Ahhh...insomnia
Generally I sleep well. I'm the girl on the airplane who is drooling before takeoff and stays that way till landing. 99% of the time, I'm asleep within 5 minutes of my head hitting the pillow, but when insomnia hits, I'm up all night. It's just past 3am now, and I've been trying to get to sleep for the past 5 hours.....
Ok, so I haven't been super diligent the past 5 hours. For instance, now I'm at my computer typing away when I should probably be counting sheep or something.
We have all suffered from insomnia in one form or another - whether it's difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep, or restless sleep.
From the Chinese Medicine perspective, it can be from imbalances from the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidney, or even Gall Bladder channels, or too much heat. This may come from stress, worry, anxiety, depression, pain, shock, irregular eating habits, overwork, exhaustion, blood loss, or hormonal imbalances. Acupuncture with Chinese herbs is very helpful.
From the naturopathic perspective, it's important to figure out the cause of the insomnia and to address that, whether it's stress/anxiety, hypoglycemia, hormone imbalances, or others. This can be addressed with food, supplements, sedative herbs, and lifestyle changes. It's important to have proper sleep hygiene --
Maintain a regular sleep schedule
No stimulating activity 2 hours prior to bedtime
No naps during the day
Use the bed for sleep
Make sure the bedroom is dark & quiet, as well as comfortable
Clear your mind -- practice thought stopping or count your breath
It's clear to me why I have insomnia now. There has simply been too much on my mind lately (stress/Liver Qi stagnation/cortisol level is high at night) + my erratic schedule + the heat. I can see it as: Liver Qi stagnation causes internal heat which agitates my shen (spirit or mind). Thinking back, yes I have been using less covers lately and usually I like the heaviness of blankets to help me sleep. That heaviness settles my spirit. Long Gu and Mu Li are Chinese herbs that are indicated for this.
Tonight, I haven't practiced any of the above to help me sleep since I know this is transient. But, overall, I need to manage my stress better and adopt a regular sleep schedule, since I don't want this to become a regular occurrence. And, I'm going to prescribe myself Chinese herbs.
For those of you who suffer from insomnia, sure you can resort to your ambien, lunesta, etc, but there's likely something going on that needs to be addressed. I urge you to find a naturopath and/or acupuncturist for help.
Till then, sleep well.