Call Dr. Sharma's Clinic - From United States and Canada call 703-659-0873. Patients From rest of the world and India call +91-6283487321

How to treat Insomnia in Elderly with Homeopathy

Insomnia refers to a condition when a person has trouble falling asleep, or maintaining sleep or there is a lack of quality sleep for about three or more nights consecutively in a week. When such a complaint persists for three or more months, it is referred to as chronic insomnia. It is a very common complaint experienced by elderly people. Persons aged above 60 years of age are predisposed to suffer insomnia. It has been estimated that about 30 % to 50 % of elderly people experience insomnia. A person can have sleeplessness or restless sleep once in a while, however, if there is a lack of sleep on a regular basis, it can adversely affect his/her health. Changes in routine, medical ailments occurring with aging, chronic stress and use of certain medicines affect sleep in elderly people.

Medical conditions causing insomnia include high blood pressure, joint pains (arthritis), memory loss (dementia), depression, anxiety disorders, diabetes, thyroid issues and heart complaints. Some other medical conditions are GERD, RLS and OSA. GERD refers to gastroesophageal reflux disease in which the stomach acid back-flows into the food pipe due to the weakening of LES i.e. lower esophageal sphincter. RLS refers to restless leg syndrome which is a condition in which a person has an irresistible urge to move the legs due to some discomforting sensations felt in the legs. OSA is obstructive sleep apnea in which there occur momentary pauses of breathing during sleep.

Certain medicines the use of which can cause sleep issues include antidepressants and antihistamines. Use of alcohol and caffeine can also lead to sleep problems. Besides, there occurs changes in our circadian clock and sleep–wake cycles with advancing age. This occurs from hormone changes that mainly include less production of sleep-regulating hormone called melatonin which may have an impact on sleep. A sleep cycle has four stages, including 2 stages of light non rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and one stage of heavy non rapid eye movement sleep, followed by rapid eye movement sleep stage. In case of elderly people, the time in heavy NREM gets shortened which can keep them awake throughout the night.

Symptoms

The symptoms of insomnia might include difficulty in initiating sleep or maintaining sleep or waking up earlier than usual. There may occur sleepiness the next day along with a tired feeling, difficulty in concentration, memory issues, irritability, disturbed mood, and aggressive behavior. Insomnia may also lead to depression or anxiety, or insomnia may occur because of depression or anxiety.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy carries excellent scope to help several complaints occurring in elderly people. Among these complaints, it offers wonderful treatment for insomnia. Derived from natural substances, homeopathic remedies treat insomnia naturally without any side effects. These medicines have given great clinical results in such cases. These are effective for both –sleeplessness as well as cases of restless sleep. Homeopathy is a symptom-based science, which means medicines are prescribed based on the characteristic individual symptoms in each and every case after a detailed case analysis. So, homeopathic prescription for any given complaint varies from case to case. It is advised to take any homeopathic medicine after consulting a homeopathic physician.

Top Homeopathic Medicines For Insomnia

1. Passiflora – Top Medicine

Passiflora is a topmost recommended medicine for managing insomnia in the elderly. Persons needing it remain wakeful at night along with marked restlessness. When there is sleeplessness due to exhaustion, this medicine seems to work well. Besides these, Passiflora is well-indicated to manage insomnia in those who are in a constant state of worry and are overworked.

2. Kali Phos – For Complaint From Stress And Worries

Kali Phos is the next general remedy suitable for managing insomnia that arises from some sort of stress or worry. Those requiring it remain sad, anxious, irritable and tired. They suffer fatigue, both mental and physical. Besides, they may have weak memory and forgetfulness. This medicine is also indicated for those who have restlessness during sleep. The body may feel hot during sleep.

3. Coffea Cruda – For Insomnia From Constant Chain Of Thoughts

This medicine works well in cases where a person is unable to sleep due to a constant chain of thoughts going in the mind. There is restlessness along with tossing and turning in bed. This medicine is prominently indicated when a person wakes up early in the morning around 3:00 am and after that is unable to get sleep again. It can also be given for disturbed sleep from enormous dreams. When the use of excessive coffee has resulted in sleeplessness, this medicine can be of great help. Lastly, this medicine is recommended for sleeplessness occurring after suffering some acute disease.

