Unfortunately, we have a big problem in that medical and alternative are thought of as two separate entities where a person would have to choose one over the other. This is the biggest falsehood! The actual truth is that medical and alternatives actually work beautifully together by complementing each others functions and bringing the patient the best of both worlds. Herein are alternative solutions that address sleeplessness.
I am not a medical doctor nor medically trained in any way. Please print out this page using your web browser and bring to your medical professional for consultation. This article is here for educational purposes only.
Kayla (my daughter) began to have major trouble sleeping when she started chemo. Many nights she was up until 2:00 in the morning. Later she would become over tired which set the stage for a vicious cycle. I have put together a list of remedies and actions, (from our own experiences, and research,) on how to get sleep despite the rigors of chemo. These are here because I did not want to give Kayla any more drugs! There had to be other answers available to help her without adding to her overloaded-drug-burden. These findings are all listed here.
With any long term condition, you need to have several options available that work for you. When one stops working then you switch to another and rotate in this fashion.
Warning: This article is very long because I had to include every solution possible to address this subject. You do not have to read every part but rather scan this and see which ones you think are applicable to you.
Answers
Studies suggest that sleep disorders affect 50 to 70 million Americans, representing approximately 20 percent of the population.
Each bolded suggestion below is an option for you to try. If you know of others, please email me with the tips. Thanks.
Aspartame is a chemical that is used in over 5000 food products such as packaged foods, sodas, teas, salad dressings, baked goods, medications, frozen foods and many more. Aspartame breaks down into methanol, amino acids and several other chemicals. The methanol is quickly absorbed and converted into formaldehyde. The methanol found in foods and alcoholic beverages is also absorbed, but there are “protective chemicals” in these traditionally-ingested foods and beverages that prevent the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is known to cause gradual damage to the nervous system, the immune system and has recently been shown to cause irreversible genetic damage at long-term, low-level exposure. The calculated level of formaldehyde exposure is approximately 61.3 mg for every liter of aspartame ingested. That is over twice the level necessary to cause irreversible genetic damage in humans and several times the level shown to cause chronic neurological, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and other symptoms in long-term industrial exposure research. The damage caused by formaldehyde from aspartame may be worsened by other aspartame breakdown chemicals, especially the aspartic acid.
The above quote is taken from a website titled Diagnose Me. Here is the link for more detailed information and studies http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C237252.html
Several websites have personal experiences with aspartame toxicity and each of these lists sleeplessness as one of the symptoms experienced by the patient. Interesting.
Dr. Janet Starr Hull has written a book and website regarding Aspartame. It might be worth your while to order and read the book as this is something that we are exposed to in daily life. Here is her website www.sweetpoison.com
Bathing can be a relaxing night-time routine. Avoid bubble baths or highly perfumed soaps as these can irritate the skin.
The Bedroom. Make sure that your bedroom is clean and tidy before you plan to go to sleep.
Care-givers are usually under a lot of stress which can make sleep difficult to attain. When Kayla was first diagnosed I could not sleep. A nurse told me to purchase Benedryl (Diphenhydramine) capsules to go to sleep. These worked incredibly well and broke the cycle of no sleep. At the same time, I disagree with using a product like Benedryl on a regular basis for sleep.
Another product that works very well to induce sleep is the herb Passion Flower. This recommendation is not here for any patients undergoing treatment! If you are a care-giver for a cancer patient your stress levels are out the roof and you need your sleep. This is why I am offering this suggestion of trying Passion Flower. For more detailed information on this herb go to http://www.rain-tree.com/maracuja.htm
Caffeine stays in the body for approximately twelve hours. If you are having trouble sleeping but still love your coffee, then try only drinking a cup in the morning and avoiding caffeine later in the day. Decaffinated coffee is a misleading label because it still contains caffeine, it is half the amount of regular coffee. You may be sensitive to caffeine to the point of it affecting your sleep. The only way to find out is to quit all caffeine products to see if this improves your sleep. In the least cut down on the amount that you consume to see if this works.
Chiropractic therapy has existed since the beginnings of human civilization. An ancient Chinese text indicates that manipulation techniques were being used in that country as early as 2700 b.c.e. In Egypt, a fragment of papyrus dating from 1600 b.c.e. describes a treatment for a dislocated jaw. Societies all over the ancient world-Babylon, Syria, India, Tibet, Japan; Native American tribes such as the Sioux, Winnebago, and Creek; South American groups of Mayan, Aztec, Toltec, Tarascan, and Zoltec Indians, and the Incas-practiced manipulation as a means of relieving pain and restoring the body to normal function. [1]
Chiropractic therapy uses the manipulation of bones that are not aligned to restore blood flow and relieve pain. It is a valid and recognized therapy.
