Insomnia or poor sleep is a condition that, when taken lightly, can significantly impact your life. Having poor sleep leaves you feeling unrested even after a full night in bed, which in turn impairs your ability to function productively during the day. Insomnia can also affect your mental and emotional state. While there are many causes, some of the most common triggers include stress, emotional upsets, physical discomfort, and hormonal changes.
Insomnia results in symptoms including tiredness during the day, irritability, and difficulty in focusing. Prolonged insomnia may trigger the onset of mood disorders or other health issues such as high blood pressure or a weak immune system, which in turn, take a toll on a person’s quality of life and overall health.
The causes of insomnia are diverse and can be due to psychological, lifestyle, or medical problems. Stress is usually a major contributor - a person who worries all day about work, finances, or personal relationships will not be able to relax at night. The mind remains active with worries, thus unwinding becomes a challenge. Lifestyle factors and certain personal habits can also lead to insomnia. Excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol, and screen usage close to bedtime can also affect the sleep cycle. Lastly, health issues such as chronic pain, asthma, or gastrointestinal disturbance can also disrupt a good night's sleep by causing discomfort.
Before we discuss the homeopathic treatment of insomnia, let’s understand how it is treated in allopathy. Conventional medical treatment focuses on managing the symptoms that are presented by that patient. Sleep-inducing medications are commonly prescribed. Whilst they are effective in the short-term, they can lead to dependency. In cases where insomnia is linked to underlying conditions such as anxiety, depression, or chronic pain, doctors may prescribe medications to manage the condition and pain.
The homeopathic approach does not just look at insomnia as an isolated or single ailment that needs to be addressed. My approach is always to take a full case, where I enquire about all the physical ailments as well as the mental and emotional stressors that the patient is going through. I take into consideration all the health problems as well as the person’s likes and dislikes, and prescribe a single remedy that addresses the totality. This comprehensive method is crucial for effective Homeopathy Treatment for Insomnia.
Where necessary, I also advise on certain lifestyle changes. For example, I tell my patients to avoid looking at their screens at least 1 hour prior to bedtime. Our body produces melatonin, a hormone that helps us to wind down and feel drowsy. Exposure to blue light from screens affects the production of melatonin. The body remains alert and does not begin the wind-down process, which is essential for a deep and restful sleep. Through personalized Homeopathy Treatment for Insomnia, we can also address these lifestyle factors to enhance sleep quality.