Sleep disorders—difficulty falling asleep, waking repeatedly, waking up too early, shallow or restless sleep—can affect people of any age, but prevalence increases with advancing years primarily due to reduced melatonin secretion by the pineal gland. Occasional insomnia is not uncommon. Persistent insomnia creates relentless misery and compromises health and body functions globally. Regular deep sleep is necessary for body repair and regeneration. Insomnia may be due to primary dysfunction of sleep-regulating mechanisms within and/or outside the brain; or it may be secondary to organ or system dysfunction—heart, liver, brain, pancreas, kidneys, prostate, thyroid, or adrenals; endocrine, digestive, respiratory, or autonomic nervous systems. At some point in its course, almost any disease may disturb sleep. Anxiety, worry, excessive stress, grieving, depression, allergies, pain, medications, poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sunlight, and a host of environmental factors may cause or contribute to disturbance of sleep. These underlying conditions must be addressed. Refer to other conditions in this chapter as appropriate to your needs. AVOID caffeine, tobacco, chocolate, sauerkraut, bacon, ham, tomatoes, and eggplant within three hours of going to bed. Some of these contain tyramine, which increases release of norepinephrine and histamine, both of which are stimulants capable of disrupting sleep. Recommended Supplements: Daytime: Take Super Enzymes , Royal Jelly, Multiple for Every Man and Multiple for Every Woman. Include Neuro Balancer (taken with food separately from other supplements during daytime) if insomnia is accompanied by depression. Nighttime: Take in the following order: Natural 5-HTP (50mg to 400mg) and Calcium, Bone Density or Coral Calcium Plus (both of these 30 minutes before bedtime), L-Taurine, Vitamin B-6, and Melatonin(if you are younger than 30 years of age, don’t take Melatonin more than 10 days in a row). Get enough sunlight because it increases production of melatonin. Also take Galantamine and Vinpocetine (Periwinkle Extract) (whole plant). Note: Deep within the brain in the anterior hypothalamus lies a cluster of thousands of neurons called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which regulates the body’s circadian rhythms. This is powered by light via the retina of the eye. When light reaches the retina, neural signals are generated and travel to the SCN via a neural pathway called the retinohypothalamic tract. The pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin. Small percentages of the serotonin and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), present in other parts of the brain, combine to produce more melatonin. In summer, when the sun goes down, melatonin levels go up. Note: You don’t have to order all the supplements listed for each health condition. Start with the first one to three products, based on your needs. Take supplements for a minimum of one month (in severe cases longer) until relieved of the symptoms. Then take supplements on and off for maintenance.
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