It's being reported that Michael Jackson was having serious problems with insomnia.
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESSLOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid. My guess is that medications were probably the first line of defense against insomnia for Michael Jackson. When you go down that slippery slope you can get into trouble with nothing working and ending up with debilitating insomnia. That's why it's so important to focus
first on implementing excellent sleep hygiene and then supplement that with medications if you absolutely have to in order to get restorative sleep.
I think it's fair to say that insomnia and problems getting restorative sleep are huge issues for people with CFS. We just have messed up central nervous systems and even though you may feel so profoundly fatigued during the day very often you also suffer with feeling wired but tired by the time bedtime comes. Tossing and turning when you know that unless you get some sleep you'll feel like death the following day is a hell that has to be experienced to understand. I think it's also fair to say that CFS may even be primarily a sleep disorder for some people. Without sleep all the other health problems follow.
I seriously understand the distress that follows insomnia. I understand how at times you WOULD want to do anything to get the sleep that you need. Sleep deprivation is so tortuous that it IS used as a method of torture. The following is a repeat of a post I did a while back.
My sleep problems started years ago and IMO are one of the main
stressors that lead to my CFS. I had a baby during my first semester of nursing school and split up with my husband and for the next 2 years got very little sleep. The sleep disorder I ended up with started taking root but got firmly entrenched when I started working as a nurse and got hired to work the night shift.
Anyone who says the night shift is great because you have the whole day to do whatever you want I believe is some creature from another planet where they don't require sleep and they have strange and hideous skin with huge bags under something that might be their eyes. WHATEVER that is the most ridiculous nonsense, just because you work nights that doesn't eliminate your physiological need for sleep. In fact for many people like me it means sleep is just even harder to get. I would come home from work and feel like I was hallucinating I was so tired and then I'd sleep for a couple of hours and wake up sick but not able to get back to sleep because my brain is just not wired to sleep during the day (I have a hard time taking naps too). Despite the fact that I didn't always work nights those years of sleep deprivation messed up my brain really badly and my internal clock never got right.
It's ridiculous and maddening when you are so tired you are literally incapacitated but you can't get to sleep. And it happens to millions of people every night. Some people have health problems like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, others have Shift Work Sleep Disorder, some have insomnia, and some people just can't sleep.
If you've experienced fatigue you might relate to the phrase "wired but tired." WBT is when you have literally done nothing all day because you're too sick or fatigued (those days that are a total wash) and then bedtime comes but you not only can't sleep but you feel weird like electric surges in your body. It really sucks. You have to sleep so you can get your health back but it's just not happening.
Anyone with chronic sleep problems should see their doctor to rule out treatable sleep disorders. Even if you see your doctor you still need to practice some good sleep habits called sleep hygiene.
Here's My Top 5 Sleep Tips1. Stimulants --Use your bed only for sleep and sex—don’t read or watch TV in bed- and avoid other stimulants including vigorous exercise, caffeine in beverages and such things as caffeine containing medications like Excedrin, smoking, alcohol, and emotionally charged conversations in the evening. Because individuals have their own thresholds for each of these I always say to find your own cut off time. But the general rule of thumb is to limit your caffeine laced drinks to three cups and drink them before 10 am. Just being aware that all of these are factors is the first step in knowing that you have to find your own limitations/thresholds.
2. Sleep environment -- Keep your sleep environment dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. That includes black out shades, drapes, or even an eye mask. Any light at all during the night will disrupt your circadian clock and your ability to sleep, so keep lighted clocks out of your bedroom (use a clock that requires you to push a button on top to illuminate). Some people like to use a fan for white noise to drown out any other noises. Comfort can come from changing your sheets more often and investing in comfortable bed linens and pillows. Temperature is so important-- you need an environment that is around 64-68 degrees. Today there are great pillows like the down alternative gel pillows that are made from polyester that you can you buy 2 King size gel pillows for around 25$. And the deal with changing your sheets often is to reduce itching and feeling hot from things like dust mites. Fewer dust mites can also mean a difference in allergy symptoms. And you should change your pillow when you change your toothbrush, because 10% of the weight of a 2 year old pillow is dust mite droppings.
