Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Insomnia

• Aconitum Napellus
  Common name: Monkshood                                                                                     
  Symptoms: This remedy works well for individuals who tend to have panic attacks and experience intense fear. It is mostly administered to elderly patients. The following symptoms are usually present in a patient who benefits from aconitum napellus:
  • Fearfulness
  • Persistent anxiety causing palpitations and restlessness
  • Heaviness in the head
  • Burning headache
  • Inflammation and itching of eyes
  • Aversion to bright lights
  • Watery eyes
  • Sensitivity to noises, irritation with music
  • Pain in the ears
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea along with fearfulness
  • A feeling of pressure in the stomach or the left side of chest
  • Tingling sensation in fingers
  • Frequent nightmares which interfere with sleep
  • Anxious dreams
  • Inability to sleep
  • Constant tossing and turning in bed
  • Restlessness while trying to sleep
  • Symptoms get worse in a warm environment and better in a well-ventilated area
• Arnica Montana
  Common name: Leopard’s Bane
  Symptoms: This remedy works well for individuals who suffer from sleeplessness due to physical exertion and prefer solitude. The following symptoms are present in individuals requiring arnica montana:
  • Fear of being touched and fear of heights
  • Persistent nervousness
  • Confusion
  • Pain in the eyes while working
  • Vomiting blood
  • Pain in the left arm and limbs
  • Black-and-blue appearance of skin
  • Itching 
  • Restless while sleeping
  • Persistent dreams of death
  • Involuntary stools during sleep
  • Anxiety-provoking dreams during the night
  • Waking up suddenly from sleep
  • Feeling worse while moving and in a damp or cold environment
  • Symptoms improve on lying down
• Cocculus
  Common name: Indian cockle
  Symptoms: This remedy is often administered to individuals with insomnia due to constant tiredness and who feel that they are too tired to sleep. Indian cokle helps to relieve the following symptoms:
  • Delayed comprehension
  • Profound sadness
  • Rapid speech
  • Vertigo
  • Nausea when sitting up, which gets worse in a moving vehicle
  • A feeling of emptiness in the head
  • Pain in eyes and facial muscles, in arms and shoulders, and while bending limbs
  • Stomach pain after meals along with an aversion to the smell of food
  • Cracking of knees on moving
  • Constant yawning
  • Drowsiness
  • Symptoms worsen with frequent loss of sleep, smoking, riding, during menstrual period or after any emotional disturbance
• Coffea Cruda
  Common name: Coffee
  Symptoms: This remedy is mostly administered to individuals who are unable to sleep due to overactive thoughts, who constantly feel like weeping and people who have a habit of rapid and hurried eating. The following symptoms can be remedied with the help of coffea cruda:
  • Emotionally oversensitive
  • Intolerance to pain
  • Persistent headaches
  • Heaviness and congestion in the head
  • Buzzing in ears
  • Sensitivity to music
  • Hot flashes
  • Sweating on face
  • Toothache which becomes better with cold water
  • Palpitations
  • Sleeplessness due to overexcitement
  • Sleeplessness from excited imagination
  • Desire to lie down and shut the eyes but unable to asleep

A clinical study concluded administration of coffea crude is effective in improving mood and reducing tension in anxiety-sensitive subjects with a history of coffee-induced insomnia.

