I lived with chronic insomnia coupled with chronic fatigue for most of my childhood and adult life into my 40's—until I discovered herbal solutions and dietary measures that made it possible to enjoy deep, restful sleep and consistent energy levels on a regular basis.
I've also found I can still function relatively well when getting very little sleep during times of a demanding schedule, and experience a rapid recovery when time for more sleep is available again—largely due to a consistent herbal regimen and a relatively light diet.
As a result, I became intimately familiar with the primary causes and effects of insomnia, as well as some surprising solutions that have worked for me for many years now, resulting in a much greater quality sleep, with an added benefit of more vivid, memorable dreams most every night.
Quality sleep is central to overall health, especially when it comes to your immune system, mental focus, and daytime energy levels.
The depth and quality of your sleep is directly dependent on well functioning adrenal and pineal glands, however, to accomplish this, the entire endocrine system needs to be upgraded (due to hormonal interdependence), thus the importance of adaptogenic herbs and herbal hormone regulators taken daily, to gradually rebuild and balance the entire endocrine system.
Contributing factors leading to insomnia will also have to be addressed. Some of these may include:
Chemical toxicities (like scented laundry soaps, and dryer sheets, or colognes and perfumes) resulting in hormonal disruptions and neurotransmitter dysregulation
Nutrient deficiency from poor soils, chemical farming, and over-cooked or processed foods
Caffeination, dehydration, and over-acidity, which slows down the body's normal nighttime detoxification routine, resulting in kidney strain and frequent urination
Concentrated sweeteners (both artificial and natural) resulting in adrenal fatigue, spleen deficiencies, depleted pancreas, pathogen overgrowth, and hormonal dysregulation
Mineral deficiencies and electrolyte imbalances affecting the nerves, heart, brain, kidneys, muscles, and cellular energy
Dehydration due to dehydrating beverages (like coffee, colas, caffeinated or detoxifying teas, etc.), poor water quality (unstructured water), and insufficient water intake during the day
Swollen sinuses and mucus congestion from a high fat diet or infection resulting in low oxygen intake, sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep
Electronic influences (WIFI, cell phones, computer monitors, cell towers, etc.) disrupting sleep patterns
Caffeine, cannabis, worry, and life stress resulting in constant cortisol imbalances and an overactive nighttime brain
Melatonin supplementation is NOT recommended for insomnia, given superior herbal and clay alternatives (like Ormalite), as this will slowly atrophy the pineal gland that normally makes melatonin for the purpose of deep REM sleep.
Melatonin supplementation can also cause excessively low blood pressure for some. Dependency on melatonin can also be a side effect from regular use.
Pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications come with a host of side effects, including dependency, and may require a gradual withdrawal period, while simultaneously repairing the true underlying causes of insomnia, in order to finally be free of the chemical's insidious destructive effects on body chemistry.
Instead of dependency on medications or hormone replacement supplements (like melatonin), it is far wiser to simply restore and empower normal endocrine functions in the body that regulate the sleep-wake cycles.
The solution begins with restoring power and balance to your entire endocrine system, thereby improving normal hormone production top to bottom, so as to improve sleep quality (along with many other biological advantages).
Sleep is diminished by cortisol levels that remain in the fight-or-flight mode at night when those levels should be quite low.
1) Ashwagandha and Adaptogenic Herbs
The easiest way I have found to reduce cortisol levels prior to sleep, is to take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (2.5-5 ml) (2-4 capsules) of Ashwagandha before bed, or within an hour or so of sleep. The effect is typically immediate. (This will work for most people, though a very small percentage may have reactions to Ashwagandha.)
(Ashwagandha will soon be added to our list of products. Call the office to place your order, or email us if you want to add this to your order for the 10% off Special ending Monday at midnight PDT, July 8th.)
2-3 capsules (1/2-3/4 tsp) (5-7.5 ml) of Kidney & Adrenal Builder just before bed can also be used similarly, especially if this formula is part of your daily hormone restorative program already.
If waking up in the night without being able to get back to sleep is an issue, then taking another 1/4 tsp, or have a tea ready made with Ashwagandha in it, and sipping some of that tea in the middle of the night, can help you to get back to sleep.
