Has sleep become a chore? It’s a terrible feeling, since sleep is so vital to good health, but there are things you can do about it.

Millions seek insomnia help because they can’t get to sleep at night, and when they do, they often wake up rather often. Insomnia is common, especially among women, those who are sick, those who are elderly, those who smoke, and those who abuse alcohol. But we are also starting to see an alarming number of young people seeking insomnia help.

That’s the bad news. The good news is, help is right around the corner, and you don’t have to rely on drugs to get the sleep you need.

In fact, my advice is to stay away from drugs altogether. Using medication will not give you a restful sleep. And alcohol is even worse. Ever have a “nightcap?” Well, one drink probably won’t do a lot of harm, but excessive drinking leads to terrible sleep.

In order to get a good night’s sleep, consider consuming some calcium in the evening. It’s well known that calcium promotes a good night sleep and provides lots of insomnia help. You need about 1000 mg of calcium.

Also, take about 500 to 600 mg of magnesium, since it calms the nerves. Take both the calcium and the magnesium together.

And finally, go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time every morning. Don’t stay out late, and don’t sleep until noon on weekends, as tempting as it may be!

Have you ever seen a guy that was so in love with his car? And I am not talking about love, but totally infatuated & obsessed with his big piece of machinery. He’s out there washing it every day to make sure it looks good and presentable on the outside. Not only that, but he makes sure the inside is clean; he only puts premium gas in his car and the creme de la creme of oil. He makes sure the oil is changed every 3,000 miles and he takes pride and joy in his “Riding Beauty.” You may be thinking what does a Car fanatic have to do with you cleansing your liver? If you think about it, cleansing your liver is like changing the oil filter in the car. The oil filter takes in all of the bad particles and make sure they don’t get to the engine. The liver performs the same function by filtering out the harmful toxins you are exposed to on a daily basis.

Your liver is one of the largest and most important organs in your body. Weighing an average of 3 pounds, your liver performs over 500 essential functions to make sure your body is operating properly.

Your liver is a natural detox agent; it has special cells known as Kuppfer cells, which are able to destroy 99% of harmful bacteria. These cells amongst other things help the liver rid your body of toxins naturally.

If you suffer from Insomnia, Constipation, Allergies, Depression, Asthma and a variety of other physical symptoms, you may have an unhealthy liver.

The liver works hard to make sure the harmful toxins stay out of your body, however, when you eat fatty, starchy, and unhealthy foods, in addition to consuming drugs and alcohol, the liver has to work extra hard to filter out the toxins.

And when your liver is overworked it can’t perform to its fullest, so the toxins are released into your bloodstream causing various symptoms like fatigue, hormonal imbalances, weakened immune systems, and allergies just to name a few.

Luckily, there are simple steps that you can take to make sure your liver is always performing at its best. That’s why most doctors and liver health experts recommend that you cleanse your liver on a regular basis. Just like the car fanatic changes his oil every few thousand miles to keeps the engine running smoothly, you have to do the same with your liver.

Here are 4 Simple ways to detox your liver starting today:

· Eat a High Fiber Diet – It’s no secret that Fiber plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, however, fiber also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy liver. The liver helps with the production of bile. Fiber binds to bile in the large intestines. Bile carries the stored fat soluble toxins away from the liver so they can be eliminated during a bowel movement. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli are loaded with fiber. Don’t forget about your succulent full of fiber fruits as well. However, make sure your fruits and veggies are both organic for better results.

· Fasting – Just like your intestines need a break, so does your liver. Your liver is always at work, eliminating toxins as well as processing the carbohydrates, fats and proteins you digest. Sometimes it is best to give your liver a break and go on a juice fast. When you don’t eat for a few days the body actually starts the elimination process and removes toxins naturally and effortlessly throughout the body. Going on a fast also helps restore balance to your liver and other internal organs.

· Do a liver /gall bladder flush – When have you done your last car oil change? What about the oil change on your body? It’s time. It’s easy and quick..

