Sleep

1. I Know What Wakes Me Up or Keeps Me Awake

A.  Pain - This is a no-brainer.  Who sleeps well while in pain?   You must understand that the pain is a signal of an imbalance and it is not a Tylenol deficiency.  The general etiologies of the causes of pain and general remedies are in that document.  Some specific causes of joint and muscle pain and related remedies are in that document. This is not a sleep problem; it is an inflammation problem.

B.   Restlessness – This means tossing and turning, as the body feels like it needs to move/stretch to get comfortable, and in a few minutes, we need to move/stretch again.   For some there is voluntary moving the leg to make it feel better, and for others there are involuntary spasms of the leg.   Restless leg syndrome falls into this category.   The most common cause of the voluntary movement is poor circulation  (Regular use of a vibration massage pad helps with circulation issues from inactivity in convalescence.  There are elecro-medicine devices that are helpful here to improve circulation.)  If the circulation remedies don’t completely resolve the situation, look into possible kidney imbalances (often it involves circulation though the kidneys so circulation should be addressed first).    Feeling a need to stretch and then stretch and then stretch some more whilst lying in bed signals kidney/bladder issues.  This is from acid buildup. The the urinary document has many other indicators that the urinary system is imbalanced (along with basic remedies) so you can see if you fit the ‘kidney’ profile.   Finally, jerky movements are indicators of nerve inflammation.  This can arise from long term acid buildup.  These people may find themselves more susceptible to viral issues.

C.   Cannot fall asleep – just remain plain awake – no tossing and turning, no busy thoughts, just awake, with maybe a sense of being a little 'wired'.  This can be a sign of an autonomic nervous system imbalance, or the liver not pulling certain irritants out of the blood.  So I would do CA ATC (#826-3) 2-3b since calcium is sedative and this is an herbal calcium.  Or take T/R Valerian(#721-1) 1D, 1b (my personal favorite).  Valerian is indicated when people feel irritable or edgy during the day or their foot or knee goes into continuous motion while the rest of their body is still.
And I have had several cases where this 'cannot fall asleep' is a grounding problem.  That is, the nervous system is agitated by accumulated static charges so check out the grounding post.
In the strange-but-true category, the introduction of energy efficient LED lighting presents a spectrum of light to our eyes that inhibits the production of our own melatonin which induces sleep.  The enhanced blue part of the spectrum is the culprit.  Blue-blocking glasses, amber light bulbs, adjusting the screen display on computers and electronic devices are important interventions that allow our melatonin to be produced.
If there are other liver indicators, then N Acetyl Cysteine (#509-7) works great.
Finally I've found that deficiency in some neurotransmitters leaves us wide awake.  5HTP (#2806-4) may be helpful as well as specific electro-medicine devices which stimulate our natural neurotransmitters production.

D.  Leg cramps – Generally the calves are affected and the restlessness remedies above will work.  If these don’t and the large muscles of the calves are where the problems are, then the endocrine document adrenal remedies are the ones to investigate.  Other indications of adrenal imbalance are listed in that post to see if you have an adrenal contribution to your leg cramps.

E.   Urination, that is, frequent urination wakes you all night – If you have other signs of kidney/bladder/prostate problems then check out that document for general remedies.  Another common problem is lowered bladder volume due to crowding or pressure from other neighboring organs in the lower pelvic.  Generally the bowel is the culprit and that document has some things to clear it up if you fit that profile.  To begin remedying the problem, do the Abdominal Massage.  This is a cheap, quick and easy fix.  Commit to it for just one month and see how much better you feel AND how much longer you can sleep between potty calls.  This helps also with incontinence.

F.   Snoring/Sleep Apnea.  This is another one of those ‘has many contributors’ kind of problem, soooo let’s parse it out (BTW surgery and blowing air up the nose does not address the root cause, however, a CPAP may be necessary in the interim.)  No matter what the cause,  CoQ10 seems to noticeably mitigate the problem as the underlying cause is being addressed.