Rebuilding endocrine function is the subject of a prior article, Adrenal Glands and Their Role in Reversing Hormone Imbalances, Menopause, and Andropause, serving as the foundation to quality sleep, however, the basics of rebuilding the hormonal system with herbs involves taking any of the following formulas 2-3 times throughout the day:
A) Adrenal Revive (focuses on the adrenal restorative properties of the nettle leaf and seed, along with the hormone balancing properties of alfalfa and adaptogens.
B) A buildup of kidney & adrenal powers, utilizing adaptogenic formulas like Kidney & Adrenal Builder, is key to complete restoration of hormonal balance, or therapeutically for recovering from the effects of sugar, caffeine, cannabis, toxins, allergies, and life stress.
C) Revitalize for Women/Men, Adaptogen & Mushroom Blend, Energy & Brain Power).
In addition to the restoration of hormonal production, what follows are a few nighttime suggestions to accent your ability to achieve a deeper rest and enjoy a full night of sleep uninterrupted.
What may be surprising to some is the suggestion to take a green superfood blend shortly before bed. A superfood blend will contain sea vegetables, nutritive herbs, earthen mineral sources, adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms, immune enhancers, and a number of herbs to support the many systems of the body naturally.
A superfood blend satisfies numerous nutrient requirements the body needs to activate the hormones required to settle down and dive into a deep restful sleep.
A superfood blend will also provide amino acids, proteins, phytonutrients, and minerals required by the body to calm the nervous system, generate neurotransmitters, promote balanced hormone production, and regulate the nighttime detoxification, blood pressure, blood sugar, digestion, and repair mechanisms.
Taken just before bed, or if woken in the middle of the night with subsequent difficulty falling asleep, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of a superfood blend can be consumed in water to reinitialize the hormonal system with a powerhouse of nutrients that trigger the pineal to make more melatonin, assist the body in making neurotransmitters that calm the nerves, and turn off the energizing cortisol from the adrenals.
You can also add to the mixture (or take separately) a small dose of Ormalite (mentioned further below) to enhance this biochemical correction.
Superfood options include (either one seems to help):
Vital Cleanse & Nutrify (combines Earth & Sea Greens with Fiber Blend (containing additional spleen supportive herbs), along with a few significant herbs for gentle, gradual detoxification and hormonal support)
Earth & Sea Greens with SBOs (more focused on the therapeutic sea vegetables, mushrooms, and land-based nutritive herbs)
Sea Vegetable Blend (contains only seaweeds and algae plus Moringa so as to capitalize on the more concentrated full-spectrum benefits of herbs from the ocean coupled with Moringa, one of Nature's most nutritious land-based superfoods)
Our primary sleep promotion formula is Day Calm & Deep Sleep.
The herbs in this formula are designed to calm the mind, relax the body, and deepen REM sleep throughout the night. 4-6 capsules before bed is a common amount taken to accomplish this, providing excessive worry is not present.
Day Calm & Deep Sleep can also be taken a second time in the middle of the night if sleep becomes difficult due to an overactive mind.
The formula tends to help an overactive mind, but does NOT tend to overcome obsessive worry over life events. Yet, in such cases, Ormalite mentioned above, DOES tend to accomplish this feat quite well, though only for those who are not already in a state of extreme adrenal fatigue explained in the above Adrenal Glands and Their Role article.
Ormalite is a remarkable clay that anecdotally contains a high level of monatomic/angstrom elements that tend to enhance hormonal production and restore balance naturally.
Due to the normalizing effects on the hormonal system promoted by Ormalite, if your adrenals are in extreme exhaustion, Ormalite tends to increase energy to move your body toward ideal balance. Low energy is raised, thus early on it may keep the adrenally exhausted person awake if taken before bed.
This stimulus effect at night tends to go away following a period of hormonal balancing discussed in Adrenal Glands and Their Role in Reversing Hormone Imbalances, Menopause, and Andropause, after which Ormalite tends to calm the mind, reduce worry and stress, and boost pineal gland functions (the gland responsible for melatonin synthesis).
Improved sleep, more vivid dreams, along with an ability to easily get back to sleep after being woken in the middle of the night, is a common experience of many who utilize Ormalite just before bed, and again if woken in the middle of the night.
