Sleep Aid Blog

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid. The body makes 5-HTP from tryptophan (an essential amino acid) and converts it to an important brain chemical known as serotonin. Tryptophan and 5-HTP are sleep remedies that help raise serotonin levels in the brain, which may have a positive effect on sleep, mood, anxiety, aggression, appetite, temperature, sexual behavior, and pain sensation.

5-HTP may be helpful in treating a wide variety of conditions related to low serotonin levels, including the following:

Depression

Low levels of serotonin in the brain can contribute to the development of depression. Many drugs prescribed for depression increase serotonin levels. Studies indicate that 5-HTP may be as effective as certain antidepressant drugs in treating individuals with mild to moderate depression. Such individuals have shown improvements in mood, anxiety, insomnia, and physical symptoms.

Fibromyalgia

Although many factors can influence the stiffness, pain, and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, evidence from several studies indicates that low serotonin levels may play a role in the development of this condition. 5-HTP has been shown to improve sleep quality and reduce pain, stiffness, anxiety, and depression in individuals with fibromyalgia.

Insomnia

Medical research indicates that taking sleep remedies with tryptophan before bedtime can induce sleepiness and delay wake times. Studies also suggest that 5-HTP may be useful in treating insomnia associated with depression.

Headaches

Some studies suggest that 5-HTP may be effective in children and adults with various types of headaches including migraines.

Obesity

There is some evidence that low tryptophan levels may contribute to excess fat and carbohydrate intake (which can result in weight gain). A study of overweight individuals with diabetes suggests that supplementation with 5-HTP may decrease fat and carbohydrate intake by promoting a feeling of satiety (fullness). Additional similar studies of obese men and women without diabetes found that supplementation with 5-HTP resulted in decreased food intake and weight loss.

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Insomnia is a common sleep disorder among all ages, especially among senior citizens. In most cases Insomnia treatments range from natural sleep aid products to over the counter medications and prescription medicines. Insomnia symptoms can include poor concentration and memory retention. People suffering from insomnia usually awake prematurely during the night and have trouble getting back to sleep after they wake up. Insomnia can leave you feeling irritable without any obvious cause. People suffering from insomnia also frequently experience decreased alertness and mental sluggishness.

Insomnia symptoms can last for as little as a day or be carried on for many weeks. In case of Transient Insomnia, the symptoms last for a few nights. In Short-Term Insomnia, the symptoms stay for two to three weeks. If they last more than three weeks, the patient is suffering from Chronic Insomnia. Health experts also sometimes distinguish between primary and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia is characterized by symptoms of difficulty in falling asleep, waking several times during sleep, and fatigue. These symptoms last for a month and has unknown cause. In secondary insomnia, there is a known underlying condition. Depression is usually the major cause of secondary insomnia.

In order to diagnose the condition of insomnia, the physician will want to make sure that the symptoms are not being caused by any other sleep disorder, disease or side effects caused by medication. Along with the symptoms of insomnia, other disorders may be detected in the same patient; these include mania, depression, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

So what can we do to cure insomnia?

Do not take naps if you are prone to insomnia attacks. Maintain  a strict schedule for your bedtime and waking hour.

Eat your dinner at least four hours before your bed time. In some cases insomnia can be aggravated by digestive problems.

Avoid any drink that can cause sleeplessness. This can include coffee in any form, alcohol, and even tea (unless it is medicated). In case you must have your regular cup of coffee, at least ensure that you take it a minimum of four hours before your bedtime.

Start a daily exercise routine. In case you are not too fond of physical exercise, you can simply take a walk for 30 minutes daily. Once you have worked up to 30 minutes try to gradually increase it to one hour or so for best results.

If you find that you cannot sleep, do not fight it. Sleep usually comes after your body relaxes completely. The best thing to do is get up from the bed and do something that you enjoy that will help to relax the body.

Treatment for Insomnia

The Majority of people suffering from sleep disorders turn to sleep aid pills and prescription medications. Prescription sleep aids can prove to be work at first, but gradually some problems arise that need serious. These days, both over the counter medications and prescriptions pills are used for insomnia treatment.

Over the counter medications for insomnia are usually ineffective in log term insomnia treatment. First of all, they do not ensure the quality of sleep enjoyed by healthy people. They give about 5 % duration of deep sleep while in healthy sleep this duration is 10 % to 25 %. Secondly, over the counter drugs for insomnia mostly work by the action of antihistamines (anti-allergic chemicals) present in them. While antihistamines do cast a sedating effect, they are not to be used by people with prostate problems, angina, heart problems, and urinary problems. Antihistamines can add to the intensity of these conditions. Finally, over the counter drugs have a number of side effects like: drowsiness and dizziness (that may remain for twenty four hours), memory lapses, dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, and urinary retention.

Various types of medications, collectively called hyptonics, are prescribed for insomnia treatment. Hypnotics generally fall in three categories: benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, and antidepressants. Most of the health experts agree on using insomnia medications for a short period only. In all cases of using over the counter drugs or prescribed sleep aid pills, it is important that the patient educate him/herself well on the possible side effects.

Technorati Tags: cant sleep, Insomnia, Lack of Sleep, Sleep Aid, sleep aids, Trouble Sleeping

If you have been listening to the news over the past couple of years you will notice an alarming trend of how harmful prescription sleep aid products can be.  These types of medications have been linked to problems including diminished sleeping habits, addiction, withdrawal symptoms and even death.

Did you know that most prescription sleep aid product are made from powerful narcotics which is the reason that people tend to feel sluggish or tired the morning after taking them. I don’t know about you but I think the last thing I should feel after getting a full night’s sleep is to feel tired. If you aren’t feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day when you wake up then there isn’t much of a point to taking these types of medications.

Some of the other side effects can include headaches, dizziness, sore throats and muscle pain. One of the more harmful effects can be the addictive nature of these types of medications.  Once a person starts taking them they become entirely dependent on them in order to get any type of sleep. Also, because of the narcotic properties of the drugs they tend to loose effectiveness after a period of time which leads the user in search of the next big sleep aid product put on the market by the big drug companies.  This can become a vicious circle for the user and often times will only allow them to get small periods of time where they are getting a good night’s sleep.   

So why do doctors then keep trying to cure the world’s sleeping problems with these prescription sleep aid products?  Well, I think the answer is simple, MONEY.  The drug companies seem to pump out these new products faster and faster with little to no increased results for the patients.  When are the big drug companies going to focus on naturally helping the user get to sleep on there own?  Many cultures around the world have been using natural sleep aid products for centuries with great results while not causing the harmful effects that a lot of the prescription products do.  Some of these ingredients include chamomile, valerian, hops flower powder and 5-HTP.  All these ingredients have been proven in clinical studies to help induce a state of relaxation and help the body relax allowing the user to get to sleep and stay asleep.  If I have piqued your interest about these natural sleep aid ingredients please look for future articles where I cover more in depth what they can do.

Technorati Tags: cant sleep, Insomnia, Lack of Sleep, Sleep Aid, sleeping pills, Trouble Sleeping

Sleep deprivation ranges from weight gain,irritability, hallucinations and even depression. In the 1900s people slept for more than nine hours. Eight hours in the 1960s But now because of our increasing 24/7 society we are sleeping for six hours or less. Prof Foster says we are sleep deprived, harming our memory,mental dexterity, and health. But also losing our power of innovation.

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Technorati Tags: Insomnia, Lack of Sleep, Sleep Aid, Sleep disorder, Trouble Sleeping