• Ignatia Amara
  Common name: St. Ignatius bean
  ​Symptoms: This remedy works well in people who are introspective by nature and are persistently sad. They also avoid conversations. The following symptoms are usually noticed in patients who require ignatia:
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Deep grief and disappointment
  • Heaviness in the head which gets worse on stooping
  • Severe headache (gets worse on smoking)
  • Congestive headache that is triggered by anger
  • Pain in eyes
  • Twitching of facial muscles
  • Feeling a lump in the throat
  • Jerking of limbs on falling asleep
  • Sleeplessness due to sadness and grief
  • Itching in arms while sleeping
  • Constant yawning
  • Long dreams
  • Symptoms get worse with coffee or smoking
  • Symptoms improve by changing positions
  • Biting the inside of cheeks
  • Craving for acidic things
• Kali Phosphoricum
  Common name: Phosphate of potassium
  Symptoms: This remedy is often recommended to individuals who experience sleep problems due to stress and mental exertion. The following symptoms can be remedied with the help of this medicine:
  • Irritability
  • Lethargy
  • Depression and persistent sadness
  • Memory loss and frequent forgetfulness
  • Restlessness and nervousness
  • Sensitivity to sunlight
  • Headaches in the morning across both temples
  • Inflammation and twitching of the eyes with blurred vision
  • Sensitivity in gums
  • Loss of appetite at the sight of food despite being hungry
  • Excessive craving for ice cold water
  • Sweating during meals
  • Waking up too early
  • Talking and grinding teeth in sleep
  • Tendency to sleep on the back
  • Having dreams which provoke anger
• Nux Vomica
  Common name: Poison nut
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from nux vomica may present with the following symptoms:
  • Extreme irritability
  • Aversion to loud noises, strong odours and bright lights
  • Avoidance to touch
  • Headache that is felt over the eyes
  • Intoxicated feeling that gets worse in the morning and with alcohol or coffee
  • Inability to sleep after midnight
  • Feeling drowsy after meals and in the early evenings
  • Having vivid dreams
  • Feeling better after a short nap
  • Skin feels hot to the touch
  • Backache which gets worse while lying down
  • Symptoms get worse after a meal and improve after sleeping
  • Trouble sleeping after 3 am.
• Silicea
  Common name: Silica
  Symptoms: Silica can be helpful for individuals who report the following symptoms:
  • Lack of stamina
  • Fear of failure even before starting a task
  • Irritability and timidity
  • Children may always seem irritated and agitated
  • Persistent headache accompanied by nausea
  • Pain in the back of the neck which gets worse on exposure to cold air
  • Sensitivity to loud noises and mental exertion
  • Inflammation of the eyelids
  • Abdominal pain on exposure to heat
  • Pressure in the stomach region
  • Waking up suddenly with a hot and surging feeling in the head
  • Sleepwalking (especially noted in children)
  • Having anxious dreams
  • Disturbed or broken sleep with difficulty to go back to sleep after waking up.

(Read More - Sleep Apnea treatment)

Do’s

• While taking homeopathic remedies, every attempt should be made to maintain personal and enviornmental hygiene. This is essential for a quick and effective recovery.
• Maintain an active lifestyle by engaging in brisk exercise or yoga.
• Wear comfortable clothes which do not stick to the body. This will help in keeping the body well ventilated. Opt for light and breathable fabrics like cotton.
• Take a healthy and nutritious diet. (Read more: Balanced diet benefits)

Don’ts

• Avoid processed and ready-to-eat foods. These are not only low in nutrition but also tend to contain high levels of salt and preservatives.
• Avoid eating spicy foods or stimulating foods such as onions, garlic and asafoetida.
• Refrain from foods which have high sugar content.
• Avoid excessive intake of beverages such as coffee and tea.
• Avoid the use of perfumes and room fresheners.

(Read More - Ayurvedic treatment for Insomnia)

Homeopathic medications can be very effective in treating insomnia. Homeopathy does not approach insomnia with a definite remedy that will simply allow one to fall asleep. Rather, it focuses on the root cause of insomnia and reduces the underlying risk factors. This brings about a gradual and satisfactory improvement in sleep pattern.

A study conducted on young adults aged between 18 and 31 years found that homeopathic remedies significantly increased the sleep time in individuals battling coffee-induced insomnia.

In order to get the most out of a homeopathic remedy, it is best to be aware of one’s sleep pattern and other factors such as the thoughts one has in the waking state. This helps in picking the right remedy for immediate effect. 

A study conducted on 30 participants having chronic insomnia concluded that individualised homeopathic treatment with a single remedy worked better than placebo over time. Homeopathic medicines, when taken in prescribed doses at the right time were reported to be significantly helpful in improving the number of sleep hours.

(Read More - Sleep Deprivation treatment)

Homeopathic medicines are generally safe to use since they are derived from natural substances. These medicines are carefully and sufficiently diluted to suit individual needs and administered in controlled doses. A homeopathic doctor prescribes a specific remedy on the basis of individual symptoms and miasms. When taken under the guidance of an experienced doctor, these remedies have the least possible side effects can effectively help in alleviating disease symptoms.

(Read More - Ways to overcome insomnia)

Insomnia and sleep disturbances can be particularly frustrating because a restful sleep is crucial for a person to function at his/her best potential. Apart from producing symptoms such as fatigue and headaches, insomnia can affect one’s ability to carry out everyday activities by affecting concentration and thinking skills. Homeopathy offers a holistic and effective set of remedies which not only improve insomnia symptoms but also prevents them from recurring. 

(Read More - Hypersomnia treatment)