The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington

Author:Arianna Huffington
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony
Published: 2016-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

NATURE’S ARSENAL: ACUPUNCTURE, HERBAL REMEDIES, AND OTHER SLEEP AIDS

Acupuncture has a long history as a sleep aid, and now modern science confirms what practitioners and patients have known for centuries. According to a review from Emory University that analyzed thirty studies of insomnia treatment, 93 percent of them found that acupuncture had positive effects on sleep. In addition, several studies have found that auricular acupuncture (needles placed in the ear) works particularly well. Another study, this one from Peking University, found that acupuncture was just as effective a treatment for insomnia as medication. Digging deeper into how acupuncture reduces insomnia, researchers from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto found that acupuncture increased nighttime secretion of melatonin and lowered anxiety levels.

Acupuncturist Janet Zand told me that “in Traditional Chinese Medicine we know sleep as yin—nourishment—essential for restoration.” Overstimulation, on the other hand, which she singles out as a driver of our sleep-deprivation crisis, “is considered excessive yang—heat/inflammation.” In her practice, Patricia Fitzgerald has found that “a treatment plan including acupuncture, a Chinese herbal formula, or supplements like holy basil and magnesium, tailored for the patient’s specific sleep problems, brings dramatic results without the side effects.” For an at-home option, she recommends acupressure—holding pressure points on the heel, ankle, and wrist while breathing deeply to help you prepare for sleep.

One of the most popular herbs for sleep is lavender, which has been used throughout history for healing and relaxation. The Greek physician Dioscorides wrote about lavender’s many medicinal benefits as early as the first century. The herb was a staple of Greek and Roman baths, and in ancient Egypt it was used frequently for incense. And again, there is scientific evidence to support what the ancients knew. A Thai study found that smelling lavender helps us relax by slowing down our heart rate, decreasing our blood pressure, and lowering skin temperature. Other studies have found sleep quality improved in a room scented with lavender or when lavender oil was sprinkled on pajamas or pillows. And in Germany, lavender tea has been approved by their equivalent of the FDA as a treatment for insomnia.

Those who want to explore herbal sleep aids—and especially those who want to wean themselves off sleeping pills—have many options to consider. Valerian root, for example, is a natural sedative whose use dates back to ancient Greece, where Hippocrates prescribed it in the fourth century BC. In recent years, its effectiveness has been supported by research. In addition to valerian root, Dr. Frank Lipman also recommends other nutrients that can improve sleep, including gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA (a naturally occurring chemical that dampens brain activity), and L-theanine (an amino acid found in green-tea leaves that induces brain waves connected to relaxation).

Interior designer Michael Smith, who spends a large part of his life on planes, told me he sprays orange essential oil on the T-shirt he sleeps in at night. He finds the scent calms his mind and has a humidifying effect. The lesson here is that it is important to experiment.

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