Ask your friends for a chiropractor that they would recommend. Make sure this therapist is very gentle. Chiropractic is quite affordable and may help alleviate stress and other symptoms contributing to sleeplessness.
Deep Breathing for several minutes when you get into bed could be very helpful for falling asleep. One friend told me that this alone has worked like a charm. Breath in through your nose and fill air all the way to your belly. When totally full, slowly release the air out through your mouth. Continue several times or until you feel relaxed and ready to rest.
Drugs are available and promoted for sleep problems. Please do thorough research into this before taking one because many are highly addictive, dangerous and have serious side effects. Here is a fantastic website that thoroughly covers the subject of sleep. Many drug alternatives are offered.
Exercise does have an effect on ones ability to sleep as well as sleeping deeper. Study analysis shows that the harder the exercise the better the sleep. If you are out of shape and do not exercise regularly then you will have to work up to a regular routine. My suggestion is to start with 5 minute walks every evening. After a week, increase the time by five minutes. Here is a link to a detailed article on The Influence of Exercise. http://www.fitness.gov/mentalhealth.htm
Another choice is to purchase a small trampoline called a rebounder. These range in prices from $40.00 to $700.00 Use the rebounder to jog in place without causing injury to your joints. The benefits of this particular type of exercise are listed in the book The New Miracles of Rebound Exercise by Albert E Carter through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=miracles+of+rebound+exercise&tag=googhydr-20&index=stripbooks&hvadid=3203942691&ref=pd_sl_74bijm0mag_b I highly recommend this book because of the detail and style of writing making it very easy to read and understand. Rebounding is a superior form of exercise. It may take a couple of months to see the return on your efforts but rest assured they do pay off.
Food that is high in sugar content will rev up the body instead of relaxing it. Dinner should be a healthy meal with vegetables and lean proteins. Watch for hidden ingredients and sugars in salad dressings. Unfortunately, from what I have observed most cancer patients crave sugary foods thus setting up a catch 22. Something that may help is to make your own sweet stuff using Truvia or Xylitol as natural alternative sweeteners to sugar. Another is Agave. All of these have a low glycemic impact upon a persons blood sugar level. The best in my opinion is Xylitol. There is a whole article about Xylitol on this website.
Lights from cell phones, TV’s, alarm clocks, and other sources can become a problem for people who have trouble sleeping. An affordable easy solution is to use tape placed over these little lights, or to implement the use of a sleep mask. I have used masking tape to cover the light on the TV that used to drive me batty as well as covering my alarm clock. I also use a sleep mask when needed. Here is a link to a website with a wide assortment of affordable sleep masks.
http://www.peepersleepers.com/sleepmasks2.html
Lists. If you find yourself lying in bed thinking about all of the things that you have to do tomorrow then it may be helpful to make a list of all the things you need to get done. Some people have told me that this helps them fall asleep because it takes it out of their head and by putting it on paper they experience relief.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant [2]
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis [2-3]. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys [2-3,4] .
Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures (sudden changes in behaviors caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain), personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur [2, 3-4]. Severe magnesium deficiency can result in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia). Magnesium deficiency is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia) [5].
The reference above does not specifically mention sleep, but my opinion is that if a person has “excessive electrical activity…” this would contribute to disrupted sleep patterns. The only way to find out would be for you to experiment and see what works for you.
A powdered magnesium is available through http://www.petergillham.com/pdfs/Calm-Organic.pdf I prefer a powder because you can start with a small amount to see if this works and also how you react to it. There are also small samples of this product available through your local health food store. We have also used Magnesium powder made by Peter Gillham. Our oncologist approved of the use of calcium and magnesium during cancer treatment. Make sure you print this page and bring to your doctor for consultation and approval before taking anything that could conflict with your chemo.
Medication Schedule could be a key component of sleep. In other words, if your schedule requires nightly medications and your sleep problems started when you began this schedule it may be wise to ask your doctor if you can take the medication in the afternoon instead of at night. This is what we did with my daughter during her leukemia treatment. Instead of having the chemo just before bedtime we changed it to 3:00 in the afternoon. This made a huge difference in her ability to fall asleep.
“Melatonin levels are commonly abnormal in cancer patients”. The night-time rise in melatonin has been found to be suppressed in some women with breast cancer and to be absent or depressed in men with prostate cancer. One study tested the relationship between immune response and melatonin production, finding that administering the immune factor interleuken-2 to patients restored normal melatonin levels.” [6]
Note: Melatonin is not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.