4. Baryta Carb – For Sleeplessness Or Frequent Waking Up At Night

This medicine is indicated when a person is sleepy but is unable to sleep. Secondly, it is indicated when a person falls asleep at night, but wakes up frequently and remains uneasy. There is restlessness throughout the night. It is attended with heated sensation in the body. One feels drowsy during the day. The limbs feel tired on waking up.

5. Calcarea Carb – When Multiple Thoughts Crowd Mind

This medicine is effective for cases where sleeplessness occurs from many thoughts coming in the mind. In some cases, the same thought crosses the mind again and again. In most cases, sleeplessness remains till 2 am or 3 am. Persons needing it can have sleeplessness or they have a very light sleep and frequent waking up at night. Before going to sleep excessive sweating may occur on the face. This medicine is also useful when there is sleeplessness or restlessness at night due to migraine headache.

6. Opium – For Sleeplessness Or Restless Sleep

Opium is a well-indicated medicine for both sleeplessness as well as restless sleep at night. It is used in persons who feel sleepy but are unable to sleep and remain wakeful. They have marked sensitivity to noises and any noise occurring even at a distance, disturbs them and keeps them awake. It is also helpful for persons who are very restless at night and keep tossing in bed constantly. They keep on imagining things.

7. Phosphorus – For Restless Sleep Due To Dreams

Phosphorus can be considered in cases where a person has restless sleep and frequent waking up due to dreams. The person wakes up with a jerk from sleep and is anxious. There is restlessness all night and sleepiness during the day. The person feels headache in the morning on waking up. It is also useful when there is disturbance in sleep due to heated sensation in the body.

8. Arsenic Album – For Sleeplessness With Anxiety And Restlessness

Arsenic Album can be given in cases having sleeplessness from anxiety with excessive restlessness. There is constant tossing and turning in the bed. This complaint is worse after midnight. Those needing it have different anxieties like anxiety about health, about future, about others, and of several little things. They may be fearful causing trembling and restlessness. Cold sweating may occur. Difficult breathing, constriction in chest and weakness may be felt.

9. Syphilinum – For Sleeplessness After Midnight

Syphilinum works well in persons who are sleepless after midnight (12 pm) and are unable to get sleep again until 6 am. Persons needing it are very restless at night and cannot remain in one position for long.

10. Sulphur – For Those Unable To Sleep Despite Feeling Sleepy

Sulphur is beneficial for persons who feel sleepy in the evening, but are able to get only little sleep at night and feel uneasy. They may wake up around 3 am to 5 am and cannot fall asleep again. They may suffer different kinds of pain at night. They can have a tendency to sweat and have skin itching at night. Jerking of muscles may also occur. The person doesn’t feel fresh in the morning causing constant yawning, sleepiness, and irresistible drowsiness during the day.

 

 

Call Dr. Sharma's Clinic - From United States and Canada call 703-659-0873. Patients From rest of the world and India call +91-6283487321

Suffering From Jet Lag? Manage It With Homeopathy

Jet lag, also known as jet lag disorder and time zone change syndrome, is a temporary sleep condition that results when sleep-wake patterns are disturbed from travelling rapidly across multiple time zones.

Managing Its Symptoms With Homeopathic Medicines

Homeopathic medicines can help to ease the symptoms of jet lag. They help to manage its symptoms in a natural and safe way. The symptoms that can be managed with these include fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, drowsiness, disturbed sleep, sleeplessness, excessive sleepiness, irritability, mood changes, depressive symptoms, problem in focus and concentration, feeling confused, head heaviness/headache, dizziness and stomach issues like constipation and diarrhea. The medicines for jet lag in homeopathy are selected based on an individual’s symptoms. So it is advised to take homeopathic medicines prescribed by a homeopathic doctor for best results.

Homeopathic Medicines for Jet Lag

1. Kali Phos –To Manage Fatigue And Sleeplessness

It is a very beneficial medicine to manage fatigue and sleeplessness. It helps people when they feel weak and tired. They have low energy levels.  The smallest of work appears like a Herculean task to them. Next, it is useful to manage sleeplessness issue. Here, a person has loss of sleep and wakefulness. Other than this, it is helpful to manage irritability and depressive feelings.