There are four basic ways to utilize Ormalite for this purpose:
With each supply of Ormalite, a tiny scoop representing 1/32nd of a teaspoon (0.15 ml) is provided. Simply add one tiny scoop to any nighttime beverage or to your nighttime superfood selection mentioned above.
For very difficult sleepless nights, either of the above superfood blends can be consumed in the middle of the night for greater insurance on getting back to sleep quickly. Adding a scoop of Ormalite to this nighttime toddy, for some, will provide even more insurance of getting back to sleep quickly.
Ormalite Water can be made at home and sipped just before bed and again in the middle of the night if woken up.
Ormalite Water can be made by adding a standard 8 day serving of Ormalite (a rounded 1/4 tsp. or 1.8 ml of the powder) to 8 ounces of purified water in a small lidded jar. Shake it up to cause the mineral to form a cloudy suspension.
Consume 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of this water, just before bed, and again each time you awaken in the middle of the night, in order to calm the restless mind and restore a deep REM sleep.
Again this will only work for those without extreme adrenal fatigue, yet will tend to work after one has corrected the hormonal exhaustion with the program referenced in the Adrenal Glands article mentioned above.
Manna Mist is an exceptionally potent suspended solution of Ormalite in water. Manna Mist can be used for this purpose by spritzing 1-2 sprays from the Manna Mist bottle into the mouth just before bed and again each time one is woken up in the middle of the night (thereby replacing the need to make your own).
Manna Mist can also be sprayed on the face or skin with similar results, although the spray in the mouth is easy and sure to capture its full benefits without any being absorbed by the clothing before absorbing through the skin.
Mineral Manna can be taken before bed and again in the middle of the night if needed. One tablespoon of Mineral Manna contains three small scoops of Ormalite (a typical day's dose).
Mineral Manna is commonly consumed in a jar of water 8-32 oz. (1/4 to 1 liter) first thing in the morning, while leaving some in the jar to take before bed and again in the middle of the night if needed.
Sleep can be interrupted by restless legs or cramping muscles (commonly caused by a depletion of magnesium and potassium, resulting in an excess of calcium in the body). The magnesium in Ancient Mineral Blend helps to calm this down within 1-5 minutes.
Mineral Manna contains Ancient Mineral Blend and can be used for this purpose, or Ancient Mineral Blend can be taken separately to calm the muscles. Commonly, about a teaspoonful (5 ml) of Ancient Mineral Blend is sufficient to calm the muscles. Those sensitive to magnesium would take 1/4th of this amount.
If this does not work right away (usually caused by the day's caffeine still actively stimulating cortisol and depleting the magnesium stores in the body), then try spraying the legs with Manna Mist.
This adds angstrom minerals to the skin/muscles to relax them and is shown to be quite effective at instantly calming overactive muscles in the middle of the night.
Another way to calm restless legs is to stand on the grass barefoot or sock footed (cotton socks to improved electrical transmission).
Stress relief and the buildup of electrical charges is fast and easy when connecting to the earth is employed just before bed.
Stand on the earth with arms loosely close to the body, with the left palm facing up (receiving) and the right palm facing down (releasing).
Breathe in as you focus on universal pranic energy flowing, with intention, into your left palm, flowing throughout your body, cleansing out the static accumulation from the day through your right palm and into the earth, while filling your body with fresh, positive, uplifting pranic energy.
Notice how all the tension in your body flows out of you, leaving you in a quiet state of peace and relaxation. May only take 10-30 breaths to accomplish the deep restful peace.
Don't worry about giving your used energy to the earth, She likes that and knows exactly what to do with it! Like leave falling to the ground eventually to become new soil, so it is with your old, useless energy.
Enliven your body this way and you will sleep much better that night.
Not all of the below are required for a decent night's rest but these are included in my favorite nighttime ritual. I like to improve the quality of my air intake, opening sinus and respiratory passages with:
Respiratory Formulas
Spleen Builder (helps to reduce mucus buildup and is grounding to a racing mind). It also supports circulation to the extremities, thus warming cold hands and feet.
Blood sugar levels also play a role in improving sleep. Sugar in the blood is utilized by the body to create serotonin, which is ultimately converted into melatonin. The best sugar sources for this purpose are starches like potatoes, beans, squash, etc.
Insomnia can also be promoted by excessively high or low sugar levels, so I like to take some BloodSugar Balance before bed to help maintain a balance. Balanced sugar levels also possess anti-aging benefits overall.
