Excess stress causes exhaustion which can create a host of problems for us. This article, while it deals mostly with insomnia, also offers strategies to rejuvenate and rebuild the nervous system so we have the energy needed to enjoy better sleep, mood, focus and vitality. This exhaustion is also responsible for fatigue, poor focus and memory, anxiety, depression, lack of sex drive, allergies and a compromised immune system – to name just a few. I invite you to learn more about better sleep and how to pay back exhaustive debt.

TREAT THE CAUSE OF INSOMNIA

When it comes to getting a good night\’s sleep, people will try anything. In my experience, insomnia may be the one complaint that is most commonly unresponsive to western drugs and alternative therapies. Sedatives, be they herbal or pharmaceutical, offer short term symptomatic relief at best. To resolve this issue you must treat the root cause. The most common theory relating to the cause of insomnia is that excessive energy makes it difficult to settle down and get to sleep. On the surface this makes sense but clinically it has limited effectiveness.

INSOMNIA IS CAUSED BY EXHAUSTION?

Insomnia is actually due to exhaustion – not excess energy.
The reality is that most people who cannot sleep at night are exhausted and are often physically, mentally and emotionally depleted as well. Sedating this person will only sedate an already exhausted person. This physiological exhaustion will usually start with the symptoms of chronic fatigue, which turns into anxiety because they simply do not have the energy to calm their moods. Thus they stay wired, anxious and unable to handle stress.

If the exhaustion continues they will become totally exhausted and depressed. Somewhere along the way, due to the deep exhaustion, they become wired and tired and begin to have difficulty sleeping. This patient does not need a sedative but rather something that will rejuvenate them. They need to rebuild their nervous system so that they have the energy to handle stress, stabilize mood, build energy and sleep at night.

DIFFICULTY FALLING ASLEEP? (PITTA TYPE INSOMNIA)

Do you call yourself a \”night owl\”? You are cheating your liver if you regularly go to bed after 10pm. The first type of insomnia is when one has a hard time getting to sleep. This is typically when you lie in bed wide awake from 10PM to 2AM counting sheep waiting for sleep to come. According to Ayurveda, the time between 10PM and 2AM is the Pitta time of night when the liver becomes active and begins its evening detox cycle to prepare the body for the next day. It is like the janitor who comes in and starts cleaning floors and windows while everyone is asleep. This is why folks often get a second wind at that time of night, turn on the TV, get on the computer and off you go changing the world in the wee hours of the night. As this cycle winds down, somewhere after midnight but usually before 2AM, the fire goes out and you drift off to sleep.

This type of insomnia is caused by excess Pitta, or too much heat, in the body. A person with a hot body type who hasn\’t fallen asleep before the Pitta (or heat) cycle starts at 10PM, will often be swept up in the stimulation of the heat which makes sleep at this time very challenging.

For this type of insomnia we need to support the nervous system with an herb that is cooling, to reduce Pitta (heat), and rebuild the nervous system. The only herb I know of that is clinically effective for treating a pitta-type insomnia is called Brahmi Brain. Brahmi (Centella asiatica) is a nervous system rejuvenative with cooling properties for the brain and nervous system. It has been shown to rebuild the nervous system and thus support better sleep, memory and mild cognitive impairment(1). This unique adaptogenic herb can be taken at night for insomnia and in the morning for better mental clarity and energy.

DIFFICULTY STAYING ASLEEP? (VATA TYPE INSOMNIA)

Remember when you could sleep through anything? You can again!
The second type of insomnia is when you fall asleep easily but wake up somewhere between 2:00AM and 6:00AM and cannot get back to sleep. This type can be the most disturbing as you lie there in the middle of the night wide awake.

According to Ayurveda this type of insomnia is due to excess Vata as this is the Vata, or nervous system, time of night. According to the rhythms of nature the nervous system starts to excite around 2:00AM. If you do not have the energy needed to sedate yourself during this early morning activation, you will wake up without the energy needed to get back to sleep. The key here is deep rejuvenation.

The best rejuvenative herb for Vata-type insomnia is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) or a LifeSpa formula I created called Sleep Easy, which has Ashwagandha in it.

Ashwagandha is often called the most powerful adaptogen in the world and is commonly said to give the ‘strength of ten horses’. Like Brahmi, Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that has the ability to give strength and stamina while, at the same time, give the nervous system the needed energy to sedate itself for a good night\’s sleep. (2). It has been shown to increase or decrease cortisol, a stress-fighting hormone, depending on the need of the body(3).

Ashwagandha is truly an intelligent herb that seems to restore the deep reserves of the body while restoring balance to many of the bodily functions. Traditionally, Ashwagandha has also been used to treat: general weakness, arthritis, depression, chronic fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depressed immunity, sexual debility, infertility, memory loss, breathing difficulties, hormonal imbalances and more.

References

Sushma Tiwari, Shinjini Singha, Kishor Patwardhan, Sangeeta Gehlot, I.S.Gambhira. Department of Kriya Sharir, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

Kumar A, Kalonia H. Protective effect of Withania somnifer Dunal on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep-disturbed mice (and over water suspended method). Indian J Exp Tiol. 2007;45:524-528.

Sudhir S, Budhiraja R, Migiani G, et al. Pharmacological studies on leaves of Withania somnifera. Planta Med. 1986;52:61-63. 27 Naidu P, Singh A, Kulkami S. Effect of Withania

Author Bio: Dr. John Douillard has been teaching Ayurvedic medicine, natural health, fitness, and nutrition internationally for 22 years. He received his Ayurvedic training in India, holds a Ph.D. in Ayurvedic Medicine from the Open International University, and is the former Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets. He co-directed an Ayurvedic center for cancer with Deepak Chopra for 8 yrs and has trained over 2000 Western doctors in Ayurveda.LifeSpa.com

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: insomnia,sleep,stress,rejuvenate,adaptogen,ayurveda,ashwagandha,John Douillard