Insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep) can have a lasting negative impact on our quality of life and health. What types of insomnia exist, what are the potential triggers, and what natural sleep aids are available to support those with short-term difficulty falling and staying asleep, for example due to stress, anxiety, worry, or menopausal symptoms?
What is meant by insomnia?
Who isn't familiar with the consequences of sleep deprivation? If we have slept poorly for a few days, we feel like only half a person. It becomes problematic when sleep deprivation becomes a habit and the cause is not easily identified or resolved.
The most common form of sleep disorders is insomnia, which refers to difficulty falling and staying asleep. Literally translated, insomnia means "lack of sleep." Therefore, insomnia refers to sleep disorders related to difficulty falling and staying asleep, resulting in not being well-rested and recovered the next day. If this occurs at least three days per week for longer than four weeks, experts refer to it as chronic insomnia. A vicious cycle can quickly arise from the change in the sleep-wake rhythm and the reduced sleep duration, as those affected often put massive pressure on themselves to sleep in order to be productive the next day. During the day, they then feel anxious about the next night. This state can very quickly become a physical and mental burden with consequences for one's health.
What types of insomnia exist?
Insomnia is generally the most common sleep disorder. A distinction is made between primary and secondary insomnia.
Primary insomnia refers to sleep disorders triggered by external life circumstances and stress. They are not caused by physical conditions or diseases. An example of a trigger could be a stressful life event such as the loss of a partner, job loss, or other problems in private or professional life.
Secondary insomnia, on the other hand, consists of sleep disorders triggered by a physical or mental illness (or a side effect thereof) or favored by external disturbances. Examples include cardiovascular diseases, depression, or the influence of medication, alcohol, or drugs.
What are the causes of insomnia?
Regardless of the classification of the type of insomnia, there are countless causes that can trigger or favor difficulty falling and staying asleep. Common examples include:
- General, negatively experienced stress (physical or psychological)
- Hormonal changes, for example pregnancy or menopause, but also thyroid problems or diseases
- Certain foods and medications: caffeinated beverages, alcohol, drugs, side effects of medications such as certain antidepressants or beta-blockers
- Shift work due to disruption of the sleep-wake rhythm
- Pain or restlessness due to physical or mental illnesses, as well as treatment with sleep-impairing medications (secondary insomnia)
- Certain personality traits that build up internal pressure, for example perfectionism, a drive to perform, or "helper syndrome"
Certain sports performed late in the evening if they have a stimulating or exciting effect, for example spinning or weightlifting.
What are the consequences of insomnia?
Long-term difficulty falling and staying asleep impairs physical and mental health.
Physically, chronic insomnia increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This means the risk of conditions such as heart attacks, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure rises. Furthermore, untreated, long-lasting sleep disorders can contribute to mental illnesses such as depression.
The immune system is also weakened by a lack of recovery, which increases the risk of infectious diseases.
It should also be remembered that the risk of accidents increases due to concentration problems and daytime fatigue. Here again, the reminder: if sleep is significantly impaired for longer than four weeks and on several days a week, you should definitely consult a doctor to clarify the cause.
What treatment options exist for insomnia?
If chronic difficulty falling and staying asleep is suspected, your doctor will first look for the causes with you. Through a detailed medical history or a sleep diary, the problem is narrowed down via questions about pain, medication, the sleep environment, possible stress factors, or working hours. Sometimes simple behavioral changes help, such as going to bed earlier and before midnight, replacing television right before sleep with a walk, or not consuming stimulating substances like coffee in the early evening. Unfortunately, it is not always that simple. In that case, additional help is needed.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As a rule, for sleep disorders triggered by stressors such as anxiety or worry, treatment options such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are considered before pharmacological therapy. This is a form of psychotherapy. In this type of therapy, patients learn, for example, how to relax more easily and which sleep habits can have a positive effect. Furthermore, specific techniques are learned that can break the cycle of negative thoughts caused by sleep disorders.
Medication for sleep
If this alone does not help, medication may be used. Due to potential side effects as well as the risk of dependency – especially with benzodiazepines and Z-drugs – these should be taken exclusively after careful consideration and never without a doctor's prescription.
Sometimes it is enough to supplement behavioral therapy with herbal remedies to promote sleep. These have a milder effect than synthetic sleeping pills and can generally be taken without concern for longer periods to provide support. Expert advice is also useful here. Other methods, which are often scientifically insufficiently proven but still worth a try, include acupuncture or TCM, homeopathy, guided meditations, or regular yoga and mindfulness exercises.
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What can I do myself?
First of all: a great deal! Do not wait until sleep disorders have become entrenched and react as quickly as possible to identify potential triggers in your environment.
- Instead of a heavy main meal with lots of carbohydrates, you should opt for easily digestible food in the evening, such as steamed vegetables, low-fat fish, or a soup.
- Avoid large amounts of alcohol if you have sleep problems.
- Incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine.
- Find a bedtime ritual (for example, a cup of calming tea before sleep) or do a meditation or breathing exercise.
- When you cannot sleep, avoid looking at the clock. This sets off a negative spiral of thoughts.
- Refrain from nicotine and stimulating substances (e.g., caffeinated beverages), especially in the evening.
- Ensure a comfortable room temperature; this can be perceived differently by everyone, but it should not be above 20 degrees Celsius.
- Ensure the room is dark.
- Avoid activities that are mentally or physically demanding before you go to sleep.
- If you cannot sleep, try not to get annoyed; instead, pick up a book or listen to a bedtime story.
- Use an ethereal fragrance with calming, natural oils. Lemon balm or lavender as an aroma oil are possibilities, for example.
