Insomnia Cures

There are many causes of insomnia and also many insomnia cures but which one will work and which one is right for you?

Insomnia comes in many shapes and forms. You can't go to sleep at night, you wake up at 3 am or toss and turn all night long.

Sleep is how we regenerate our cells and our bodies. Without adequate sleep, your immune system can become compromised. Lack of sleep is related to various conditions like Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, back pain and other diseases. But what is the real cause of these conditions - could they actually be caused or made worse by lack of sleep or are they made worse with various conditions. We really don't know.

What I do know is that getting regular weekly massage can help reduce and regulate your cortisol levels which are important sleep hormones. They are known as the stress hormones.

A Pubmed study shows that:

In this article the positive effects of massage therapy on biochemistry are reviewed including decreased levels of cortisol and increased levels of serotonin and dopamine.

Serotonin is needed for adequate sleep. Cortisol is the stress hormone. When the body is under constant stress, the cortisol is constantly secreted. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to inflammation, diabetes, disease and things like insomnia. (See the digitalnaturopath.com elevated cortisol levels.)Low adrenal function/ adrenal insufficiency - digitalnaturopath.com

Your adrenal glands are one of the things that are replenished with sleep. They work on a cycle with the cortisol levels being the highest in the morning and they gradually decrease throughout the day. At night just before bed they are at their lowest which allows you to fall asleep. When they are out of balance and too much is being secreted you can't fall asleep or they wake you up at 3 am.

Getting regular massage can help reset your adrenal glands and your sleep patterns. Touch is the one thing that can restore your stress response system.

Other resources:Magnesium for insomnia - The digitalnaturopath.com

Feng Sui for the bedroom - about.com

"Jangled" Adults Touch and the Stress Response System By Ruth Werner Massagetherapy.com