Schlaf Anhang Insomnia 2
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Homeopathy for Insomnia, Sleeplessness, Sleep Disorders
What is insomnia?
Difficulty in sleeping or inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep
long enough to feel rested, especially when this is a problem that continues
over time is termed as insomnia.
It is also explained as:
Inability to sleep,
Over a period of time;
Difficulty initiating sleep;
Difficulty maintaining sleep;
Early morning awakening;
Non Restorative sleep.
Types of Insomnia:
Transient Insomnia (short
term),
Intermittent Insomnia (on and
off),
Chronic Insomnia (constant).
Transient Insomnia-
Insomnia lasting from a single night to a few
weeks is referred to as transient. Temporary insomnia (transient insomnia)
usually is due to situational changes, such as travel
and stressful events. It lasts for less than a
week or until the stressful event is resolved. Short-term insomnia lasts for
1-3 weeks,
Intermittent Insomnia-
If episodes of transient insomnia occur from
time to time, the insomnia is said to be intermittent.
Chronic Insomnia-
Insomnia is considered to be chronic
if it occurs on most nights and lasts a month or more. Chronic insomnia
continues for more than 3 weeks.
Insomnia may also be classified into:
Primary insomnia-
It occurs in the
absence of other medical problems
Secondary insomnia
It occurs as a result of a medical
condition such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn, etc. causing
wakefulness.
Who suffers from Insomnia?
Insomnia is found in males and
females of all age groups, although it seems to be more common in females (after
menopause) and in the elderly. The ability to sleep, rather
than the need for sleep, appears to
decrease with advancing age.
What are the causes of Insomnia?
Advanced age (insomnia occurs
more frequently in those over age 60); the melatonin – a chemical that is
needed in order to induce sleep, decreases and, at the age of sixty, very
little is produced by our bodies. Without the presence of this chemical,
the amount of sleep that the body receives diminishes. This may either mean
rising earlier in the morning or
the inability to sleep at night.
Female gender affected most;
Women tend to be the victims of insomnia more often than their male
counterparts. This is partially due to the fact that hormonal changes intrinsic
to females can bring about this particular condition. These changes:
PMS, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Any number of things can happen
when an influx or decrease
of hormones takes place in the body, and insomnia is one of the more
common side effects
A history of depression.
Stress, anxiety.
A medical problem or the use
of certain medications occur along with the above conditions, insomnia is more
likely.
Various medical conditions
such as high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, allergies,
hyperthyroidism and Parkinson’s disease.
Physical disorder- congestive
cardiac failure, pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, nocturnal asthma and nocturnal
seizures.
Painful or uncomfortable
syndromes- toothache, arthritis and restless legs syndrome.
Difficulty in initiating sleep
may be due to psychiatric illness such as; anxiety, phobia, schizophrenia and
depression.
Drugs withdrawals such as
caffeine, antidepressant, beta blockers, alcohol, sympathomimetics and
hypnotics.
Reversal of sleep rhythm, seen
in jet-lag, head injury, encephalitis, sedative misuse, irregular night shift
work.
Nocturnal enuresis [bed
wetting in the children], sleep walking, taking while asleep and night terrors
can cause sleep disturbance in children.
Sleep apnoea is a disorder
characterized by a reduction or cessation (pause of breathing, airflow) during
sleep and may cause sleeplessness.
The predisposition to insomnia
tends to run in family lines. It is believed that genetics play some role in
whether or not a person will suffer from this illness; which is unknown
to the medical community
Transient and intermittent
insomnia generally occur in people who are temporarily experiencing one or more
of the following- stress, environmental noise, extreme temperatures,
a change in the surrounding environment, sleep/wake schedule problems
such as those due to jet lag, or medication side effects.
What are symptoms of insomnia?
Insomnia is not defined by the number of hours of sleep a person gets or
how long it takes to fall asleep. Individuals vary normally in their need for,
and their satisfaction with, sleep.
