/27/12 - "To produce white light, these electronic devices must emit light at short wavelengths, which makes them potential sources for suppressing or delaying the onset of melatonin in the evening, reducing sleep duration and disrupting sleep. This is particularly worrisome in populations such as young adults and adolescents, who already tend to be night owls ... Melatonin suppression after a one-hour exposure to the tablet was not significantly affected. However, after a two-hour exposure there was significant suppression" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
  • Valerian may ease menopausal sleep woes - msnbc.com, 8/30/11 - "For the new study, researchers in Iran randomly assigned 100 postmenopausal women with insomnia to take either two valerian capsules or inactive placebo capsules every day for a month ... Overall, the study found, 30 percent of the women assigned to valerian reported an improvement in their sleep quality -- which includes factors like how long it takes to fall asleep at night and how often a person wakes up overnight ... In contrast, only four percent of women taking the placebo reported better sleep ... Women in this study reported no side effects ... Women in the current study took two valerian capsules a day, each containing 530 milligrams of valerian root extract. Both the valerian and placebo capsules they used were made specifically for the study ... A recent report by ConsumerLab.com, an independent testing company, found that of nine valerian supplements sold in the U.S., five had lower amounts of the herb than indicated on the packaging. That included one product with no valerian in it at all" - See valerian root at Amazon.com.
  • Effect of valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial - Menopause. 2011 Jul 14 - "About 50% of postmenopausal women experience sleep disturbances such as insomnia ... A randomized, triple-blind, controlled trial design was used for this study. Participants consisted of 100 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 60 years who were experiencing insomnia. A demographic data form and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to collect data. The women were randomly divided into two groups. Each group received either 530 mg of concentrated valerian extract or a placebo twice a day for 4 weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data ... A statistically significant change was reported in the quality of sleep of the intervention group in comparison with the placebo group (P < 0.001). Also, 30% of the participants in the intervention group and 4% in the placebo group showed an improvement in the quality of sleep" - Note:  My sleep combo is two Nature's Way, Valerian Nighttime, Odor Free, 100 Tablets, one Jarrow Formulas, Theanine 200, 200 mg, 60 Capsules and three Source Naturals, Melatonin, Peppermint Flavored Sublingual, 1 mg, 300 Tablets.
  • Passion flower may boost sleep quality: Study - Nutra USA, 2/17/11 - "sleep quality showed a significantly better rating for the passion flower compared to the placebo, with an increase of over five percent in sleep quality reported" - [Abstract] - See Passion flower products at iHerb.  Also see valerian, lemon balm, theanine and melatonin.
  • A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Investigation of the Effects of Passiflora incarnata (Passionflower) Herbal Tea on Subjective Sleep Quality - Phytother Res. 2011 Feb 3 - "Passiflora incarnata is a traditional herbal sedative, anxiolytic and a popular sleep aid used for the treatment of sleep disturbance ... Forty-one participants (18-35 years) were exposed to each treatment for a week, whereby they consumed a cup of the tea and filled out a sleep diary for 7 days, and completed Spielberger's state-trait anxiety inventory on the seventh morning. Ten participants also underwent overnight PSG on the last night of each treatment period. Of six sleep-diary measures analysed, sleep quality showed a significantly better rating for passionflower compared with placebo (t(40) = 2.70, p < 0.01). These initial findings suggest that the consumption of a low dose of Passiflora incarnata, in the form of tea, yields short-term subjective sleep benefits for healthy adults with mild fluctuations in sleep quality" - See Passion flower products at iHerb.  Also see valerian, lemon balm, theanine and melatonin.
  • Isoflavones May Reduce Insomnia Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women - Medscape, 2/9/11 - "For the isoflavone group vs the placebo group, sleep efficiency measured by polysomnography increased significantly (from 77.9% to 83.9% vs from 77.6% to 81.2%). In addition, frequency of insomnia was reduced more readily in the isoflavone group. At the beginning of the study, 94.7% of women in the placebo group had moderate or intense insomnia compared with 63.2% at the end of the study; whereas in the isoflavone group these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively ... Isoflavones were also effective in reducing the number of hot flashes in postmenopausal women with insomnia compared with the placebo group (P = .001). This trend became apparent after 2 months of treatment, but the results became significant only after the fourth month of treatment. The intensity of hot flashes was significantly lower in the isoflavone group than in the placebo group at both evaluation points (months 2 and 4 of treatment; 1.6 vs 5.8 and 0.5 vs 3.8; P < .001)" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
  • Progesterone Prevents Sleep Disturbances and Modulates GH, TSH, and Melatonin Secretion in Postmenopausal Women - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Feb 2 - "Progesterone had no effect on undisturbed sleep but restored normal sleep when sleep was disturbed (while currently available hypnotics tend to inhibit deep sleep), acting as a "physiologic" regulator rather than as a hypnotic drug. Use of progesterone might provide novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of sleep disturbances, in particular in aging where sleep is fragmented and of lower quality" - See progesterone products at iHerb.
