Insomnia and generalized anixiety

Hi Monarch Lady, good to see you back, sad to hear you are having trouble relaxing and getting off to sleep.

That "snap" reaction can be annoying, can't it, just when you were getting off to sleep!

Why not have a go at a tighten/release exercise? When you are lying in bed, ready to go off, start by slowly tightening up all your muscles, starting at the feet, finishing at your head. Tighten up everything as tight as it will go (you will feel in quite a knot!). When you have got everything up to maximum tightness, hold it for a count of ten, then slowly release everything again, starting at the head and working back down to your feet. Don't rush this exercise, take your time.

If you feel the need, do it twice, or even three times. That should be enough to really loosen all the muscles, so that your normal going to sleep pattern can operate without "snapping" on you!

Sweet dreams!

Kathleen

Sorry if I come across and a 'one-eyed' person. As a nutritional psychologist I tend to see things in terms of nutrition.

Anxiety attack and insomnia are related because of biochemical reasons. People with anxiety attacks produce too much adrenaline in response to insulin resistance, causing high levels of insulin (hyperinsulinism). High insulin levels helps to dump magnesium in the urine and also interferes with the synthesis of some relaxing neurotransmitter such as serotonin. High insulin also inhibits the conversion of fat cells into energy and hence is related to obesity.
Serotonin is also the forerunner for melatonin, our sleeping hormone produced in the pineal gland. All these reactions are subject to the availability of vitamin B6, an important coenzyme in biochemical reactions in the body. There are many nutrients that are involved in the production of the right neurotransmitters and so on.

There are many substances that can help in anxiety attacks, but basically it will need a diet to stops the overproduction of adrenaline. Ideally this is the hypoglycemic diet.

Before you try out any natural antidepressants, please read:

"Hit or Miss Supplements for Depression"