· Natural Herbs – It is always best to choose a natural alternative to cleansing. Herbs have been around since ancient times, and many liver cleansing formulas have a wide variety of effective herbs that help aid the liver detoxification process. There are many liver cleansing products on the market; it’s wise to choose products that have natural cleansing herbs. Or you can purchase the herbs separately from your local vitamin/health store. Some of the fast acting herbs that detox your liver include but are not limited to:

· Milk Thistle – This powerful herb is known to be filled with antioxidants which protect your liver from damage. These antioxidants work by preventing toxins to get absorbed by the liver.

· Dandelion Root -This little root acts as a natural diuretic, in addition to purifying the blood and the liver.

· Artichoke Extract – This helps increase the bile flow of the liver

There are a variety of ways you can detox your liver. However, detoxing your liver is an on-going process that should be practiced on a regular basis for the rest of your life.

You only get one liver, so it’s important to learn how the liver works and what steps you need to take to make sure it is performing at its most optimal level. If you continue to eat organic foods that are packed with fiber and do your part to keep the environment clean, you are one step ahead, and your liver will thank you.

Remember to change your oil this spring!

Insomnia is an inability to sleep, not depending upon the number of hours which you sleep, but on the quality of your sleep and also on how you feel after you have woken. So, even if you are sleeping those ideal eight hours during the night and feel tired after the slumber, you may be experiencing insomnia. Most of the time people suffering from insomnia yield to medication as it provides fast results and is convenient. However, medicines can become addictive and a point is reached when you cannot do without them. But did you know that there are many behavioral strategies and exercises for curing insomnia, which are free from side effects and risks.

Here’s a lowdown on some of the important exercises which will have significant long lasting effects:

Relax and manage stress: Generally, if you are relaxed before you go to bed, you will have a great sleep. Some of the relaxation techniques include counting of numbers backwards. The secret here is to deactivate the overly active neuron activity in your brain so that it becomes bored and go off to sleep.

Next technique is to perform some deep breathing exercises, which involve chest, lower abdomen, lower back and ribcage. By inhaling fully and deeply, your parasympathetic nervous system that controls relaxation will get affected, resulting in comfort and sleep. Additionally, since you are actually inhaling more oxygen, your blood supply increases, within the body and brain, making the vital nutrients, which help in sleeping better like calcium to flow to the brain. This practice is liberally taught in Reiki and Art of Living.

Progressive muscle relaxation: This is perhaps the easiest exercise in which all you have to do is tense all your muscles right to the toes, and then suddenly relax them. If you do this for all the muscle groups in your body, you will surely get into a deep slumber within minutes. Acute stress causes high muscular tension. So, when you have tensed and relaxed the muscles, the tension level drop below your normal level, thereby producing even better relaxation. However, remember to become comfortable before performing this exercise.

Meditation is yet another great exercise that cures insomnia effectively. In this, you actually work on the fundamental aspect of meditation whereby you are focusing on a word or an object or your breathing. All these activities lead to quieter thoughts so that you completely unwind from the day’s stress.

If you feel relaxed when you reach your dreamland, then go ahead and imagine the most beautiful place. Visual imagery is a technique that will help you in distracting your mind from the existing problems. In this mental exercise, you should craft images that consume 100% of your mind and you should get completely lost and look like ‘Alice in Wonderland’. It is not necessary that you close your eyes for this, but most people prefer to shut themselves from the world.

Avoid too much stimulation to your brain just before you are getting ready to sleep such as watching TV. I know a lot of us watch that last hour’s show in bed, especially if you are Dexter fan like me! However it really can stop you from relaxing.

By taking on some of the above suggestions, a good night’s sleep is better much guaranteed. Until next time – good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite…

Have you ever thought that you cannot sleep properly at night because you are not eating right? Insomnia can develop from bad or deficient eating habits, notably from lack of calcium, zinc, magnesium and potassium. Other vitamins that may cause insomnia are folic acid, vitamins A and D and vitamin B5.

If you are deficient in one or more of these nutrients, you will probably not be sleeping properly, and are most likely feeling tired throughout the day.

Try and analyse your exact symptoms to determine if you are effectively lacking in one or more of these nutrients, and you will probably find the missing ingredient!

An result of deficiency in vitamin A besides insomnia, is brittle and dry hair and night blindness. If you do suffer from any of these symptoms, then you probably are lacking in vitamin A.