Insomnia may cause problems during the day, such as tiredness, a lack of
energy, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
Insomnia patients generally complain of:
Inadequate or poor-quality
sleep.
Difficulty falling asleep;
early wakening, waking frequently during the night, un-refreshing sleep, or a
combination of these.
Waking up frequently during
the night with difficulty returning to sleep.
Waking up too early in the
morning.
Persons without adequate sleep
can experience tiredness, lack of energy, and concentration problems.
How is insomnia diagnosed?
Patients with insomnia
are evaluated with the help of a medical history and a sleep history.
Specialized sleep studies may be recommended in Secondary insomnia, to find
the medical condition.
Conventional treatment:
Transient insomnia can be treated by
altering some changes in the lifestyle, or counseling may help. The treatment
of chronic insomnia consists of:
First, diagnosing and treating
underlying medical or psychological problems.
Identifying behaviors that may
worsen insomnia and stopping them.
Trying behavioral techniques
to improve sleep, such as relaxation therapy, sleep restriction therapy, and
reconditioning.
Sleeping pills are often
antihistamines. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make
you feel very sleepy. Sedatives: Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines,
Imidazopyridine,
and Antihistamines.
Side Effects of Sleeping Pills:
They impair our consciousness,
judgment, memory and intelligence.
Almost everyone has some risk
of becoming dependant on sleep medication.
Those who use sleeping pills
have significantly higher mortality rates than those who do not.
Sleeping pills do little or
nothing to improve chronic insomnia and cause long-term chemical dependency.
Sleeping pills reduce brain
cell activity during the day, affecting short-term memory as well as causing a
hangover effect.
Sleeping pills accentuate the
GABA neurotransmitter, which keeps the nerve cells in the lung tissue from
firing. This is why an overdose of sleeping pills will cause asphyxiation and
over 1000 overdose related deaths each year.
GABA actuation is also
responsible for impaired physical ability. Each year, thousands of traffic
deaths, accidents and falls (especially in the elderly) are attributed to
sleeping pills.
Sleep Apnoea Patients should
never take sleeping pills. Sleeping pills increase the pauses and length of
pause in breathing. Someone with sleep apnoea could suffer brain or ocular
damage from the lack of oxygen or even death.
Anyone over the age of 40
should be cautioned against sleeping pills, and anyone over the age of 65
should never take sleeping pills. Studies show that almost all people over 40
have
some symptoms of sleep apnoea, and anyone over 65 would be clinically
diagnosed with sleep apnoea.
Sleeping pills create a
hypnotic dependency similar to alcohol and lower inhibitions and fear of pain or
consequences. This is one reason why sleeping pills contribute to accidents and
why chronic sleeping pill users are less likely to worry or take care of
themselves.
Sleeping pills are highly
addictive. Sleeping pills are similar to barbiturates and are extremely
difficult to stop using.
Although sleeping pills do not
improve daytime functioning, people still prefer taking them because of the
barbiturate feel-good effect they produce. As with many addictive drugs,
they may not be helpful, but we feel good when we take them.
In general, over-the-counter sleep medications are not a good choice
because they:
Are not intended for long-term
use.
Interfere with mental
alertness during the day, so you should avoid driving and other similar tasks.
You may also be at risk for falling.
Reduce the quality of your
sleep by reducing time you spend in deep sleep.
Commonly seen side effects of
sleeping pills are, drowsiness the next day, dizziness, lack of coordination ,
forgetfulness, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, and dry mouth
and throat.
Homeopathy Treatment & Homeopathic Remedies for Insomnia or Sleep
Disorders:
Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic
treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological
condition. The homeopathic medicines are
selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis,
which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental
constitution etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also
often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. The medicines
given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete
and definite guide to the treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed
against each medicine may not be directly related to this disease because in
homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are also taken into
account for selecting a remedy.