Snoring is primarily caused by a weak spleen, poor bile production, and an excess of mucus-forming foods (cheese, milk, eggs, meat fat, liquid oils, butter, fried foods, chips, yogurt, nuts, nut butters, etc.).
1 teaspoon of ground Cardamon Seed powder in water—or 6 capsules (1.5 tsp. or 7.5 ml) of Spleen Complement—is a short term way to improve sinus respiration and shrink the swollen sinuses behind snoring (swollen by the meats/fats/oils/dairy). It is also an excellent short term remedy for congested throat, dry cough, and drippy sinuses or excess mucus.
It tends to take about 20 minutes to begin to be effective and may only last for 3-4 hours. Yet, for that time some relief can be found. The reason for its effectiveness is due to the way it supports the spleen.
The spleen produces bilirubin and sends it to the liver to make bile (which digests/emulsifies fats/oils). If this vital function is impaired from excesses of sweets, stimulants, or alcohol, then further stressed by the consumption of fats/oils, the sinuses will swell with mucus resulting in snoring when asleep, sleep apnea, or throat congestion during the day.
The three respiratory formulas above assist the body to correct this weakness, but to be fully effective, the diet will also have to be corrected to reduce the offending foods.
Over time (coupled with a lower dairy and fat diet), these help to reduce the incidence of snoring by shrinking swollen mucus membranes and opening the air passageways, and (in a roundabout way) improve the quality of your sleep.
If you doubt this connection, just eliminate the offending food and drink for a week an see if there isn't an improvement. If no improvement, the problem may be infection related, indicating a need to build immune strength to a higher level and further improve the diet. See: System Builder Protocols: The Immune System
Frequent urination is commonly caused by an electrolyte imbalance, dehydration (surprisingly), and weak kidneys from over-acidity or nighttime toxin release (often compounded by the over-concentration of acids and toxins from dehydration).
As the electrolyte balance is restored, hydration is improved, body alkalinity is restored, and the kidneys build in strength. The bladder also returns to normal urinary functioning. Getting up in the middle of the night becomes a less and less frequent event.
Normal urinary function at night is dependent upon all of the following five points:
A) High earthen mineral intake for a constant supply of electrolytes (Mineral Manna, Ancient Mineral Blend, Sacred Clay).
B) An alkalized body (acidity weakens kidney function, compounding the problem). (Vital Cleanse & Nutrify, or Earth & Sea Greens, or Sea Vegetable Blend)
C) Surprisingly, adequate hydration during the day is essential (2-3 quarts of purified water with earthen minerals and/or lemon).
Structure your water to improve hydration with a Stir Wand from www.QuantumAgeWater.com or by adding 1 tablespoon of Way Back Water (at www.WayBackWater.com) per gallon of your best water source to increase the hydratability of your water. Go small and slow with this second water source, as it can be strongly detoxifying at first.
D) A buildup of kidney & adrenal powers (utilizing adaptogenic formulas like Kidney & Adrenal Builder, Revitalize for Women/Men, Adaptogen & Mushroom Blend, Energy & Brain Power).
E) Avoid diuretic (urine promoting) drink in the late afternoon and evening (coffee, green tea, black tea, yerba mate', mint, dandelion, etc.).
All 5 points work together to reduce getting up at night, getting back to sleep easily when awoken, and sleeping a full, restful night's sleep.
The reason adequate hydration during the day works is because it dilutes the acids and toxins being processed by the kidneys at night. Frequent urination is often caused by acids and toxins being too concentrated, so the body attempts to get them out of the bladder quickly before harm is done to the bladder walls.
When applied sufficiently it will eventually be possible at times to drink a full quart of clay water before bed and not have to get up once in the night. I've experienced this many times. This takes some time of rebuilding to accomplish, but it is a common event for those who succeed.
This subject is critical to quality sleep and cannot be over emphasized. I will simply quote a passage from my one of my previous articles on the immune system to drive home this point, quoted from 20 Simple, Effective Virus Remedies and Common Sense Protective Measures:
One of the most insidious and destructive influences present in our society today is electronic wireless technology (cell phones, cordless telephones, computer monitor screens, WIFI, baby monitors, 5G, etc.).