Once you have managed to pick out which nutrient you need to compensate for, you can purchase mineral or vitamin supplements to re-integrate the nutrient missing. It is important at this stage to choose carefully. Not all products have the same values and offer reasonable quality. Most supplement products have a broad-spectrum of multi-vitamin and mineral content; you should look for those, which are more specific for your personal needs. Check the list of ingredients and values, which will give you the recommended dosage and the percentage of a determined nutrient that particular product contains.

While supplements are a good solution to help your body absorb the vitamins or minerals it is lacking in, you should also re-organize your dieting habits. A well-balanced diet alone, should give you the necessary nutrients to lead a healthy lifestyle, and avoid any unpleasant condition or fatigue. While it is true that, at times our body requires more of a determined nutrient, due to cold weather, increased stress conditions or other variant factors, we should be able to cover our daily needs if we eat properly.

For the next two weeks plan your meals by including enough fruit and vegetable types, lean meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Vary each day, in order to eat different food types. Drink plenty of water, you will be surprised at the high mineral content water can offer and drink fresh fruit juices, which also contain plenty of vitamin C, A and other fundamental vitamins.

Be consistent and patient, you will notice the results after a few weeks, so do not expect miracle results. Our body needs time to assimilate and adapt to its new eating habits. 
If you are eating properly, you will soon notice the difference. If you still feel the fatigue after a few weeks, you can then opt for vitamin and mineral supplements to help you through this phase.

It is important to note that organic food will offer higher percentages of nutrients than other regularly grown food types.

There are many natural remedies and correct eating habits we can use to cure our many disorders, do not turn towards drugs that will only add further problems to the ones you already have.

Are you up at night worrying about your finances? If so, you are not alone. The National Sleep Foundation reported in its “2009 Sleep in America,” report says that more than one-third of Americans are losing sleep due to worries about the economy. This article is Part One of five steps to intuitively guide you on dealing with your insomina.

1. Identify the threat or danger and determine if it is real. In the middle of the night it is hard to put our fears in perspective. Writing them down is the best way to determine what is real or not. If you haven’t paid your rent or mortgage in a couple of months then the risk of you being evicted or foreclosed is quite real. If worrying about losing your job is keeping you up then you can ask your intuition if there are any steps that you can take to prevent that from happening. Taking a pro-active stance goes a long way to help us change from feeling like a victim to being enpowered to make the necessary changes. Maybe, the things you need to do are within your grasp but you have to allow yourself to free your mind to access options that aren’t always obvious. One client who was facing the risk of being homeless asked her intuition to guide her in the journey. She was directed to talk to a neighbor who lived alone. It turned out the other woman desperately needed someone to take over the momentous task of cleaning out a cluttered filled basement and garage to prepare her home for sale. The two of them worked out an arrangement. Swallowing our pride and asking for assistance is a big step in being able to allow our intuition to guide us to the right outcome for our lives.

2. Make a conscious choice how to best handle the situation. Talking about the issue with a trusted friend or family member is crucial. Don’t wait until the sheriff’s police are knocking at your door to act. The bigger a problem feels inside of us the harder it is to hear our intuition to know what action we need to take. Our emotions are our emotional guidance system and when you stay in fear it is hard to hear your inner voice.

3. Think of the worry of fear as a signal from your body alerting you to a possible threat or danger. Like an overprotective mother, our body is designed to make us aware when things are out of balance. Often, we don’t know we are fully capable of facing whatever challenges present in our lives and our best intentions get lost in the emotional turmoil that presents when we aren’t able to sleep.

Read Part 2 of this article to find out the most important step in intuitively guiding yourself when facing insomnia.

Supplementing with magnesium oil has many benefits as close to two thirds of the population are deficient. Magnesium is a vitally important mineral as it is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Many people are deficient due to modern farming practices which deplete the soil of this vital mineral. Also people don’t drink mineral rich water, and most water sources often contain flouride and chemicals which affect absorption.

Getting magnesium transdermally is the best way to supplement with this mineral as it is easily absorbed through the skin. Those with leaky gut or poor digestion will benefit tremendously as they are likely getting little magnesium.