Homeopathic Treatment
Reportorial rubric
[Kent] Sleep, Sleeplessness
[Murphy] Sleep, Insomnia
[Boericke] Nervous system, Sleep, Insomnia (Sleeplessness)
[Boenninghausen’s] Sleep, Sleeplessness
Homeopathy Remedies for Insomnia:
Homeopathic medicines are selected on the basis of symptoms, cause,
family history and constitution of the person affected. Considering all these
factors any of the below listed
(or some other) homeopathic medicine may be indicated and helpful in
this condition.
Nux-vomica
Sleepless from rush of ideas.
Cannot sleep after 3 h. until
towards morning,
falls asleep when it is time
to rise and feels heavy and unrefreshed.
It is especially for those who
drink too much, those who abuse coffee and tea,
those who are subject to
abdominal disorders and a sluggish portal circulation.
It is curative in cases where
sleep is unattainable except from a stimulant.
> after undisturbed sleep;
<: disturbed sleep;
Sleepless from mental
overwork, from too close study (at night).
Dreams full of bustle and
worry.
Opium
Stupefying and unrefreshing
sleep
Sleepy, but cannot sleep.
Sleepless with acuteness of
hearing, clock striking and cocks crowing at great distance keep her awake
Loss of breath on falling asleep
Bed feels so hot she cannot
lie on it; moves often in search of a cool place; must be uncovered
Sleepy but cannot sleep with
great drowsiness
Dreams of cat, dog and black
forms. Pleasant, fantastic, amorous dream
Suffocative attacks during
sleep like nightmare
Coffea cruda
Nervous sleeplessness from
rush of ideas, mental activity, awakes at or hears every sound after
pleasurable excitement.
In cases where there is
excessive agitation of body and mind, and where ideas force themselves on the
mind.
Wide awake, without the
slightest inclination to sleep, and all the senses are extremely acute.
It is the remedy when excitement
or good news, joys or night watching causes the insomnia.
It is well suited to
sleeplessness in teething children.
Sleeplessness from the bad
effects of too good news.
Is indicated in wide-awake
condition; impossible to close the eyes; physical excitement through mental
exaltation.
Sleeplessness, on account of
excessive mental and bodily activity.
The greatest mental and
physical exhaustion; great restlessness lying awake most of the night.
Sensitiveness of vision, of hearing, of smell, of touch; sensitiveness to pain.
Wakeful, on a constant move.
Sleeps until 3 a.m.
Sleep disturbed by dreams or
by itching of anus.
Ambra grisea
Sleeplessness arising from
worriment of mind as from business trouble.
The patient retires to bed
feeling tolerably tired, yet as soon as the head touches the pillow he becomes
wakeful.
He cannot sleep at night, he
knows not why.
For several nights
sleeplessness.
Frequent waking at night.
Frequent waking, and at 2 h.
long uneasiness in the whole body.
At night he wakes up with headache , which goes off on rising.
Very early waking, followed by
frequently interrupted, but very profound sleep, with eyes fast closed.
In the morning, in bed,
weariness, with feeling in the eyes as if they were too firmly closed. Sleep
restless, with anxious dreams.
Coldness of body and twitching
of limbs during sleep.
Hyoscyamus niger
Sleeplessness from nervous
excitement, the brain is full of bewildering ideas and images.
After long illnesses and the
brain cells are poorly nourished.
Sleeplessness in children, who
twitch, cry out frightened and tremble.
Sleeplessness from overworked
minds and without apparent cause may be benefited by Hyoscyamus.
Sulphur
Sleeplessness from nervous
excitement, cutaneous irritations and external heat. The patient is drowsy all
day and sleepless at night.
Sleeps in “cat naps“, wakes
frequently.
Long but unrefreshing sleep,
in morning.
Nightly jerking and twitching in
body during.
Sings during sleep and wakes
up with singing.
Cannot sleep during 2 and 5 h.
Belladonna
The sleepless conditions
calling for Belladonna are due to congestion.
Frightful images appear on
closing the eyes and the patient therefore dreads sleep.
Children awake from sleep
frightened.
Oftentimes there is a violent
throbbing in the brain which prevents sleep.