1.  Sinus is swollen – The respiratory document gives many suggestions and the Sinus recipes document as well.  People tell me that the TeiFu wick greatly mitigates the stuffiness all day as well as the snoring all night.  Cheap remedy.  Try it.  Keep in mind sinus and snoring problem begin with poor digestion, so address the gut for the long term fix.  Often digestive aides help here (like Fenugreek and Thyme (#885-1))  Do 3B, 3D and inside 1 week you will know if it works.  That said, if you are causing your inflammation via diet, start there.
2. Lymph retention in the head/neck area.  An indicator that this is a problem is that this person generally does not have a visible jawbone line, that is, their cheek blends with their neck.  This can signal kidney or circulation problems or both with attendant high blood pressure.  Check out those docs to see if you fit the profile.  The pressure of the retained water affects the esophageal cross-sectional area, that is, reduces the opening size that air goes through, especially when lying on the back.  Lymphatic drainage techniques can reveal the jawline and reduce the double chin and the retained fluid pressure in the neck.  Pulsed EMF applied to the tonsil reflex is especially helpful.
3. Abdominal pressure executed up through the esophagus, that is, a bloated abdomen pushes up on the stomach which in turn pushes up on the esophagus which forces a narrowing at the back of the throat when lying on the back.  This is very common and these people usually also report some occasional trouble swallowing, esophageal spasms and/or acid reflux.  Cleaning out the intestines/digestion, and doing the Abdominal Massage will remedy both problems. This upward pressure can be fatal in that the pressure also acts on the heart while reclining. People who must sleep in a recliner should follow both of these recommendations diligently.
4. A weak/stuck diaphragm can be a contributor.  That is, the breathing muscle, which draws in our air is either weak due to lack of exercise or impaired by a full abdomen.  Several sessions of deep belly breathing a day should help, and doing the Abdominal Massage is also corrective.

G.  Mental Chatter/busy mind comes from a nervous system that is stressed with unresolved problems.  If the remedies in that document don’t completely solve the problem, you can try GABA Plus (#1823-6) 2-3b which has a good reputation for calming a busy mind.  These situations are attended by high stress levels so the recommendations in the Emotional Stress Release doc should be applied nightly.  If even this doesn’t help you may need to make an appointment.

H.   Nightmares are indicators of the kinds of beliefs that torment our soul.  As such they are gentle pointers to what past traumas we need to come to terms with.  These beliefs are often a result of childhood trauma but could accompany Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Adults and children are often helped by the Flower Essences.  In this situation it would be good to make an appointment to determine which one would be best.  Alternatively you can face the issues permanently by doing the exercises in my book.

I.    Sweating  - This is NOT just a female problem.  Often men tell me they have to get up and change clothes at night.  If you are just doing the sweating at night, it is a healing sign and should pass when your liver resolves the problem - and it will resolve faster if you give it help w/liver herbs at breakfast.  If this is a serious, long-standing or recurrent problem the Gentle Liver Cleanse would be an important therapy to close this chapter.  (Add the NAC assist.)  If the sweating occurs day and night then the endocrines are involved and it may be related to hypoglycemia with exhausted adrenals contributing.  Sometimes the heat is from too much prescribed thyroid hormone.  The endocrine document will give indicators as to where the imbalance is and how to begin addressing it.

J.   Heart Racing/palpitations at night – This can be scary but often the doctor tests show no heart problems.  Even if they do find heart problems and they attempt to fix it with drugs/surgery, this problem will not resolve that way BECAUSE it is NOT a heart muscle problem.  It may be a heart crowding problem in which the same situation/remedies of section F.3. above apply (viz. the upward pressure of the guts while lying makes more work on the heart).  OR it is a heart controller problem.  (Sometimes the racing is from too much prescribed thyroid hormone.)  The heart rhythm is governed by the nervous system and the endocrine system.  Applying all these approaches should greatly help or simply make an appointment.