By supplementing with magnesium it can benefit those with fibromyalagia and chronic fatigue syndrome by lowering stress and muscular pain and fatigue. Muscular pain and fatigue is a common symptom of magnesium deficieny and by using magnesium oil can help alleviate the pain. Magnesium has a calming affect on the mind as well which helps in times of stress. It can help lower anxiety as well which can sometimes be a sign of magnesium deficiency.

The oil can be used in sports and training to recover faster from injuries and enhance performance. Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to help with blood pressure, migraines, diabetes, fatigue, chronic pain, insomina and mimizing asthmatic attacks. Weight training often takes a heavy toll the body and magnesium oil can be used to get better results from training. By using magnesium oil it can also help with achy and worn out joints and ligaments.

Magnesium helps with the metabolism of the body and helps with the absorb fats, carbohydrates and nutrients into the tissues of the body.

A benefit that many people find is not needing to use deodorant or not as much, finding their sweat to not stink or not as badly. The oil can be used as an deodorant as well. Magnesium chloride flakes (made to make the oil) can also be used in a bath for a rejuvenate and healing bath. When the oil is used in massage can help increase blood flow and detoxifaction.

It been shown to benefit those that suffer from baldness may benefit from magnesium oil. It can be sprayed on the scalp and areas that are starting to bald. Calcification and inflammation often cause baldness which can be alleviate with the use of magnesium oil.

Metabolic problems, obesity and being overweight is sometimes linked to magnesium deficiency, by using magnesium oil it may help those with weight problems lose weight.

Valerian root has for thousands of years been used to treat sleep disorders like insomnia, and recently people have been using valerian root as an antidepressant with good results.

Even with so many prescription drugs and over the counter “remedies” valerian root is still being used by many with great success to help alleviate insomnia.

The beauty about this natural herb is that it is not addictive and is mild, and can be used to relieve stress and anxiety as well. Which can actually be one of the reasons for its benefits, as it is often stress or anxiety that causes the sleepless night.

The valerian root grows in numerous places around the globe, including Asia, Europe and also North America. The extract that contains the active ingredient so useful as a sedative is taken from the underground roots and stems of the plant. They are then dried to make the herbal supplement.

There is little doubt to its effectiveness, but it is not clear what active ingredient gives the valerian root its sedative properties.

As well as offering an alternative to medication, this natural herbal extract can help relax muscles and soothe stress, which means that it is often used to help with the symptoms of some digestive disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Diverticulosis.

Currently research is being conducted to check valerian root’s ability to help with panic attacks, as many people have expressed that it has helped them deal with this troubling condition.

There are different preparations of valerian root, and you need to ensure that you get the one that is suitable for your ailment. Some are specifically prepared for insomnia and others for stress release and muscle relaxation and others still to relive depression, so check that label or ask a store assistant.

Getting a good night sleep is one of the most beneficial things that a person can do for their body. It is time that the body needs to recharge and heal. Interrupted sleep can be unhealthy and mentally draining.

The few times I’ve suffered from bouts of insomnia has made me deeply grateful for a good night’s sleep. If you haven’t been through it, it’s hard to imagine the agonies you go through when you’re lying, watching the minutes tick slowly by.

There are so many helpful suggestions people will give – and you try with new hope each time – warm baths, soothing music, not eating. Sometimes there may be a small improvement, often nothing at all.

In my holistic healthcare practice, I have worked with many people who suffer from long-term insomnia. Some may have been taking medication that is no longer working, others don’t choose to go down that route and want something more holistic.

There are some very good herbal remedies to help with sleep, such as Passiflora or Valerian and some excellent relaxation techniques. I’ll write more about them in another article.

For now I want to tell you about So I started investigating some different techniques and found a really good audio programme that has helped many people who have suffered from insomnia for years. It’s all natural, very easy to use and effective. It works on the rhythmic nature of the pulses (there are no words, no suggestions at all) embedded into the audio sessions safely and gently guide your brain into sleep – and help it stay asleep.

What’s cool is that you can’t develop any dependency to them, and they have no negative side-effects. Unlike sleeping pills, they help you become healthier. And because of their long-lasting effects, you don’t need to listen to them forever.

You toss, you turn, you lie awake and sleep eludes you; you just want to know how to cure insomnia without drugs. Sure, pills can help, but you already know that they can be addicting. Here are some drug-free ways to get rid of insomnia.