I use and recommend the
Infinity™ Sleep Mask Snug fit, ergonomic design (inside pictured) LOVE IT!!
The Infinity™ Sleep Mask provides the ultimate in comfort while completely blocking the light. Made with soft, silky double-velour fleece, the Infinity™ Sleep Mask is sure to be treasured for years to come.
3. Food --Eat your last meal at least three hours before you sleep and avoid sugars for bedtime snacks. A meal raises your blood sugar too high, inhibits sleep, and later when your blood sugar drops too low you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. Instead, have a snack that contains the amino acid tryptophan (a natural relaxant), such as a small cup of milk or some turkey, along with a small piece of fruit or other complex carb to help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier. Avoid eating foods that you might be sensitive to because the resulting indigestion or heartburn will keep you awake. Try a small snack of some whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta, yams, a mixed green salad, sautéed vegetables with a small portion of a healthy fat-containing food, such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts or seeds or -herb tea (especially chamomile or peppermint).
4. Schedule --Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning in order to help regulate your body's inner clock. Stick to a similar schedule on weekends and days off. Go to bed within an hour of your usual bedtime every night and if you have problems sleeping, avoid naps because they often interfere with nighttime sleep.
5. Light, exercise, and ritua l--Expose yourself to bright light daily and get at least 15 minutes of sunlight on your skin every day and get plenty of exercise. Sunlight helps regulate your circadian clock and make you feel sleepy at night. Sunlight stimulates a gland in your brain (pineal gland) to produce melatonin a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Work out regularly because exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly. But sporadic exercise will contribute to muscle pain and discomfort that may keep you awake. And people who suffer from fatigue need to exercise in order to make their bodies physically tired enough to want to sleep. Exercise is different for everyone, a brisk walk can be enough to tire some people, other people need to start out more gradually, and others need very vigorous exercise. Bedtime rituals can include making sure you are not exposed to bright light within a couple of hours before bed, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bed so that your body temperature can fall, deep breathing exercises, and reading something relaxing, writing out your tomorrow’s to do list so that your mind doesn’t have to worry you will forget something, praying, chanting, or meditation* whatever you like to do for spiritual practices. Last but not least use deep breathing. Take deep breathes, hold a sec and let go....when you do this you'll probably see how tense your diaphragm is. Deep breathing has been a relaxation technique for centuries.
*One method I've used for years is "not thinking." You "not think" by stopping your train of thought. When a thought enters your mind instead of indulging it you just stop thinking about it. To help not think, write out your "to do" list before bed, and not RIGHT BEFORE, but some time in the evening so all those things aren't on your mind when you lay your head on your very comfy pillow.
Sleep Supplements According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine the most popular supplement for insomnia is
melatonin a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the sleep-wake systems in your brains. Taking one milligram of melatonin thirty minutes prior to bedtime often decreases the time it takes you to fall asleep and prolongs sleep duration. To avoid any tolerance don’t use melatonin every night but try using it every third night.
Taking
tryptophan supplements may increase your own natural production of melatonin production. For serious insomnia try taking a low dose melatonin (0.5 to 1 milligram) along with 500 to 1500 milligrams of tryptophan thirty minutes prior to bedtime.
Calcium and magnesium are mildly sedating. Because you need to take your daily calcium/magnesium supplements in divided doses so that calcium can be absorbed and not the excess is not excreted, take one half of your calcium/magnesium supplement at bedtime.
Gotu kola is an herb used for insomnia that has been called one of the "miracle elixirs of life" from a legend whereby an ancient Chinese herbalist that used it lived for more than two hundred years. Try making a tea with one teaspoon of gotu kola in a cup of hot water, cover and steep leaf or flowers five to ten minutes or roots ten to twenty minutes and drink two to four cups a day.
Lemon balm is a calming herb used to reduce stress and treat anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and indigestion. To make tea use one fourth to one teaspoonful of dried lemon balm herb in hot water, steep and drink up to four cups a day. You can also take two to three milliliters in a tincture three times a day or 300-500 milligrams of dried lemon balm capsules three times daily or as needed.