Per Doctor Denk, too much melatonin can make you feeling groggy the next day. For Kayla a 3 milligram tablet was cut into quarters making her dose .75 mgs, which her doctors approved. For more information, read the pages on melatonin in the book, Comprehensive Cancer Care, which is the best cancer book I have ever found. Nothing else comes close to the useful and broad information in this book.
MSG per individual statements, causes a myriad of symptoms from asthma, body-aches, headaches (with everything in between) to insomnia. You can read personal testimonials from people who have seen the results of avoiding foods with MSG when you use this link: http://www.holisticmed.com/msg/msg.txt
I took the following from the link above, which is written by an individual in their posting. “ The FDA does not require labeling for MSG disguised foods, please be aware of the following: Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, plant protein extract, sodium casienate, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour.
Additives that frequently contain MSG are: malt extract, malt flavoring, bouillon, stock flavoring, natural flavoring, natural chicken or beef flavoring, seasoning, spices, carrageenan, enzymes, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, whey protein concentrate.”
Learning everything you can about MSG could have a huge impact on your ability to sleep. I would try a very strict diet of home cooked foods made from scratch and see if this improves your sleep habits after a couple of days. If it does improve rapidly then you know your problem is food related!
Naps can be one of the worst things to do if your sleep cycle is interrupted. The best actions would be to skip the nap and keep your normal schedule.
Noise can be a problem when trying to get a good nights rest. If there are noises from the outside which interrupt your sleep then you might want to set up a fan or something that can mask the noises outside. There are noise canceling head phones, ear plugs, as well as small radios that make many pleasant sounds for falling asleep. My daughter has to have her special clock radio on with a certain sound when she goes to bed. Otherwise every little sound will wake her up.
Protein Shakes have helped me sleep very well. I use Egg White protein powder as a doctor of ours said that egg whites are one of the best forms of protein and the easiest for the body to take in and use. I make my shake at around 8:00 pm every night. I use Truvia (natural non-sugar sweetener) to sweeten and mix with Almond or Soy Milk.
Skipping Meals. Every variety of animal allowed only two meals daily develops severe atherosclerosis, (Atherosclerosis is the build up of a waxy plaque on the inside of blood vessels.) but when the identical kind and amount of food is taken in small, frequent feedings, excellent health is maintained. [12] I have also seen that when food is not eaten during the day, then the person consumes more food at night, causing sleep troubles. Ideally you should eat four small meals a day with healthy snacks in between and nothing three hours before going to bed.
Sleep Masks are a wonderful aid for sleep because they block out ALL external light. I have used one of these several times when I had trouble sleeping, it did help. Here is a link to a site that sells sleep-masks: http://www.peepersleepers.com/sleepmasks2.html
Stretching. General flexibility is a key component of health, well-being and general physical conditioning. In fact, lack of flexibility has been associated with an increased risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries and underperformance.
It has been previously shown that a regular stretching routine will improve flexibility relatively quickly. However, when the routine is discontinued or when stretching is not performed regularly, flexibility is also quickly lost. [7] When a person is under stress the muscles can ball up causing pain and constriction. This is where stretching comes in to lengthen the muscle thereby relieving pain. Anyone who is involved with a regular fitness routine will tell you that stretches are an important component to their routine. This becomes more important as we age. Stretches may be one of the keys to a good nights rest.
For pictures of easy stretches go to these links: http://www.myfit.ca/exercisedatabase/stretches.asp?exercises=flexibility
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/stretching/allstretches.php
JUST MAKE SURE YOU USE GENTLE MOVEMENTS AND GO SLOW. STOP WHEN YOU FEEL PAIN, DO NOT PUSH TOO HARD. THIS IS FOR RELIEF NOT ADDED PAIN!
Temperature at night is very important for sleep. Apparently the body rests better when it is slightly cool. Experiment with your thermostat or fans to see what is the right temperature for you.
Television has been proven to cause disrupted sleep. [8] Many articles have been written on this subject. Therefore it may be a good practice to read in bed before going to sleep. With children set up quiet time where they start to wind down after dinner. No TV watching or computer games should be allowed. Bath and story time is our routine that works for Kayla.
Tryptophan is an amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults. It is an essential amino acid, which means your body cannot produce it — you must get it from your diet. The body uses tryptophan to help make niacin (a B vitamin) and serotonin. Serotonin is thought to produce healthy sleep and a stable mood. In order for tryptophan in the diet to be changed into niacin, [9] the body needs to have enough:
• Iron • Riboflavin (B2) • Vitamin B6
Tryptophan can be found in:
•Chicken •Eggs •Fish •Milk •Nuts •Peanut butter • Peanuts •Pumpkin seeds • Sesame seeds •Tofu • Turkey [9]
Vitamin B2 & B6. Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It is water soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. You must replenish the vitamin every day. [10]
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and red blood cell production and helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.