Frightful dreams, they
constantly awaken the patient.
Restless sleep during
dentition
Sleeps with eyes partially
open; sudden starting, twitching, hot head and dilated pupils will indicate it.
Ignatia amara
Sleeps so light that he hears
everything in it.
Dreams all night of the same
subject.
Insomnia due to grief, anxious
thoughts, sadness or any depressing emotions.
Deep, stupefying.
Restless sleep and great
restlessness at night with a tremor passing through the body.
Fixed ideas in his dreams
which continue after waking.
Child awakes from sleep with
piercing cries and trembles all over.
Cocculus indicus
Especially suited to light
haired, timid, nervous and bookworm persons.
Sleeplessness due to night watching, with worry and anxiety.
Thinking of the business of
the day prevents sleep.
Spasmodic yawning.
Sleepless from mental or
physical exhaustion.
Causticum
Sleeplessness at night on
account of dry heat cannot rest in any posture.
He cannot get quiet position.
Nightly sleeplessness with
anxiety, dry heat and frequent starting up.
Anxious dreams.
Wakes with slightest noise.
Ferrum metallicum.
It is adapted to young,
anemic, pseudo- plethoric persons who look strong but are very weak physically.
Restless, with anxious
tossing.
Great drowsiness and fatigue,
with inability to sleep at night.
Falls to sleep late in
evening.
Can lie on back only.
Cannabis indica
In obstinate and intractable
forms of insomnia.
An irregular sleep is more of
an indication than absolute insomnia.
Unconquerable day sleepiness,
Unrefreshing night sleep.
Sleepless at night because of
anxiety and heat.
Kalium phosphoricum
Sleeplessness, especially
during the latter part of the night.
The patient is a nervous due
to business worries and excessive mental exertion.
What can be done for preventing insomnia?
Avoid watching TV, eating, and
discussing emotional issues in bed.
Don’t use bright light in your
bedroom.
Avoid, caffine and smoking.
Get a massage on your scalp.
A light snack may be
sleep-inducing, but a heavy meal too close to bedtime interferes with sleep.
Stay away from protein and stick to carbohydrates or dairy products.
Milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which has been shown in
research to help people go to sleep. So milk and cookies or crackers (without
chocolate) may be useful
and taste good as well.
Do not exercise vigorously
just before bed.
Take a warm bath. This often
helps.
Listen light music. Actually,
any soothing noise (played softly) in the background may help.
Sleep with your head facing
north (magnetic) and feet facing south.
Relaxation techniques like
yoga and meditation.
[Bertram von Zabern]
‡ Almost 1/3
of our lifetime is clouded in a state of unconsciousness or dream. Sleep
powerfully commands us to its domain when, after an extended day, it stops us
from continuing earthly work. While scientific research has provided many
details of the chemical and electrical activity of the brain, and psychology
has offered insights into the subconscious motivations of dream life, neither
has revealed much about why this mystery is such a necessary part of existence.
More than any other modern research,
Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy leads toward an inner understanding of sleep by
viewing
its spiritual dimension. Although sleep
appears as a dullness of the mind, in its reality it is an enhancement of
consciousness our usual intellect does not grasp. We catch a glimpse of the
higher dimension of sleep at the uncomfortable moment when we happen to be
woken up from deep sleep, say, at 2:30 in the morning. The discomfort is not a
physical pain, but rather the feeling of being torn away from an inner state of
bliss, to which one would dearly like to return. Once we are ready to rest
again, we have to wait patiently until sleep takes us back to its sacred
place.
R.S. pointed out that the spiritual life
of the human being, in thinking, and as the source of self-consciousness,
engages during daytime in many practical earthly matters and impressions that
are alien to its true being. It is at night that the spiritual self returns to
its home, the spiritual world, and reconnects with its genius.
While we are awake, we make many errors
in how we relate to the world and to the creative powers that govern nature.
For example: we eat chaotically, our eyes and brain have to deal with a
computer monitor or a TV set, our emotions are caught up
in financial worries or in irrelevant disagreements.