Valerian is an herb used to ease insomnia, treat stress related anxiety, and nervous restlessness, and as an aid to help people sleep. It may take a few weeks before you feel the effects if you take valerian as follows an hour before bed. To make tea pour one cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of dried valerian root and steep for five to ten minutes before drinking. To take as a tincture use one to one and one half teaspoons. To take as capsules take 250 to 500 milligrams.
You can take a combination of 180-360 milligrams of valerian and 80-100 milligrams of lemon balm to improve sleep without feeling sedated during the day. A small percentage of people find valerian root stimulating and in that case you should use it during the day to help you sleep at night.
"Our society seems to place a moral value on sleeping as little as possible," she noted. "In Europe, people are less impressed by short sleepers. Here we're almost embarrassed to say that we are going to bed early. Saying 'I'm tired and I'm going to sleep' is viewed as being lazy."---Eve Van Cauter, M. D., Internationally known investigator in circadian rhythms on endocrine system in normal and pathological conditions.You have to sleep people. Research has shown that as little as seven nights of sleep debt or losing three or four hours a night has serious adverse effects including affecting your ability to process carbohydrates, manage stress, maintain your body’s balance of hormones, and causes lowered immune function. Burning the midnight oil is potentially as damaging to your health as a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and even smoking.
Staying up half the night to study or work is not making you smarter or more productive but is in fact decreasing your brain’s ability to utilize glucose and thus impairing your critical thinking, memory, and mental sharpness. To top it off burning those late night hours causes your blood levels of cortisol to rise accelerating the aging process. Are you frustrated with your weight loss efforts? Consider that sleep deprivation has been shown to cause insulin resistance increasing the risk of obesity. Is your blood pressure too high? Try getting enough sleep! In other words staying up to work, study, party, or socialize doesn’t make you more productive it only causes sleep deprivation and sleep debt and that can make you old, fat, sick, and dumb.
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid.
My guess is that medications were probably the first line of defense against insomnia for Michael Jackson. When you go down that slippery slope you can get into trouble with nothing working and ending up with debilitating insomnia. That's why it's so important to focus first on implementing excellent sleep hygiene and then supplement that with medications if you absolutely have to in order to get restorative sleep.
I think it's fair to say that insomnia and problems getting restorative sleep are huge issues for people with CFS. We just have messed up central nervous systems and even though you may feel so profoundly fatigued during the day very often you also suffer with feeling wired but tired by the time bedtime comes. Tossing and turning when you know that unless you get some sleep you'll feel like death the following day is a hell that has to be experienced to understand. I think it's also fair to say that CFS may even be primarily a sleep disorder for some people. Without sleep all the other health problems follow.
I seriously understand the distress that follows insomnia. I understand how at times you WOULD want to do anything to get the sleep that you need. Sleep deprivation is so tortuous that it IS used as a method of torture. The following is a repeat of a post I did a while back.
My sleep problems started years ago and IMO are one of the main stressors that lead to my CFS. I had a baby during my first semester of nursing school and split up with my husband and for the next 2 years got very little sleep. The sleep disorder I ended up with started taking root but got firmly entrenched when I started working as a nurse and got hired to work the night shift.
Anyone who says the night shift is great because you have the whole day to do whatever you want I believe is some creature from another planet where they don't require sleep and they have strange and hideous skin with huge bags under something that might be their eyes. WHATEVER that is the most ridiculous nonsense, just because you work nights that doesn't eliminate your physiological need for sleep. In fact for many people like me it means sleep is just even harder to get. I would come home from work and feel like I was hallucinating I was so tired and then I'd sleep for a couple of hours and wake up sick but not able to get back to sleep because my brain is just not wired to sleep during the day (I have a hard time taking naps too). Despite the fact that I didn't always work nights those years of sleep deprivation messed up my brain really badly and my internal clock never got right.