2. Gelsemium – For Drowsiness,  Weakness, Dizziness

This medicine is prepared from bark of the root of plant Gelsemium Sempervirens, commonly known as ‘yellow jasmine’. This plant belongs to family Loganiaceae. Firstly, it is beneficial to manage drowsiness, dullness and weakness. Persons needing it have the desire to lie down all the time. Secondly, it is indicated for managing complaint of dizziness which is most marked when walking. Other indications for using it are irritability, heaviness in the head, concentration issues, and confusion in the mind.

3. Arsenic Album – To Manage Fatigue (Exhaustion)

It is a valuable medicine in homeopathy for managing fatigue. Persons who need it feel tired from the least exertion. They feel weakness in their limbs with a need to lie down. Besides, anxiety and restlessness may be felt.

4. Cocculus Indicus – For Loss Of Sleep And Fatigue

It is prepared from a plant commonly known as ‘Indian cockle’. It is effective to manage loss of sleep and fatigue. Along with this, dizziness can be there. This is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

5. Coffea Cruda – For Sleeplessness Management

This medicine is very effective to manage sleeplessness. Persons requiring it are restless at night which prevents sleep. They keep on tossing and turning from side to side in bed. They feel drowsy but are unable to sleep. It is also indicated when the person is restless with frequent waking up during sleep.

6. Belladonna – For Managing Head Heaviness And Headache

This medicine is prepared from plant named ‘deadly nightshade’. It is a very useful medicine for managing heaviness in head and headache. The pain is felt especially on the sides of head. It is usually a throbbing type of pain. Heated sensation in head attends it. Some relief may be felt by pressing the head.

7. Ignatia – To Mange Irritability, Mood Changes, Depression Symptoms

It is prepared from plant Ignatia Amara also known as ‘St. Ignatius Bean’. It is well indicated for cases in which there is irritability, mood changes and depressive feelings. Those needing it may feel sad all time or there may be mood changes with alternate feeling of happiness and sadness. Along with this, there may be dullness of mind.

8. Nux Vomica – For Managing Constipation With Frequent Unsatisfactory Stool

Use of this medicine is considered highly beneficial in cases of constipation. In such cases, frequent, ineffectual urge for passing stool is the key indicating symptom for using it. The person needing it goes for passing stool many times a day but has unsatisfactory stool. Immediately after passing stool, he/she again has the urge to pass stool.

9. Bryonia Alba – For Constipation With Hard, Dry Stool

It is prepared from the root of the plant Bryonia Alba also known as ‘wild hops’. This medicine is prominently indicated when the stool is hard and dry. It seems as if it is burnt. The stool is passed by excessive straining.

10. Nux Moschata – For Excessive Sleepiness

It is prepared from powdered seeds of a plant Myristica Fragrans, commonly known as ‘nutmeg’. This medicine can be used to manage excessive sleepiness. Persons needing it have irresistible drowsiness. They may have mood changes ranging from laughing one moment and crying the next. They can have confusion in the mind and slow pace of application of mind.

11. Aloe – For Managing Diarrhea

It is prepared from the gum of the leaves of plant Aloe Socotrina. It belongs to family Liliaceae. It is an important medicine to manage diarrhea. Those requiring it have watery stool. Excessive passage of gas during stool also occurs. There is urge for passing stool immediately after eating and drinkingThere is feeling of fullness and a constant feeling of pushing down in the rectum.

12. China – To Manage Diarrhea And Weakness

This natural medicine is prepared from dried bark of plant Cinchona Officinalis, commonly known as ‘Peruvian bark’. It offers help in cases having diarrhea and weakness. The stool is loose, profuse, frequent, and frothy. It has an offensive smell. Fetid smelling gas may pass with stool.

Reason Behind Jet Lag

In our body there is an internal clock called circadian rhythm. It regulate sleep-wake cycle and controls the schedule for sleeping and waking. Jet lag happens when there is disruption in this internal body clock. This is because, firstly when a person travels across multiple time zone, the body clock is not immediately able to sync with the new location time as it is still in sync with the original time zone to which it is accustomed. Second reason for the disrupted clock is excessive sunlight in the plane. Changes take place in the level of melatonin hormone (it is a hormone that makes the body ready to fall asleep) which is regulated by light exposure. It is released when lights are dim at night, while in the day, the production of melatonin is slowed down to keep a person awake.

Other than this, excessive screen time while on the plane can affect this clock. Next fatigue from travelling is also a factor linked with jet lag. Not drinking enough water during air travel can make a person dehydrated because the humidity levels are low in an airplane and dehydration can contribute to a few jet lag symptoms. Lastly, changes in cabin pressure and high altitudes are also linked to cause some of the jet lag symptoms.