What does naturopathy offer for short-term difficulty falling and staying asleep?
There are always phases in life that are more stressful and burdensome than other times. We feel agitated and are not centered emotionally or physically. In such phases, sleep problems can suddenly occur that we did not have before. For such periods, herbal remedies, vitamins, trace elements, and minerals can be helpful to guide us more easily back to our inner center and toward good sleep quality.
However, these little helpers cannot always replace a doctor. If sleep problems persist, if the causes cannot be eliminated despite all personal initiative, and sleep remains disturbed, professional help is required.
In any case, it is worth trying herbal alternatives and certain vital substances before resorting to synthetic sleeping pills. Depending on the cause, there are different combinations that can prove helpful. Here is a small selection:
1. What to do for sleep problems triggered by stress?
Stress can be perceived as positive or negative. Accordingly, negatively perceived stress is more likely to affect sleep quality. When stressed, our sympathetic nervous system or "stress nerve" is active. It is part of the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system. Its counterpart is the parasympathetic nervous system, also called the "rest and relax nerve."
Now, one should not imagine the activities of these counterparts as working like shift work, but as an equal partnership adapted to the demands of the day. You don't want to fall asleep at a party at 10:00 PM, for example. The two must therefore be able to communicate well with each other. Depending on how we behave—which can include unconscious patterns (e.g., circling negative thoughts, thinking about work, internal pressure)—the sympathetic nervous system (stress nerve) gains the upper hand, even though we actually want to sleep.
A helpful combination for sleep problems caused by stress is, for example, ashwagandha, magnesium, and a well-balanced B-complex in the evening. Ashwagandha, also known as "winter cherry," is an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a herbal substance that can increase natural stress tolerance. Ashwagandha is also called Indian ginseng, meaning it addresses the root problem—increasing one's resilience.
Magnesium, in turn, is the "relax mineral," as it helps ensure that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems—and thus the autonomic nervous system—work in a balanced way. A magnesium deficiency can favor sleep problems. B vitamins are also essential for a functioning nervous system. A lack of supply can lead to us being more nervously unstable and our ability to cope with stress decreasing. This also indirectly affects sleep quality.
2. What to do for sleep problems due to anxiety and worry?
All of us suffer from anxiety and worry at some point in life, some more, some less. If these persist, they can become very burdensome and affect our sleep quality negatively. In these situations, too, the sympathetic nervous system, the "stress nerve," is more active. This is also physiologically sensible, as the body cannot distinguish whether we are only worrying in our minds or if a real danger situation exists in which we must shift all bodily functions into "fight or flight" mode.
For sleep problems triggered by anxiety and worry, calming medicinal plants such as lavender, lemon balm, or valerian have proven effective. For higher effectiveness, these can be combined with micronutrients such as magnesium and the amino acid L-tryptophan.
Lavender is also known as a medication for its anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving) effect; valerian has calming properties; lemon balm combines both properties and thus, as a medicinal plant, acts as both a sedative and an anxiolytic. Magnesium is again essential here for the function of the autonomic nervous system, i.e., the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid and necessary for the body's own production of melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin is the hormone that controls our sleep-wake rhythm and is therefore indispensable for balanced sleep. It is the antagonist to the stress hormone "cortisol." Cortisol keeps us awake and alert during the day, whereas melatonin shuts the body down.
Serotonin is colloquially referred to as the "happiness hormone" and has antidepressant, anxiolytic, and sleep-promoting properties. When we are anxious and full of worry, this changes our psychological resilience. This can impair sleep quality. Moreover, we know from studies that people who sleep poorly for longer periods are more prone to depressive moods. The risk of manifest depression is also increased with chronic sleep disorders, but regarding treatment, this absolutely belongs in the hands of a doctor. If you suspect depression triggered by sleep disorders, you should therefore not experiment yourself but seek professional help as soon as possible.
3. What to do for sleep problems associated with menopausal symptoms?
During menopause and the preceding perimenopause, in addition to hot flashes and depressive moods, sleep disorders are very common new companions. This is due to the change in hormone balance and the associated slow decline in progesterone and estrogen levels.
Estrogen, in particular, influences metabolic processes in the brain and supports the deep sleep phase. But relative shifts in progesterone during perimenopause can also negatively influence sleep, as progesterone is considered the "chill hormone" among the sex hormones.
There are many ways to positively influence menopausal symptoms through vital substances. A helpful combination can consist of phytohormones, such as those found in soy or red clover, a herbal adaptogen such as Rhodiola rosea, and zinc.
Phytohormones from soy or red clover have mild, estrogen-like properties and can be harmonizing during menopause. Rhodiola rosea belongs to the herbal adaptogens, which can have a positive influence on stress tolerance and the harmonization of cortisol levels.
A good supply of zinc is essential for sleep problems during menopause because zinc is involved in the functionality of a very important neurotransmitter—GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This messenger substance has a calming effect on brain activity, promotes relaxation, and aids sleep. For the sufficient formation of GABA, among other things, a good supply of the trace element zinc is required.
Conclusion
Insomnia is the most frequently occurring sleep disorder, in which falling and staying asleep is disturbed. Causes are very often external stressful situations, but also mental and physical illnesses as well as the intake of certain medications.
If we sleep less than seven hours per night for a long time, this will have an effect on our emotional and physical state, general stress tolerance, professional performance, and concentration ability.
Therefore, do not wait too long to see a doctor for sleep disorders. Chronic sleep disorders increase the risk of some diseases, for example heart attacks or depression. For mild as well as short-term sleep disorders, certain herbal substances as well as selected vital substances are suitable as support, which can contribute to your night becoming more restful again.
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