Question: I wake up in the middle of the night with hundreds of racing thoughts. I can fall asleep two to three hours later but wake up feeling totally exhausted. What’s causing this and are there any natural ways to help?
Dr. Amen's Answer:
Many people fall asleep easily but wake up a few hours later and have trouble getting back to sleep. Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, having imbalanced hormones, taking certain medications, or having untreated psychiatric issues are just some of the many causes of sleep disorders.
I first encourage my patients to eliminate anything that might interfere with sleep, such as caffeine, alcohol, or reading Stephen King before bedtime.
I also try natural supplements and treatments. Here are some of the natural remedies I recommend:
Self-hypnosis is a very powerful technique that can help you get more restful sleep. I started using it myself when I was a medical intern and had trouble sleeping because I was anxious about my patients. To help others, I created a hypnosis CD specifically for sleep disorders that can be ordered through the Amen Clinics Web site. (To visit Dr. Amen's site--Go Here Now.)
I sometimes also recommend natural supplements, such as L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, valerian, kava kava, magnesium, or melatonin. You can read more about them in my upcoming book, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body." (For more information--Go Here Now.)
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