Acid Reflux: Heal Yourself with Natural Remedies

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Make Your Own Natural Remedies

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Home Remedies to Help You Sleep

Home Remedies to Help You Sleep

Before you ever learned about keeping your bedroom dark, cool, quiet and gadget-free, chances are someone (Hi, Mom!) told you some of their own theories about how to get the best sleep.

While we know that things like staying away from caffeine and exercise close to bedtime really do promote better zzz's, there's –unsurprisingly! — not much scientific evidence surrounding folk methods like drinking warm milk or counting sheep. Just because these home-grown sleep remedies continue to be passed down over the years doesn't mean they work!

So does Mom really know best when it comes to falling asleep fast? We asked Michael Decker, Ph.D., an associate professor at Georgia State University and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, to explain if your go-to method really works.

Lullabies

Soothing music before bedtime can really do the trick. A 2005 study found that older people who listened to 45 minutes of soft tunes before hitting the hay reported a 35 percent improvement in their sleep problems.

But it doesn't have to be Brahms, if that's not your style. As long as the music was soft and slow — around 60 to 80 beats per minute — it can spur physical changes known to promote sleep, like a slower heart rate and breathing, the BBC reported.

"We know that when a person closes their eyes they induce a certain frequency of brain waves," says Decker. Slow music may have a similar effect, he surmises, leading to sleep onset.

Warm Milk

It was once thought that a glass of warm milk at bedtime would help send you off to dreamland because of the tryptophan, The New York Times reported, but milk and other protein-rich foods actually block tryptophan's sleepiness-inducing effects. However, there might still be a psychological benefit to that warm milk, the Times concluded, calling it "as soothing as a favorite old blanket."

"There have been some studies showing that when infants receive warm milk before bed, they'll dream a little bit more," says Decker, but the results don't hold true in adults. "It may be one of those myths that because it happens in children, adults think it may be true for them, too," he explains. However, many adults are actually at least slightly lactose intolerant, he says, meaning a warm mlik at bedtime may just lead to discomfort.

Counting Sheep

If your goal is to bore yourself to sleep, you might try counting sheep, or counting backwards by multiples of three or any of a number of other counting-related mind-numbers. But a 2002 study found that imagining a more relaxing scene might be more effective.

The study observed 41 people with insomnia over a number of nights and asked them to try a variety of different sleep-inducing techniques, like counting sheep.

On the nights they were told to imagine relaxing scenes like a beach, a massage or a walk in the woods, they fell asleep an average of 20 minutes sooner than on the nights they were told to count sheep or were given no instructions, Mental Floss reported.

Decker agrees. "Counting sheep in and of itself may not help," but can act as a ritual that prepares us for sleep, making it not unlike meditation. Counting sheep — or more relaxing guided imagery — helps us "focus on something other than life's stressors," he says. "Thinking about a soothing environment may be more restful than the way you spent the last eight hours!"

Breathing Exercises

Focusing on the breath, whether it's as part of a pre-bed yoga sequence or just a tuned-in awareness, can also have meditation-like effects in preparing for bed, says Decker, like lowering the heart rate.

Warm Bath

Your body temp dips about two hours before bedtime, Health magazine reported, a natural change that "triggers our brain for sleep onset", says Decker. Soaking in a warm bath beforehand boosts your temperature temporarily, but results in a dramatic, rapid cooldown after you get out that relaxes you and eases you into sleep.

It's not necessarily the bath that lulls you to sleep, it's that resulting cooling of your body temperature, Decker emphasizes. Research shows that people who take a warm bath before bed not only fall asleep more quickly, but also report better quality of sleep, he says.

Alcohol

Many people swear by a drink to unwind at the end of the day, but alcohol before bed can actually disrupt your sleep. You'll be more likely to wake up more often in the early-morning hours, wake up and not be to fall back to sleep or have disturbing dreams. "As alcohol is metabolized by the liver, it has a disruptive effect," says Decker. It takes a few hours to metabolize, he says, so a drink with dinner shouldn't be a problem, but anything too close to bedtime can be counterproductive.

Get Out Of Bed

It sounds crazy — how will you ever get to sleep if you're not even in bed?! — but it works, says Decker.

"When a person stays in bed and they can't sleep, the bedroom can induce a certain level of anxiety," he says. "We say after 15 or 20 minutes, get out of bed, sit in another part of the house until you feel a little groggy, then go back to sleep," he says. "Staying in bed can condition you to become anxious in bed."

A small 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that among the adults studied who reported trouble sleeping, those who spent less time in bed had better sleeping habits.

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Familiarizing Ourselves with Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are not-so-distant cousins of modern medical regimen.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheet on traditional medicine states that in some Asian and African countries, 80 per cent of the population depends on traditional medicine for their primary health care. It also states that herbal medicines are the most lucrative form of traditional medicine. More than 100 countries have regulations for herbal medicines. T&T is not among them. Naturopathic practitioner Dr Anna Maria Pouchet thinks that is why people tend to distrust natural products. Pouchet, who founded the Hope and Wellness Clinic and practices various forms of naturopathic medicine, agreed to speak to the T&T Guardian about herbal medicine, it’s uses, benefits and effects. “When people speak about herbalism you would think it’s witchcraft or folklore, but humans have used plants for food, oxygen, shelter and medicine for thousands of years,” said Pouchet. “We have evolved over time along with plants. Our health and well being are integrally and substantially entwined to the world we live in, especially the use of plants for food and medicine.” Pouchet said this is why the state of the environment has a profound impact on health and well being. She found it amazing that in less than 100 years the western world had evolved away from what “is inherently natural and instinctive,” such as herbs, to embrace a world she classified as “synthetic and instant.”She said herbal remedies worked in different ways.