  • Room light before bedtime may impact sleep quality, blood pressure and diabetes risk - Science Daily, 1/13/11 - "exposure to electrical light between dusk and bedtime strongly suppresses melatonin levels and may impact physiologic processes regulated by melatonin signaling, such as sleepiness, thermoregulation, blood pressure and glucose homeostasis ... researchers evaluated 116 healthy volunteers aged 18-30 years who were exposed to room light or dim light in the eight hours preceding bedtime for five consecutive days. An intravenous catheter was inserted into the forearms of study participants for continuous collection of blood plasma every 30-60 minutes for melatonin measurements. Results showed exposure to room light before bedtime shortened melatonin duration by about 90 minutes when compared to dim light exposure. Furthermore, exposure to room light during the usual hours of sleep suppressed melatonin by greater than 50 percent" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
  • Aerobic exercise relieves insomnia - Science Daily, 9/15/10 - "Exercise improved the participants' self-reported sleep quality, elevating them from a diagnosis of poor sleeper to good sleeper. They also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality and less daytime sleepiness"
  • Isoflavones decrease insomnia in postmenopause - Menopause. 2010 Aug 19 - "Polysomnography revealed a significant increase in sleep efficiency in the isoflavone group (from 77.9% to 83.9%) when compared with the placebo group (from 77.6% to 81.2%). Isoflavones induced a decrease in the intensity and number of hot flashes and the frequency of insomnia: among the women in the placebo group, 94.7% had moderate or intense insomnia at the beginning of the study, compared with 63.2% at the end, whereas in the isoflavone group, these percentages were 89.5% and 36.9%, respectively" - See soy isoflavones at Amazon.com.
  • Insomnia Is Bad For The Heart; Increases Blood Pressure - Science Daily, 9/4/09 - "A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened nighttime blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems"
  • Does valerian improve sleepiness and symptom severity in people with restless legs syndrome? - Altern Ther Health Med. 2009 Mar-Apr;15(2):22-8 - "The results of this study suggest that the use of 800 mg of valerian for 8 weeks improves symptoms of RLS and decreases daytime sleepiness in patients that report an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of 10 or greater. Valerian may be an alternative treatment for the symptom management ofRLS with positive health outcomes and improved quality of life" - See valerian root at Amazon.com.
  • Efficacy of prolonged release melatonin in insomnia patients aged 55-80 years: quality of sleep and next-day alertness outcomes - Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Sep 14 - "PR-melatonin results in significant and clinically meaningful improvements in sleep quality, morning alertness, sleep onset latency and quality of life in primary insomnia patients aged 55 years and over" - See melatonin at Amazon.com.
  • Carbs May Help You Fall Asleep Faster - WebMD, 2/14/07 - "Carbs which quickly raise blood sugar (those with a high glycemic index) may hasten sleep, especially when eaten four hours before bedtime ... The men fell asleep fastest after eating the jasmine rice meal four hours before bedtime. It took them nine minutes, on average, to fall asleep that night ... They were slowest to fall asleep after eating the long-grain rice meal four hours before bedtime, taking nearly 18 minutes, on average, to fall asleep"
  • Seditol helps sleepless in Cincinnati - Nutra USA, 6/15/06 - "Ninety-two percent of the subjects reported Seditol helped them relax and 89 percent reported it helped reduce fatigue due to lack of sleep" - See Seditol at iHerb.
  • Stopping Jet Lag Before It Starts - WebMD, 11/2/05 - "The body clocks of those who took melatonin adapted better to the new schedule. The higher dose of melatonin fared best in that regard, but not by much. Plus, people who took the higher dose were sleepier in the evenings after taking the pill"
  • Melatonin to Fight Insomnia: Timing Is Key - WebMD, 10/25/05 - "melatonin was most effective in resetting the body's internal, or circadian, clock when it was timed to the individual's sleep patterns ... If you only want to induce sleep you can take it about two hours before you want to go to sleep"
  • Melatonin for Jet Lag and Sleep Disorders - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/04 - "Those given melatonin reported improved sleep latency and morning “restedness,” and had higher scores on the California Verbal Learning Test" - See iHerb melatonin products.
  • Short Insomnia Therapy Beats Sleeping Pills - WebMD, 9/27/04
  • Sleep easy with green tea - Nutra USA, 3/16/04 - "200mg of L-theanine or a placebo ... all subjects reported a significant absence of feeling exhausted and a reduced need for sleep when administered with the L-theanine, compared to the placebo"
  • Morning Exercise May Help You Sleep - WebMD, 11/4/03
  • Sleep Problems, Anxiety May Be Connected - WebMD, 9/12/03 - "both sleep and mood problems may result from a lack of the same brain chemical ... The brain chemical -- gamma-aminobutryric acid, or GABA -- is involved in regulating brain activity ... Specifically, GABA deficiencies interfere with the most important stage of sleep -- the "deep" delta sleep" - See iHerb GABA products.
  • Nighttime Computer Users May Lose Sleep - WebMD, 6/20/03 - "the bright light of a computer screen may alter the body's biological clock and suppress the natural production of melatonin that's critical to the normal sleep-wake cycle" - See iHerb melatonin products.
  • Herbal With Valerian Helps Treat Sleep-Onset Insomnia - Clinical Psychiatry News, 5/03 - "Those who took the supplement experienced a significant decrease in subjective sleep latency from baseline of 12.61 minutes, according to daily sleep diaries. Patients taking the placebo experienced an average increase of 7.98 minutes in subjective sleep latency ... Blissful Sleep contains 160 mg of valerian and smaller amounts of Rosa centifolia, Nardostachys jatamansi, Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera, Piper nigrum, Alpinia galangal, Convolvulus pluricalis, and Glycyrrhiza glabra" - See iHerb valerian products.  My favorite is Valerian Nighttime at iHerb.
  • Melatonin Appears Safe for Child Insomniacs - Clinical Psychiatry News, 3/03 - "Melatonin appears to be a safe and effective treatment for children with insomnia ... The average age of the patients was 9.6 years ... Dr. Ivanenko, who is a child psychiatrist at the University of Louisville (Ky.), said she typically starts children at 1-5 mg of melatonin and titrates up to as much as 8-10 mg in adolescents" - See iHerb melatonin products.

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