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Beat insomnia naturally 

Saturday, June 25, 2011 by: Dr. David Jockers

(NaturalNews) If you have ever struggled to fall asleep at night or stay asleep through
the  night, you  are  not  alone. It  is  estimated  that over 30% Americans experience
insomnia while close to 60 million people have sleep trouble in a given year.

Chronic insomnia impairs mood & cognitive function while accelerating the degenerative
process of aging. Beat insomnia today with natural strategies.

Poor sleeping habits & insomnia pose a very serious threat to one`s health. These health consequences include elevated cortisol and  reduced human growth hormone (HGH). High cortisol  induces  elevated  insulin  and fat  storage. Over time, insulin resistant diabetes
and obesity are common. Elevated  cortisol & lowered HGH levels create an inflammatory
cascade that wears down joints, tissues, and organs.

Chronic insomnia accelerates  the aging process throughout  the body. This speeds up
the development of degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Parkinson`s,
Alzheimer`s, and  osteoarthritis  among others. Elevated  cortisol and lowered HGH will
also cause skin wrinkling, hair loss, poor vision, and muscle loss.

Getting a good night sleep on a regular basis is one of the best  strategies for preventing
and/or reversing  disease  processes. An individual  should  aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per
night. Too much sleep can be just as damaging to the body as too little. The greater the
stress an individual is under the more restorative sleep his/her body typically needs.

The first step to healthy sleep is creating an optimal sleeping environment. Have a clean, comfortable, well-fitted mattress. All lights should be turned off or turned away from the
bed. The  room  should  be  fairly  cool (70 degrees or so) as this  improves sleep quality.
Using a  fan  for  moving  air is  typically a good idea to improve nighttime breathing and
sleep quality.

Ideal sleeping hours for the greatest healing and anti-aging effects are between 10pm
and 6am. A good  general  goal is to be  sleeping by 11pm to get a good boost of HGH.
Some experts suggest that every hour of sleep before midnight  is equivalent in quality
to 3 hours of sleep afterwards due to its HGH boosting effects.

Do something  to unwind your mind before bed. Great  strategies are to read & meditate,
keep a gratitude journal, or use something else that inspires & brings peace to your mind.

There are several natural remedies that can be used to help  induce restorative sleep. A relaxation  tea such  as mint, chamomile, or valerian root works great. There  are blends
of teas  that often  use all 3 of  these herbs to help  promote relaxation. It is necessary
to avoid any caffeinated foods or beverages such as coffee & chocolate within 10 hours
before bed.

Almonds, bananas  and  milk  are  great  sources of tryptophan. Tryptophan mirrors the
results of Prozac, by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. Of course, it does
this  naturally  and  does  not  have  the addictive effects of Prozac. Healthy serotonin
levels help boost relaxation, confidence, mood, and restfulness.

Bioactive  milk  peptides  have  been  well-studied  for  their ability to induce sleep.
Unfortunately, today`s store bought milk is highly toxic and inflammatory. However,
raw milk  from grass-fed cows or goats is very helpful as is whey protein. The best
whey protein  is from non-denatured, grass-fed cow or goat. This is extraordinarily
rich in these bioactive peptides.

A great  nighttime beverage  to drink to help induce restful sleep would be organic
almond milk, half a banana, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, a tablespoon of coconut oil
and a scoop of  non-denatured, grass-fed whey protein. This is easy to make and
digests very easy in the body.

http://www.naturalnews.com
http://care4yoursleep.com

Hass, Robert. Natural Sedative Restores Youthful Sleep: Life Extension Magazine:
May/June 2011: Pg 29-35

About the author

Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is
a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition and
exercise, and  structural  corrective  chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to
www.maximizedliving.com