The chances of jet lag increase with the number of time zones crossed during air travel. Flying towards the East raise the chance of severe jet lag symptoms as compared to flying West. Elderly people take more time to recover from its symptoms as compared to other age groups. Lastly, persons who fly frequently (like pilots) have more chances to suffer jet lag.

What Are Its Symptoms?

The symptoms of jet lag include fatigue, tiredness, lethargy, drowsiness, disturbed sleep (it may include sleeplessness or excessive sleepiness or early waking), irritability, mood changes, mild depression, problem in focus and concentration, feeling confused and disoriented, head heaviness/ headache, dizziness, an unwell feeling and mild stomach issues like constipation or diarrhea.

Call Dr. Sharma's Clinic - From United States and Canada call 703-659-0873. Patients From rest of the world and India call +91-6283487321

Sleeplessness and Homeopathy

Insomnia and Homeopathic Treatment  Dr.Vikas Sharma

A few decades ago sleep was thought to be an insignificant activity in our daily life. But with recent advances in medical research, we now know that it is an active process and affects our physical and mental health in many ways.

Sleep is extremely essential for our nervous system to work properly. Some experts believe that sleep is more important for our nervous system. Unlike other organs, the nervous system cannot replace the neurons (nerve cells), so it shuts down during sleep and gives neurons (nerve cells) time to repair and remove the byproducts of their cellular activity.

A good sleep is not only defined by the hours one sleeps but by the quality of sleep too. An individual is said to be suffering from insomnia (sleep disorder characterizing inadequate sleep) when one or more of the following are present: difficulty in falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty in returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, unrefreshing sleep.

Insomnia can be classified as transient (short term), intermittent (on and off) and chronic (constant). Chronic insomnia can result in a combination of physical and mental disorders. Depression is the most common cause, although physical causes such as night pains caused by arthritis, kidney and heart disease, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson’s disease and hyperthyroidism can also be the causative factors for insomnia. In addition, some other factors also have a role in insomnia: excessive caffeine (tea, coffee) intake, taking of alcohol before bedtime, smoking cigarettes before bedtime, disrupted sleep schedules and excessive sleeping in the afternoon. At times it is the worry of having difficulty in sleeping that causes it. Though insomnia is found in both sexes, it seems to be more pronounced in women after menopause. It is also more in the elderly

Treatment

Whereas the conventional system treats this disease by giving drugs to induce artificial sleep, which frequently may cause side-effects or addiction, the homoeopathic approach is totally safe and natural. It treats insomnia by giving a tiny dose of a substance that in large doses may cause sleeplessness in a healthy person. This tiny dose helps in optimising the sleep regulatory mechanism in the body.

Coffea Cruda is a homoeopathic medicine that is most often used for treating insomnia of acute origin. As the name suggests, it is made from coffee beans. It is indicated when insomnia is due to the mind being overcharged by an excessive inflow of thoughts and ideas at the time of sleep. Nux Vomica is more suited when insomnia is due to the abuse of stimulants, e.g. alcohol, coffee, smoking, etc.

Chronic insomnia needs to be treated according to the cause and also evaluated on the constitutional scale. The high efficacy homoeo-treatment for depression needs a special mention as it is the most common cause for chronic insomnia.

Fighting sleeplessness

The underlying cause: The key is to find out what’s causing insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in the sleep habits helps many people.

Set a schedule: It is important to set a schedule for sleeping. Sleeping and waking according to a set schedule can help in overcoming insomnia.

Relaxation: Make restful activities a part of your bedtime habits. Any activity – such as bathing, reading and music – which relaxes you should be made a bedtime ritual.

Regular exercise: Set a regular exercise schedule, and for maximum benefits exercise 5-6 hours before sleep time.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine: Caffeine drinks – coffee and tea – should be avoided after evening hours. Alcohol and smoking before bedtime should be completely avoided

Wake up with the sun: Make sure that you get up with the sun. Let enough sunlight enter your bedroom in the morning as sunlight helps set the body’s internal biological clock each day.

Don’t lie in the bed awake: If after 30 minutes of lying in the bed you are not able to sleep, it is better that you do something else till you feel sleepy.

Pin It on Pinterest