News 04.26

January 10, 2004

Insomnia

Insomnia can be an extremely

frustrating and debilitating condition. Not only are you tired,

even exhausted, from a lack of sleep, but your ability to function

day-to-day is severely affected. Unfortunately, lack of sleep in

a growing problem in the United States. Nearly one-third of American

adults, about 40 million people, experience insomnia at some point

in their life. And if that’s not bad enough, insomnia affects women

two to three times more often than men.

Insomnia can have serious implications, as it may

indicate an underlying medical condition such as anemia, thyroid

disorder, asthma, arthritis, ulcers, or the effects of prolonged

stress and anxiety, to name a few. Plus, psychological factors such

as anger and a perceived lack of safety can have an adverse effect

on sleep. I suggest that you address any of the possible medical

and psychological conditions I listed above to determine if they

could be the cause of your sleep difficulties.

Just Say No to Drugs

Tempting as they may be, I strongly recommend you

avoid prescription sleeping pills. The most common brands, the benzodiazepine

sedatives, are capable of inducing a state of deep and refreshing

sleep when first started. However, I regard them as a last resort,

for temporary use only when symptoms are so severe that you do not

respond to natural therapies. Women who continue to use sleeping

pills develop a tolerance, so the dose required to achieve the desired

effect keeps increasing. As the dose increases, so does the risk

of side effects-including drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, and “morning

hangover.”

There are two effective nutritional alternatives

to prescription drugs I’d like to share with you. L-theanine and

panax ginseng have been used by many women with great results.

L-theanine

This fat-soluble amino acid works especially well

if your insomnia is due, in part, to stress and nervous tension.

L-theanine promotes mental and physical relaxation by stimulating

the production of alpha waves, the brain waves associated with an

awake, relaxed state.

Due to its role in the production of gamma-aminobutyric

acid (GABA), L-theanine also decreases stress. This is important,

as GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that

also blocks the release of the excitatory neurotransmitters dopamine

and serotonin. In other words, GABA stops your brain from sending

messages that rile you up, and instead promotes messages of calm

and relaxation.

For treatment of insomnia, I recommend taking 200

mg a day, in capsule form, just before bed. I am partial to the

Suntheanine brand by NutriScience (1-203-334-3535 or www.nutriscienceusa.com),

as well as “ZenMind” by Nutricology (1-800-545-9960 or

www.nutricology.com).

Panax Ginseng

Panax ginseng, also called Asian ginseng, is an

herbal adaptogen that has been shown to normalize the disturbances

in sleep-wake patterns, especially those caused by food deprivation.

One study found that people who took 40 mg of ginseng extract every

day for 12 weeks enjoyed a significant improvement in their quality

of life, including sleep. To help you sleep, I suggest taking 200

to 600 mg of ginseng just before bed.

Mind/Body Reprogramming

It may be helpful to employ mind/body techniques

when treating your insomnia. There are two devices you can purchase

that have been very useful in promoting sleep. The first is Hemi-Sync

Sound Patterns (Super Sleep), a series of cassettes or CDs from

the Monroe Institute that help you safely alter your brainwaves

with multi-layered patterns of sound frequencies promote calm, relaxing

brain wave activity, thereby promoting and enhancing sleep. For

more information, log on to www.hemi-sync.com

or call 1- 800-541-2488.

You can also try Dr. Emmet Miller’s “Easing

into Sleep.” The first part of the tape/CD helps you stop the

problem-solving mental chatter that often starts the minute your

head hits the pillow. It shows you how to let go of the day and

begin to picture a calm, peaceful tomorrow. The second part provides

you will several options for emptying your mind, body, and spirit

of tension and anxiety, thereby creating a quiet space for sleep.

For more information, you can visit Dr. Miller’s Web site at www.drmiller.com

or call 1-800 528-2737.

A Final Word About Menopause

Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night

sweats can trigger insomnia. If this is true for you, I urge you

to treat your symptoms with my natural

HRT program.

Excerpted from the June 2003 Issue of The

Lark Letter.