“Some have a cumulative effect and work slowly over time to restore balance, while others can be used for short-term treatment and acute symptoms.” Pouchet explained. She said understanding how herbs work can be a challenge for some. “The world consists of thousands of plant species and it is a daunting task to find all the scientific evidence to understand them.” She said each plant species also has a myriad of constituents that have multiple beneficial actions on the human body. As an example she name the plant species Echinacea Purpurea. “Echinacea is known by most people as a remedy for the common cold but what most don’t realise are the additional benefits of using this herb, which include healthy growth of connective tissue, treatment of psoriasis, eczema, hives and other skin problems and even arthritis,” said Pouchet. She said, in comparison pharmaceuticals were generally man-made chemicals, some of which were patented from the active ingredients of plants.

Pouchet said these chemicals may have two or three active ingredients which work on suppressing or activating specific biochemical reactions in the body. “This is regardless of the other possible pathways which may use these active ingredients, creating a whole host of other problems. “For example, cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins have negative effects on the liver and muscular system in the body,” said Pouchet. Pouchet said though herbs were an effective and natural form of treatment that were generally safer, with fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals. Though she described herbs as inexpensive, she said every herb that was imported needed to be registered at a cost of around $700 by the Food and Drug administration. “It is also a long and drawn out process getting herbs in, even fish oils that have no side effects take a long time to be processed,” said Pouchet. She said this was hurting the population and forcing them into pharmaceutical drugs with no alternative. Pouchet said pharmaceuticals were in no way “bad.” “Pharmaceuticals have made an indelible mark in this world and will continue to play a profound role in saving lives,” she said.

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Treating Childhood Illness with Natural Remedies

Treating Childhood Illness with Natural Remedies

The National Institutes of Health reports one in nine children use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. For example, a study published online on August 6 in the journal Pediatrics reported that children’s cough symptoms were less frequent and less severe after swallowing a spoonful of honey before bed. Parents reported that both they and their children slept through the night when the youngsters took a spoonful of honey.

“Honey may be nature’s safest over-the-counter cough and cold treatment and its most potent antibiotic,” notes Dr. Lawrence Rosen, New York-based pediatrician and co-author of the new book “Treatment Alternatives for Children: Reduce Serious Side Effects with Natural Equivalents to Conventional Remedies for Common Childhood Ailments.” Dr. Rosen adds, “Best of all, honey does not have the potentially dangerous side effects of conventional medications.”

Parents concerned about the overuse of antibiotics and other prescription medicines are in search of treatment alternatives that address common childhood health concerns without exposing children to chemical cocktails. “Treatment Alternatives for Children” offers side-by-side comparisons between conventional and alternative treatment options for nearly 100 common childhood illnesses including:

Cranberries which are often used to treat urinary tract infections may also offer protection against heart disease, cancer and other diseases.  Aloe provides topical relief for skin problems such as minor burns or sunburns. It can also help heal cuts, blisters, and open sores. Taken internally, aloe soothes the digestive tract.  Ginger, known to settle an upset stomach, provides relief from nausea and indigestion. Ginger is an antibacterial, antifungal, and antihistamine, so it is helpful in treating colds and allergies. It is an anti-inflammatory, so it may also treat symptoms of arthritis.

Co-author Jeff Cohen has a keen interest in holistic medicine. He first felt the need for an alternative to prescription treatment when his son was diagnosed with seasonal allergies. Cohen turned to his children’s pediatrician, Dr. Rosen. “Rather than immediately prescribing a potentially harmful drug, I seriously consider each child’s unique situation and the safest, most effective solution,” explained Dr. Rosen. He added, “Often, this prescription is all-natural and can be found in your kitchen cabinet.” Impressed by the effectiveness of these holistic solutions, Cohen teamed with Dr. Rosen to publish “Treatment Alternatives for Children.”

This new book is an easily accessible reference guide that helps parents find natural solutions to nearly 100 childhood ailments. Health concerns addressed include asthma, ADHD, autism, dehydration, the flu, swimmer’s ear, burns, bug bites, stomach aches, growing pains, and more. Treatment alternatives include herbal, nutritional, homeopathic, and mind-body remedies and the authors provide side-by-side comparisons of the conventional remedy and the treatment alternative. Dr. Rosen documents the science behind his recommendations so parents can rest assured they are treating their children with safe and effective alternatives to conventional medicines.

Each ailment is discussed in-depth and includes:

The generic and common brand names of each treatmentActive ingredientsHow each treatment works including dosage, where applicableTreatment efficiency and timingCommon mild and rare side effects

The book also includes helpful top ten treatment lists, including Ten Spice Rack Resources, Ten Curative Foods and Beverages, and Ten Healing Herbs and Plants, all supported by the most current scientific research.

The authors report that their book is endorsed by household name medical professionals including Dr. Alan Greene and Dr. Bob Sears, with a forward by Deirdre Imus, Treatment Alternatives for Children is revolutionary, taking a look at the health of the “whole child” and encompassing both a pediatrician’s and parent’s perspectives. The book is a contemporary resource for parents seeking natural remedies for the health of their children.  

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