A
reader is desperate for some advice on how she can get a full night’s sleep: “I
fall asleep easily but wake up a couple of hours later as I am so hot – not
sweating just boiling hot. The result
is that I have broken sleep with only a few hours altogether. I am 56 years old and this has been going on
for years. I am not a worrier. I can only recall one night where I slept
for five hours straight. I am
exhausted!” Can anyone help? So far, natural progesterone, red clover and
sage have had no effect. Are there any
other natural remedies that could help her sleep?
According
to one reader, this problem can be easily treated with traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM). However, she does not
recommend self-medicating and suggests you visit a qualified practitioner in
your area. Six or seven treatments
along with two courses of herbs should do the trick, she says.
Another
reader reckons magnesium supplements – along with plenty of water – will help
solve sleeping troubles: “I am aged 60 and have had
these symptoms for the last ten years or so.
For me, it is a guide to my general health. If I am eating healthy food and drinking plenty of water, I find
these symptoms disappear. When they
reappear, for reasons such as travelling, socialising or whatever, then I find
magnesium supplements and many glasses of water sort the problem out.”
You could also try taking a teaspoon of a honey and warm water
mixture before you go to bed each night – and throughout the night whenever you
wake up. This should help you to get a
full night’s sleep within a few weeks.
Other
readers suggest changing your sleeping environment. Gillie recommends investing in a silk-filled duvet, which, she
says, is a good regulator of body heat. Natural cotton sheets may also help
keep you cool.
But
one reader can’t get through the night without her Chillow – a product designed
to keep your pillow cool. “I put this on top of my ordinary pillow and the heat from
my head goes into it and I go off to sleep again,” she explains. “I have no idea how it works but it is
magic. The Chillow gets warm and my head gets cool. It can be used on any part of the body. Details can be found on the Internet and it is also advertised in
various catalogues.”
Some readers speculate as to the underlying cause of your sleep
problems. Alyssa thinks they are most
likely caused by hormonal fluctuations and recommends getting tested. Another reader reckons it could be a thyroid
problem.
A holistic sleep consultant, however, notes that
the time of night that you wake up is key: “According to the principles of
traditional Chinese medicine, the hours between 11 pm and 1 am are associated
with gallbladder function, 1-3 am with the function of the liver, and 3-5 am
with the lungs.” Depending on the
cause, diet, herbs, acupuncture or homeopathy will be able to provide a solution,
she says.
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