The influence of wireless technology acts like a catalyst for the promotion of bacterial and viral conditions (like Lyme symptoms and Epstein-Barr virus), the disruption of oxygen uptake by blood hemoglobin, and the suppression of the body's normal detoxification processes in the removal of heavy metals.
It has now been proven that wireless radiation prevents detoxification of heavy metals in the brain, and enhances the detrimental effects of glyphosate while promoting pathogen development.
Society is dependent on the use of computers and cell phones now, yet these very technologies are instrumental in diminishing our spiritual development, which would otherwise advance the human abilities beyond the capacity of even the fastest super computer in the world today, if fully developed.
Wireless technology and the transhumanistic movement (blending machine with human biology), is designed to thwart our individual spiritual development that would take us far beyond all of the electronic tinker toys so prevalent in our world today.
While we ubiquitously use computer technology out of necessity to communicate and entertain ourselves, make the effort to spend as much time as possible in Nature, without your cell phone, and do your best to implement the following:
Keep the cell phone at least 6 feet from your body to minimize its influence whenever possible. Turn it off at night and keep it outside of the bedroom. Don't let your children sleep with their cell phone!! Shield your cell phone in a faraday pouch to reduce emitting signals, then close it inside the pouch at night to prevent sleep disrupting signals from affecting your sleep.
Eliminate WIFI from your home, or make it so that you can turn your WIFI off and on easily when needed for brief periods.
Cord your computers with internet cables.
Reduce computer time before bed.
Get a landline phone and use it for those long phone calls.
Eliminate your cordless telephones (they are constantly sending signals out searching for the phone, just like a cell tower).
Eliminate baby monitors, like cordless telephones, they pose a serious danger to your child and to yourself.
Eliminate your Smart Meter, or, if not possible, then shield it in a faraday cage device. There are many offered in the internet.
Say NO to 5G (now in many hospitals) until the regulations require the use of only frequencies proven safe (safety is not possible at the ranges near 60Ghz that are largely responsible for the hypoxia symptoms, mistakenly associated to a current "virus").
Worry and life stress are the two of the most prevalent causes of insomnia, leaving the body in a state of constant elevated cortisol levels preventing deep restful sleep.
In some cases this is just due to several of the above states mentioned above. In other cases the root cause can be addressed with attention to inner healing processes. In most cases, both the physical and the inner states are involved.
The beginning of this process can be found in blessing all of the circumstances in your life causing you stress. This simple approach works by reversing resistance to the stress and triggering the Law of Reflection to work on your behalf.
The Law of Reflection works like this: what you give to another is given back to you in magnified measure.
Then take several deep breaths, followed by a few seconds of pause before breathing in again (to prevent hyperventilation and provide time to look more deeply inside), until a feeling of calm and peacefulness develops within. (Takes about 1-5 minutes.)
By blessing the circumstances you are facing, you are giving 'goodness' to those circumstances. The Law of Reflection then goes to work causing 'goodness' to return to you from those very circumstances. A gift from within the stress awaits you. Once relaxed, the path to resolution is more readily perceived.
Rather than go into more detail here, I will refer you to the article and free PDF download of The Blessing Transformation, a written sequence of blessings that help you focus on every significant area of your life, give a blessing to it, and open your inner-self to receive the goodness these areas have to share with you in return. Go here to download your free copy of The Blessing Transformation.
Quality sleep is dependent several factors that work together to promote the right balance of chemical processes in the body. Disruptions to sleep include nutrient deficiencies, hormonal depletion, dehydration, over-acidity, electrolyte imbalances, swollen sinuses and mucus buildup, frequent urination, electronic influences, a buildup of static electrical energy in the body, worry, and life stress.
The solutions include an attention to diet and beverages, balanced hormone production top to bottom, sleep promoting herbal formulas and mineral sources, solutions for snoring and nighttime frequent urination, the reduction of electronic influences, and addressing the inner causes of worry and life stress through blessings, inner healing, and grounding to the earth.
Many blessing of health & success.
Enjoy the many gifts from Nature!
A Surprising Overview of Spleen Functions and Deficiency Symptoms
The Numerous Benefits of Strong Adrenals and How to Quickly Restore Them Back to Health!
Including Increased Longevity, A Healthier Heart, a Stronger Immune System, Less Inflammation, and Higher Levels of Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