Lean meats, eggs, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, and milk provide riboflavin in the diet. Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin.
Because riboflavin is destroyed by exposure to light, foods with riboflavin should not be stored in glass containers that are exposed to light.
Deficiency of riboflavin is not common in the United States because this vitamin is plentiful in the food supply. Symptoms of significant deficiency syndromes include sore throat, swelling of mucous membranes, mouth or lip sores, anemia, and skin disorders.
Because riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin, leftover amounts leave the body through the urine. There is no known poisoning from riboflavin. [10]
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The body cannot store them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet. [11]
Vitamin B6 helps the immune system produce antibodies. Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases. Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells. The body uses it to help break down proteins. The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.
Vitamin B6 is found in beans, nuts, legumes, eggs, meats, fish, whole grains, and fortified breads and cereals.
Large doses of vitamin B6 can cause neurological disorders and numbness. Deficiency of this vitamin can cause mouth and tongue sores, irritability, confusion, and depression. (Vitamin B6 deficiency is not common in the United States.) [11]
Now, all of this is quoted from the National Institutes of health and specifically states that deficiency is not common in the United States. I completely disagree because many Americans do not eat well, and on top of this we are constantly being bombarded by environmental poisons that cause stresses to our health. This all on top of the daily stresses of life. Stress eats up vitamin reserves thereby creating increased needs. Since these vitamins are water soluble, I believe it would be worth taking B2 and B6 in the same dosages, together, after a meal and see if this helps you sleep. In the least you will spend a couple of dollars to investigate if this is true. Just make sure you take them in the same dose which is approximately 25 milligrams for adults. Per this page link http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/vitamin-B2-riboflavin.php Don’t forget to get permission from your doctor first!
Walking, not to work out but to relieve tension is an easy activity that one can do in the evening. Take a gentle evening stroll and see if this helps you to wind down.
Water drinking and staying hydrated are key components of sleep. The main effect of dehydration is seen in your blood, your blood clumps together and can’t carry oxygen to all the parts of your body. As an effect, you’ll feel tired, low on energy, and your immune system will be lowered.
Also, a large portion of our energy during the night goes into our digestive system, which also relies heavily on water! If your system is more hydrated, your body will spend less energy digesting food during the night, and put more focus into giving you better sleep. As a result, you’ll sleep less, and feel much more ENERGIZED and REFRESHED in the morning.
Proper hydration also plays a major role in helping your body temperature rhythm adjust. The more hydrated you are the easier it is for your body to control your body temperature. Your body temperature is the main underlying clock which controls when and how you sleep! Proper hydration in your body will help this system operate at its optimum level, just as motor oil does in a car engine. [13]
Conclusion
Whew, this is one long article but I know of no other way to put it together. There are so many components to sleep. This is the only sleep article that covers so much information in ONE place. May you find answers here that work for you and start getting a good sleep every night!
~
References:
1. A Brief History of an Ancient Practice Excerpted from The Chiropractic Way: How Chiropractic Care Can Stop Your Pain and Help You Regain Your Health Without Drugs or Surgery By Michael Lenarz, D.C., Victoria St. George
2. Rude RK. Magnesium deficiency: A cause of heterogeneous disease in humans. J Bone Miner Res 1998;13:749-58. [PubMed abstract
3. Wester PO. Magnesium. Am J Clin Nutr 1987;45:1305-12. [PubMed abstract]
4. Saris NE, Mervaala E, Karppanen H, Khawaja JA, Lewenstam A. Magnesium: an update on physiological, clinical, and analytical aspects. Clinica Chimica Acta 2000;294:1-26.
5. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. National Academy Press. Washington, DC, 1999.
6. Comprehensive Cancer Care by James S. Gordon MD and Sharin Curtin.
7. Improving Flexibility With a Mindbody Approach This study is not yet open for participant recruitment. Verified by Parker Research Institute, February 2010 First Received: February 9, 2010 No Changes Posted.
8. Yale-New Haven Hospital Health Link article: Too Much TV can Disrupt Sleep http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/pediatrics/pediatrics_10_99.html
9. Dietary Guidelines for Americans – 2005. Washington, DC. US Dept of Health and Human Services and US Dept of Agriculture: 2005. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002332.htm
10. Medline Plus A Service of the U.S. LIBRARY OF MEDICINE and THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002411.htm
11. Medline Plus A Service of the U.S. LIBRARY OF MEDICINE and THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002402.htm
12. Cohn, C., Nutritional Review 20, 1962
13. Hydration and Sleep – We’re Dying of Thirst in Our Sleep! Posted on Friday, March 20, 2009