Judging by the commercials I see on TV everyday, there may be a few
American's who have a little trouble winding down to sleep at night.
Those Prescription medications probably work, but pay attention to the
warnings that soothing voice is telling you about and imagine how much
money you'll be paying to have those scary conditions!
Of course, there are much gentler and safer ways to get some sleep.
When I was in my 20's. Way, WAY, back when I was in my 20's and just
starting out in the world I took a job at a Mobile Gas Station on the
graveyard shift. It was about all I was qualified to do at the time. If
you've ever found yourself working a graveyard shift you are aware of
how precious a thing 8 continuous hours of sleep can be.
Trying to sleep during the day is difficult to do because your
whole life has taught your body to think of darkness as rest and
recuperation time and daylight as activity time. To switch that around
is asking a lot from your body and some folks who want to, or HAVE to,
make that change for work, do whatever it takes to make it work. Some
of those choices may not be optimum for your overall wellness, to put
it mildly!
True Confessions: This is just between you and me, and if you ever
tell anyone I said this I'll deny it! Back then when I was on the
graveyard shift, I used to buy a big bottle of Mogen-David 20/20
(fortified table wine) on the way home from work every day and polish
it off while the rest of the country was having breakfast. MD 20/20's
nick-name on the street was "Mad Dog" and for good reason! The stuff
tastes awful, but your taste buds will forgive you when you realize how
drunk you get and how quickly you get there.
I'd sleep really well for about 5-6 hours, then get up and smoke pot
with my friends for a few hours, go back to work and start over. Hey, I
was 20 and, like any other 20 year old, I was invincible! I do NOT
recommend this approach for anyone, ever; particularly as a long-term
solution. I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you why!
Over the years since then I developed an effective sleep aid that
worked for me, and most of the household, on the few occasions when
THEY needed it. It's a tea made with equal parts Lobelia, Hops and
Valerian. I had learned that each has relaxing properties and that
Lobelia has the added affect of being a cleansing diuretic as well. If
you have bladder issues, you can replace the Lobelia with Chamomile for
almost identical effect without the diuretic result. I use Lobelia
because of the extra benefit.
These are powerful herbs! You won't need to use very much of any of
these herbs and if the taste is a little bitter for your pallet, add
some milk. Not only does the milk mellow the taste, it also has
relaxing properties of its own. One good cup of this mixture should
have you off to dreamland in a matter of a few minutes.
I don't ordinarily recommend "Conventional" drugs like you find at
pharmacies or drug stores, but when it comes to sleep aids there is one
that I can recommend without guilt. It's called Diphenhydramine and it
is the active ingredient in Benardyl. You will also find it in Sominex
and Tylenol PM. The dosage in these products is 25-50 mgs and the drug
should not be taken in dosages any higher than that. In high doses it
is known to cause severe disorientation but in proper dosage it is not
only effective but completely safe.
I learned about Diphenhydramine from my conventional Health Care
Provider when I had Hepatitis A in the early 90's. He said it would
help with itching and that it bypasses the liver. A very good thing
when you have hepatitis. It also put me to sleep and that's when I did
a little more research on it.
Diphenhydramine is a "First Generation" (Old School) antihistamine
and is generally used for relief of the symptoms of any kind of
allergy. The other use in it's dual purpose is as a sleep aid. So far
as my research has concluded, no known side effects exist with proper
dosage and it is not shown to be the least bit habit forming. With all
that going for it, I feel comfortable offering it to you as an option
if my tea doesn't do the trick.
Melatonin is a natural amino acid produced by your body it starts
churning up in your system when it's time to go to sleep. It's soothing
properties are used extensively as a sleep aid. Basically, you are
adding to your system the very substance your body produces to help you
go to sleep and stay asleep. You'll find it as a dietary supplement at
most grocery or drug stores and, of course, at my website. It's All
Natural, non-habit forming and also shows no side effects when taken in
recommended doses.
The reason I mention this one last is because, in my experience,
some people's systems reverse the standard effects of Melatonin and it
causes them sleeplessness. It's not for everyone. If you're NOT one of
those folks, it can be another naturally safe and useful tool in your
new arsenal of sleep aids.
Proper amounts of recuperative sleep are critical to your good
health. I'm sure you've been deprived of sleep before and you know well
how it feels to be "Punch-Drunk" from loss of sleep. Sleep deprivation
is used as a form of torture, for crying out loud! Now you have some
tools at your disposal that can enhance your good health while helping
you get the rest you need. Sweet Dreams!
For more information on All Natural Alternative medicines Including
Melatonin, Diphenhydramine, Hops, Lobelia and Valerian please visit my
website at http://www.gonatures.com we'll be happy to fix you right up!
Much Love,
Gregory
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