A lack of sleep can be very detrimental to our overall health. People are generally sleep deprived due to the increased demands on our daily schedules. People, on average should be sleeping 8 hours a night. It is during our deep sleep cycle that human growth hormone is released and our body does its repair work. Athletes generally require more sleep in order to repair muscle tissue and recover. Insomnia causes us to be less mentally alert and slows our reaction times, plus it is a leading cause of depression and anxiety. There are two main types of insomnia: sleep onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia. Sleep onset insomnia occurs when one has difficulty falling asleep. It is commonly caused by anxiety, noise, environmental changes, stimulants (caffeine, nicotine), or drugs (beta-blockers, a-methyldopa, bronchodilators, diuretics, etc). Sleep maintenance insomnia occurs when you wake after you have been asleep, and have a difficult time going back to sleep. This may be commonly associated with a decrease in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), alcoholism or depression. Dr. Metcalfe recommends trying natural solutions for your sleep problems as pharmaceutical medicines run the risk of dependency and can leave people feeling tired in the morning.

Restless or difficult sleep.
Daytime fatigue.

Lifestyle Changes:

Stop smoking
Avoid alcohol
Exercise 1-hour everyday.
Make sure you have a comfortable sleep environment: comfortable bed, fresh air, clean bedding, good pillow.
Reduce the stress in your life.
Schedule your sleep into your schedule. Pass on late night events until your sleep is under control.
Make the lighting dimmer as the evening progresses.
If your bedroom is too noisy, try using a fan, air filter or humidifier to drown out the noise.

Dietary Changes:

Strive to eat your evening meal at least 2 hours prior to bedtime.
Walk for at least 20 minutes after your evening meal.
Increase foods high in tryptophan for your dinner or evening snack: bananas, figs, dates, yogurt, tuna, turkey, and nuts.
Eat a dinner higher in carbohydrates than protein for dinner.
No caffeine after 10 am in the morning.

Insomnia Management Protocol:

Sleep Onset Insomnia:

Sedaplex: 3 tablets at bedtime.
Cal-Mag Chela-Max: 3 tablets at bedtime with above.

Sleep Maintenance Insomnia:

Glyco-kinetic Complex: three capsules at bedtime.
Adrenal Complex: 2 capsules in the morning and 2 capsules mid-afternoon.