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The Mystery of Sleep

We first experienced it in the womb. We cannot live without it. It heals our wounds, recovers our weakness and manifests our deepest desires, fears, and . . . well, dreams. It is sleep, and few human experiences are as mysterious and poorly understood.

We know that regular sleep is essential for survival, yet we treat it as an optional activity. But lack of sleep not only causes physical damage, it prevents your body from making key hormones that give you vitality and protect you from illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Health conscious consumers select nutritious food, incorporate an exercise program, and include dietary supplements in their daily regimen, but may devote little thought to the loss of sleep and how it accelerates aging of the body.

Before the invention of the electric light bulb, people slept an average of 9 to 10 hours a night. Sleep and wake cycles were closely related to sunrise and sunset. Now many folks are averaging 7 hours per night or less. The availability of activity and entertainment around the clock offers unprecedented distractions from achieving healthy sleep.

Lack of healthy sleep is associated with a whole host of physical problems. Did you know that going for 17 hours without sleep (or sleeping just 7 hours a night or less) impairs your performance the same amount as if you have a blood-alcohol level of 0.05%–the legal limit for driving in most areas of the world?

Many physiological functions happen while we are asleep that impact our health significantly. Sleep is when our body kicks into repair mode. In one scientific study, it was found that lack of sleep actually slowed the healing of burns Two hormones, melatonin and human growth hormone (HGH), are made almost exclusively during the sleep cycle. Melatonin protects against cancer, and human growth hormone is Nature’s anti-aging hormone. Impairment of HGH production by reduced sleep cycles results in speeding up the aging process. It also decreases daytime vitality and physical healing.

According to research reported in Science News (http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/36433/title/Late_nights_and_disease), even one night of short sleep increases inflammatory chemicals in the blood. It also increases hunger-promoting hormones, which may be why lack of healthy sleep promotes obesity. Chronic sleep loss (insomnia) increases the risk of several diseases, such as heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Professor Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago sums it up best when she states that “Lack of sleep disrupts every physiologic function in the body. We have nothing in our biology that allows us to adapt to this behavior.”

So even occasional poor sleep should not be taken lightly–and insomnia should be addressed and never ignored. You don’t have to resort to prescription sleeping pills, with their dangers of addiction and serious side effects. There are natural remedies that work WITH your body to help you rest, relax, and get a good night’s sleep.

I would highly recommend the following combination of plant plant oils, which has been sold in Europe for many years, to reduce insomnia and improve the sleep cycle. In all the years that this formula has been available, there have been no reported serious side effects and no early morning grogginess or feeling hung-over.

 

Terry recommends products with these ingredients. Look for them at your local health food store.
Proprietary Formula, (Chemotyped Plant Oils) Marjoram (Origanum majorana), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Mandarin (Citrus reticulate zeste), Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora), Lemon Verbena (Lippia citrodora)	150 mg

Why is this formula so effective and without side effects?

 

Sweet Marjoram oil is excellent for any illness of a nervous nature. It is a must-have oil since it restores, balances, and regulates the nervous system. It is an aromatic perennial plant from Northern Africa and Egypt. The flowers are small and white, and the leaves give off a powerful aroma that is sweet, spicy and very pleasant. It has been used historically in Europe to reduce irritability, agitation, and nervous strain. Since stress is the number one reported cause of trouble sleeping, herbs that have a positive impact on reducing tension and irritability can have a dramatic impact on healthy sleep. Therefore, the second plant oil I like is

Lavender.  Everyone seems to love the fragrance of lavender. Just the scent of lavender can help bring calmness into one’s life. Lavender is found in the Mediterranean hills and low mountains. The flowers are narrow and linear with a very pleasing aroma. It can be used for stress, depression, agitation, insomnia, nervous problems, migraine, hypertension and muscle cramps and spasms. It brings on a wonderful feeling of calmness and is therefore a wonderful addition to a formula designed to promote sleep.

Another of my favorite plant oils is Mandarin, which really is a citrus fruit. The plant oil is cold pressed from the peel. Almost all Mandarin oil originates from Italy. It comes from a small tree with shiny evergreen leaves. The flowers are white and aromatic, producing orange fruit. Originally from China, Mandarin owes its name to the Chinese Mandarins who traditionally received this fruit as a gift. It is a close relative of the tangerine. It has many health benefits, but in the case of a sleep formula, it is used because it is a nervous system modulator used for relaxing, as a sedative and mild hypnotic (sleep-inducer), wonderful for insomnia, stress and agitation. Mandarin oil is widely used to fight stress because of its exceptional relaxing and calming effects.

The fourth herb in this formula is Ravintsara. This plant oil makes a wonderful addition to the formula. Personally, I believe that Ravintsara is one of the most beneficial plant oils in the world. It has a wide and broad range of benefits ranging from antiviral, immune building, and is useful in the treatment of herpes, bronchitis, the common cold and lymphatic drainage. As you can see, this plant oil is very useful. I recommend it in this combination because of its powerful effects for relieving insomnia and reducing depression and nervous tension. Ravintsara plant oil, extracted from a tree growing wild in the tropical rainforest of Madagascar, is truly exceptional in every way: efficacy, safety, tolerability and healing potential.

The last plant oil that I would add to a sleep formula is Litsea which is the botanical name for Exotic Verbena. This plant oil comes from an evergreen Asian tree that grows in tropical areas. The flowers are simple and have a calming scent. It contains a plant oil with a pleasing lemon-like aroma. It is anti-inflammatory, calmative, sedative and antidepressant. It is useful for insomnia, nervous tension and agitation.

This is one of my favorite formulas because it is so gentle and safe, and can even be used for children over 6, as well as adults. It brings on sleep quickly and effectively and never causes early morning drowsiness with a hung-over feeling. These relaxing plant oils will not “knock you out” like a strong sedative, but will gently promote calm, reduce stress and allow sleep to come on naturally. You will know after the first dose that they really work. Even during the day, you can use this formula if you are in need of a relaxing moment.

Look for a formula containing these five precious plant oils in a softgel capsule that makes it safe and convenient to take before bedtime. In Europe, this type of formula is prescribed by physicians to children, adults and even pregnant women after the first trimester. I caution those women who are pregnant that they check with their physician regardless of what stage of pregnancy they are in prior to use.

It is so much safer to take a natural formula rather than relying on harsh and possibly harmful drugs – especially for long-term use.

Remember that 85% of the world’s population relies on plant medicines for the treatment of their illnesses. The United States represents 5% of the world’s population and consumes almost 50% of all the drugs prescribed in the world. This huge intake of potentially harmful and damaging drugs is, I believe, one of the reasons that the United States is ranked 37th in world health of all the industrialized nations. Japan happens to be the number one country ranked in health of its citizens, and the number one prefecture of Japan is Okinawa, where a number of citizens are 100-110 years old.

And, by the way, it is a myth that older people need less sleep. They may sleep less because of problems that interfere with sleep, like painful arthritis or medications that act as stimulants, but sleep requirements remain the same. Promoting quality sleep can improve health at anyage.

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