It's ridiculous and maddening when you are so tired you are literally incapacitated but you can't get to sleep. And it happens to millions of people every night. Some people have health problems like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, others have Shift Work Sleep Disorder, some have insomnia, and some people just can't sleep.
If you've experienced fatigue you might relate to the phrase "wired but tired." WBT is when you have literally done nothing all day because you're too sick or fatigued (those days that are a total wash) and then bedtime comes but you not only can't sleep but you feel weird like electric surges in your body. It really sucks. You have to sleep so you can get your health back but it's just not happening.
Anyone with chronic sleep problems should see their doctor to rule out treatable sleep disorders. Even if you see your doctor you still need to practice some good sleep habits called sleep hygiene.
Here's My Top 5 Sleep Tips
1. Stimulants --Use your bed only for sleep and sex—don’t read or watch TV in bed- and avoid other stimulants including vigorous exercise, caffeine in beverages and such things as caffeine containing medications like Excedrin, smoking, alcohol, and emotionally charged conversations in the evening. Because individuals have their own thresholds for each of these I always say to find your own cut off time. But the general rule of thumb is to limit your caffeine laced drinks to three cups and drink them before 10 am. Just being aware that all of these are factors is the first step in knowing that you have to find your own limitations/thresholds.
2. Sleep environment -- Keep your sleep environment dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. That includes black out shades, drapes, or even an eye mask. Any light at all during the night will disrupt your circadian clock and your ability to sleep, so keep lighted clocks out of your bedroom (use a clock that requires you to push a button on top to illuminate). Some people like to use a fan for white noise to drown out any other noises. Comfort can come from changing your sheets more often and investing in comfortable bed linens and pillows. Temperature is so important-- you need an environment that is around 64-68 degrees. Today there are great pillows like the down alternative gel pillows that are made from polyester that you can you buy 2 King size gel pillows for around 25$. And the deal with changing your sheets often is to reduce itching and feeling hot from things like dust mites. Fewer dust mites can also mean a difference in allergy symptoms. And you should change your pillow when you change your toothbrush, because 10% of the weight of a 2 year old pillow is dust mite droppings.
I use and recommend the Infinity™ Sleep Mask
Snug fit, ergonomic design (inside pictured) LOVE IT!!
The Infinity™ Sleep Mask provides the ultimate in comfort while completely blocking the light. Made with soft, silky double-velour fleece, the Infinity™ Sleep Mask is sure to be treasured for years to come.
3. Food --Eat your last meal at least three hours before you sleep and avoid sugars for bedtime snacks. A meal raises your blood sugar too high, inhibits sleep, and later when your blood sugar drops too low you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep. Instead, have a snack that contains the amino acid tryptophan (a natural relaxant), such as a small cup of milk or some turkey, along with a small piece of fruit or other complex carb to help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier. Avoid eating foods that you might be sensitive to because the resulting indigestion or heartburn will keep you awake. Try a small snack of some whole-grain bread, rice, or pasta, yams, a mixed green salad, sautéed vegetables with a small portion of a healthy fat-containing food, such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts or seeds or -herb tea (especially chamomile or peppermint).
4. Schedule --Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning in order to help regulate your body's inner clock. Stick to a similar schedule on weekends and days off. Go to bed within an hour of your usual bedtime every night and if you have problems sleeping, avoid naps because they often interfere with nighttime sleep.
5. Light, exercise, and ritua l--Expose yourself to bright light daily and get at least 15 minutes of sunlight on your skin every day and get plenty of exercise. Sunlight helps regulate your circadian clock and make you feel sleepy at night. Sunlight stimulates a gland in your brain (pineal gland) to produce melatonin a hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Work out regularly because exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly. But sporadic exercise will contribute to muscle pain and discomfort that may keep you awake. And people who suffer from fatigue need to exercise in order to make their bodies physically tired enough to want to sleep. Exercise is different for everyone, a brisk walk can be enough to tire some people, other people need to start out more gradually, and others need very vigorous exercise. Bedtime rituals can include making sure you are not exposed to bright light within a couple of hours before bed, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bed so that your body temperature can fall, deep breathing exercises, and reading something relaxing, writing out your tomorrow’s to do list so that your mind doesn’t have to worry you will forget something, praying, chanting, or meditation* whatever you like to do for spiritual practices. Last but not least use deep breathing. Take deep breathes, hold a sec and let go....when you do this you'll probably see how tense your diaphragm is. Deep breathing has been a relaxation technique for centuries.