Kinds of Insomnia

Before we explore various ways to treat and cure the sleeplessness, you need to understand the three main ways that insomnia manifests itself; they are as follows.

Unable to get to sleep. This is where you go to bed, but you lie awake and can’t get to sleep. This could be for just an hour or two, up through practically the whole night.

Unable to stay asleep. Perhaps you can get to sleep fine, but you either wake up constantly throughout the night, or wake up an hour or more before you need to.

Non-restorative sleep. This one is a little trickier. You can get to sleep OK, and you may sleep through the night, but your sleep is shallow. Without enough good, deep sleep, your body and mind can’t be totally refreshed each evening.

Of course, you can have any mixture of the above as well. But what it all boils down to is not enough sleep, so that it interferes with your daily activities.

How to Cure Insomnia Without Drugs

You can treat sleeplessness in any of several ways, but it’s most effective to determine why you are having sleep problems (anxiety, depression, hormonal, pain, etc.) in the first place. Nevertheless, here are some ways to help you cure those sleepless nights.

Meditation. This is a time-honored way to help cure sleep deprivation due to your mind going a million miles an hour. Mediation can take several forms, and can be very effective when your insomnia is more mental than physical.

Improve your sleeping location. If you’re trying to sleep in a place where you have an uncomfortable bed, noise, lights or other distractions, you’ll need to find a way to remove the problem. Environmental sleeplessness tends to be easily cured, once the distractions are taken care of.

Herbal remedies. It’s true, chamomile and other herbal teas can help you to sleep, and there are several tea blends on the market that are blended for just this purpose.

Don’t drink alcohol within 2 hours of going to bed; it can just end up making things worse. And if you’re into caffeine, try to limit it to no later than 7 hours before you are ready to go to bed. In other words, if you plan to go to bed at 10 PM, don’t drink caffeine after 3 PM.

It can be very frustrating tossing and turning for the hundredth time in bed in the night. As this has been going on for some time, you may find it easy to become on sleeping pills. If you have been reaching for the medicine cabinet regularly at night, consider reaching for your refrigerator 
instead. The right kind of foods and combination may just contain the insomnia remedy that will 
help you sleep much faster and easier.

Here is a thought that you may have overlooked: food can make you sleep. Have you ever eaten a 
huge turkey pie and find yourself extremely sleepy thereafter? This is because of a chemical 
known as tryptophan that it contains. Tryptophan causes your body to produce an amino acid 
called L-Tryptophan. This amino acid is essential in the production of the neurotransmitters 
serotonin and melatonin. These help reduce the nerve traffic in your brain, causing you to relax, 
think less and fall off to sleep.

Of course, you cannot possibly be eating turkey every night just before bed. And must be it turkey? Well, the good news is that there are plenty of food sources for tryptophan. This chemical is found in dairy products, fish, beans, eggs, soy, meat (especially poultry), nuts, hummus and most other high-protein foods. Eating a small portion will do. You do not have to eat a huge portion to feel sleepy.

You may not realise this but one problem with the many of the foods that contain tryptophan. They also usually contain an amino acid called tyrosine. Tyrosine produces chemicals that makes you feel more energized. So if you eat these foods on their own, these acids will counteract each other; hence producing no benefit to your insomina problem.

What you need to do is to eat other foods that will allow you to utilize the tryptophan and not the 
tyrosine for an insomnia remedy. Carbohydrates will help you to accomplish this. They encourage 
your body to produce insulin which “ties up” the tyrosine and allows the tryptophan to reach the brain without competition. Still, you need to avoid too large amounts of carbohydrates and simple sugars. You do not also want to produce too much insulin; which may cause you to wake up not long after you have fallen asleep. Hence, be moderate in your intake of carbohydrates and simple sugars.

Another way to get the full benefit of tryptophan to overcome insomnia is to eat foods that will increase your brain’s absorption of this amino acid. The best way to do this is with calcium. Hence the reason why milk before bedtime is often recommended, because it is effective.

It is not wise to eat a huge meal just before sleeping as you risk putting on weight. For an insomnia remedy plan, you can eat a moderately sized dinner and have a small snack just before bedtime. This is a more prudent plan than getting all frustrated with not being able to sleep and using sleeping pills as an aid.