Do you toss and turn at night? Do you wake up each morning feeling more tired than you were the night before? If you don’t feel refreshed in the morning, then you are likely not getting enough sleep at night and should consider why.
What is Insomnia?
Although it's common to have the occasional sleepless night, insomnia is the lack of sleep on a regular basis. Chronic insomnia can itself be a symptom of another condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it's important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.

Natural Treatments for Insomnia:
Supplements: You may have tried various sleep remedies. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. You may have tried sleeping pills. Unfortunately, they don’t take you to a deeper state of restful sleep that’s needed in order to repair your body. They also don’t heal the underlying cause of the sleep disorder. The truth about natural sleep remedies is that you have to experiment with different ones and see which ones work best for you. The ones I’ve found to be most effective are Myocalm p.m., a calcium-magnesium-herbal combination from Metagenics; Tranquinol which is a mixture of magnesium and herbal extracts and melatonin nanoplex which is a liquid concentrate. The last two are from Premier Research Labs. Melatonin is a naturally ocurring hormone in the bran. The pineal gland in the brain makes serotonin which is later converted to melatonin at night. Melatonin works best if taken 30 minutes before bed. Melatonin should be avoided by pregnant and nursing women and people suffering from autoimmune diseases, depression or schizophrenia.
Diet: Reducing the amounts of alcohol, caffeine, sugar and carbs before bedtime can help. caffeine can be found in coffee tea soft drinks and chocolate. High carb meals late at night can interfere with sleep. Eating magnesium rich foods such as almond butter and tahini can be helpful as late-night snack to help you sleep.
Chiropractic: In addition to diet and nutritional supplements chiropractic adjustments can be crucial in overcoming insomnia. When you have a bad night sleep your upper neck will go out of alignment which will then cause another bad night’s sleep. So it’s important to get adjusted soon as possible after having a bad night sleep in order to put a stop to chronic insomnia.
Lifestyle: Lifestyle is also very important. It can be helpful to turn off the computer and television after 10 PM take a hot bath and a calcium/magnesium tablet and go to sleep. Exercising earlier in the day and taking a sauna at night can also very helpful.
Emotional Stress: Another cause of insomnia is anxiety, stress and old unresolved conflicts that are locked in the body. Fortunately, it is possible to heal these with CARE-.Chakra Armor Release of Emotions. We just muscle test and find out if the cause of the insomnia is emotional and where it’s located in the body. Then I use the CARE treatment to release the emotional blockage.
Adrenal Exhaustion: Chronic insomnia may also be due to an adrenal gland imbalance. If you’re burning the candle from both ends, your adrenal glands might be exhausted and that could be the cause of your insomnia. If you often feel tired between three and five p.m. it can also indicate a problem with the adrenals. Adrenal exhaustion decreases the levels of DHEA in your body. This controls your ability to fall asleep. During the initial exam I take your blood pressure lying down and then standing up in order to evaluate the adrenal glands. If it doesn’t go up 10-12 points or if it goes down it’s an indication for taking the Adrenal Stress Index saliva test. After we get the results back I can suggest a variety of supplements that have been proven to help strengthen the adrenal glands.
Perimenopausal Causes: Insomnia is a condition that many women will experience during their perimenopause. In most cases, it’s due to an imbalance of female hormones. These can be tested with a saliva tests as well. If you’re low in progesterone, rubbing in progesterone cream before bed can help you to relax and get a deep rest.
Yoga: Instead of watching t.v. or going on the internet, try watching the Yoga for Sleep dvd to help you unwind before bed.

You might ask "When should I opt for drugs or surgery and when should I try chiropractic?"  When it comes to health problems there are always two options drugs and surgery (the allopathic medical model) or chiropractic, massage or nutrition-the holistic natural model. Common sense would tell you to try the least invasive, safest procedure first and the riskiest, more possible side effects option second. 
If you are suffering from insomnia, please call me for a free consultation at 510-558-0164 or e-mail me at drrettner@sbcglobal.net I would love a chance to relieve your symptoms and help you to achieve a happier, healthier life style. Thank you.
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Author's Bio: 

Dr. Raphael Rettner is a Palmer College of Chiropractic West graduate and has been in practice since 1982. Dr. Rettner is one of the most highly skilled and respected chiropractors in the United States. He has made numerous radio and T.V. appearances, is the author of Vegetarian Cooking for People with Allergies and has produced several DVDs including: End P.M.S Now!, The Ultimate Diet, and Twelve Causes of an Unstable Spine. He has studied both force and non-force techniques such as Advanced Biostructural Correction, Applied Kinesiology, Biophysics, Gonstead, S.O.T. and over a dozen others. With a combination of creative thinking and an insatiable quest for knowledge, Dr. Rettner has developed several new and exciting chiropractic techniques. Since 1994 he has taught these in his Applied Trigger Points seminar to chiropractors all across the United States, Australia, Canada and England.
You can reach Raphael at drrettner@sbcglobal.net