*One method I've used for years is "not thinking." You "not think" by stopping your train of thought. When a thought enters your mind instead of indulging it you just stop thinking about it. To help not think, write out your "to do" list before bed, and not RIGHT BEFORE, but some time in the evening so all those things aren't on your mind when you lay your head on your very comfy pillow.
Sleep Supplements
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine the most popular supplement for insomnia is melatonin a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the sleep-wake systems in your brains. Taking one milligram of melatonin thirty minutes prior to bedtime often decreases the time it takes you to fall asleep and prolongs sleep duration. To avoid any tolerance don’t use melatonin every night but try using it every third night.
Taking tryptophan supplements may increase your own natural production of melatonin production. For serious insomnia try taking a low dose melatonin (0.5 to 1 milligram) along with 500 to 1500 milligrams of tryptophan thirty minutes prior to bedtime.
Calcium and magnesium are mildly sedating. Because you need to take your daily calcium/magnesium supplements in divided doses so that calcium can be absorbed and not the excess is not excreted, take one half of your calcium/magnesium supplement at bedtime.
Gotu kola is an herb used for insomnia that has been called one of the "miracle elixirs of life" from a legend whereby an ancient Chinese herbalist that used it lived for more than two hundred years. Try making a tea with one teaspoon of gotu kola in a cup of hot water, cover and steep leaf or flowers five to ten minutes or roots ten to twenty minutes and drink two to four cups a day.
Lemon balm is a calming herb used to reduce stress and treat anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and indigestion. To make tea use one fourth to one teaspoonful of dried lemon balm herb in hot water, steep and drink up to four cups a day. You can also take two to three milliliters in a tincture three times a day or 300-500 milligrams of dried lemon balm capsules three times daily or as needed.
Valerian is an herb used to ease insomnia, treat stress related anxiety, and nervous restlessness, and as an aid to help people sleep. It may take a few weeks before you feel the effects if you take valerian as follows an hour before bed. To make tea pour one cup of boiling water over one teaspoon of dried valerian root and steep for five to ten minutes before drinking. To take as a tincture use one to one and one half teaspoons. To take as capsules take 250 to 500 milligrams.
You can take a combination of 180-360 milligrams of valerian and 80-100 milligrams of lemon balm to improve sleep without feeling sedated during the day. A small percentage of people find valerian root stimulating and in that case you should use it during the day to help you sleep at night.
"Our society seems to place a moral value on sleeping as little as possible," she noted. "In Europe, people are less impressed by short sleepers. Here we're almost embarrassed to say that we are going to bed early. Saying 'I'm tired and I'm going to sleep' is viewed as being lazy."---Eve Van Cauter, M. D., Internationally known investigator in circadian rhythms on endocrine system in normal and pathological conditions.
You have to sleep people. Research has shown that as little as seven nights of sleep debt or losing three or four hours a night has serious adverse effects including affecting your ability to process carbohydrates, manage stress, maintain your body’s balance of hormones, and causes lowered immune function. Burning the midnight oil is potentially as damaging to your health as a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and even smoking.
Staying up half the night to study or work is not making you smarter or more productive but is in fact decreasing your brain’s ability to utilize glucose and thus impairing your critical thinking, memory, and mental sharpness. To top it off burning those late night hours causes your blood levels of cortisol to rise accelerating the aging process. Are you frustrated with your weight loss efforts? Consider that sleep deprivation has been shown to cause insulin resistance increasing the risk of obesity. Is your blood pressure too high? Try getting enough sleep! In other words staying up to work, study, party, or socialize doesn’t make you more productive it only causes sleep deprivation and sleep debt and that can make you old, fat, sick, and dumb.