All this negatively affects the health of the body we have received from
nature, and ultimately destroys it. But there is immeasurable wisdom at work to
create and balance the functions of the brain, the heart, liver, kidneys and so
on. While we sleep, the wisdom of creation tries to heal the damage caused in
body and soul during wakeful life.
About every third person in the U.S.
suffers at some time in the course of a year from insomnia and seeks help for
it. The cause is usually subtle imbalances rather than illness-related pain or
crisis-generated anxiety. Every organ system goes through typical biological
rhythms, among which the changes of day and night are especially important. One
of the main liver functions, for instance, is assimilation, the building
up of new substances like sugars,
essential fats and proteins. This phase becomes predominant in the evening and
beyond midnight. During deep sleep, the assimilation phase turns into a phase
of elimination, breaking down old substances to be detoxified and excreted
through the bile. The latter phase prevails during the second, dream-rich part
of sleep, and extends into awakening and the active morning hours.
We are unaware of the subtle turning
point between the two phases of liver function at about 3AM, unless it is
pushed out of balance by mistakes in nutrition. Therefore, for a patient, who
typically wakes up between 2 and 4 o’clock in the morning, it is helpful to
have a light supper earlier in the evening without alcohol and to use herbal or
homeopathic remedies to support the liver’s function. Similarly, imbalances of
other organs need to be considered as causes of poor sleep.
Among different life rhythms, heart
beat, blood pressure, fluid elimination, digestion are closely dependent on our
daily lifestyle. The answer to imbalances is not an escape from contemporary
life and its obligations, but lies rather in improving eating habits, exercise,
and timing of sleep. Also, stress reduction is a major challenge that may
require professional help and careful inclusion of balancing activities.
Invaluable support comes from, music, eurythmy and artistic work.
Knowing about the spiritual essence of
sleep, we can try to build up an activity that strengthens our inner
equilibrium, such as the evening retrospect meditation, In it, we picture hour
by hour in backward sequence the experiences of the day. This exercise reveals
a wealth of otherwise lost memory images and helps to bring about a sense of
inner reflection, gratitude and peace. This retrospect meditation not only
prepares us for good sleep, but it can become a modest part of the restorative
work the wisdom of sleep-life accomplishes every night for us.
A healing science of sleep is one that
encompasses the life of body, soul and spirit. Our homework in studying it is
to try to balance our own lives. ‡
Bryophyllum Mercurio cultum w
Wirkt bei Schlaflosigkeit durch Gedankenandrang
Ars.:
Key Symptoms: Always anxious and restless. Anxiety, fear, or worry prevents sleep. Frequent starting or jumping
which wakens from sleep. Sleepless from physical exertion.
<: after midnight; >: warmth/warm drinks (little sips at a time);
Disturbed, anxious and restless sleep. Lying awake with restlessness,
tossing and turning. Cannot lie still in bed – has to get up and wander around
from restlessness. Going from bed to bed to try and sleep. Can only sleep with
head raised. Hard to fall asleep after waking.
can not sleep due to worry and fear
Bryo.: Sleepy, tired and cannot sleep caused by to many thoughts
Coff.: Key Symptoms: well known for producing sleeplessness (not always)
but because of homeopathy’s ‘like treats like’ effect, it will relieve insomnia
when given in crude, or especially homeopathic form.
The type of symptoms it relieves are those produced by coffee. They are:
sleeplessness from rapid thoughts or an active mind; constant flow of ideas;
physical restlessness; nervous energy; excitement. Can also be used to
counteract the effects of a caffeinated product that has been taken too close
to bed-time. <: suprises/strong emotions/narcotics;
Unable to sleep from the excitement of a surprise, or good or bad news.
Palpitation with sleeplessness. Waking with every sound. Waking from frequent
starting. Sleeplessness from an itching anus.
Minor pains seems intolerable.
Gels.: Key Symptoms: Sleepless from anticipatory
anxiety. Dull, drowsy mind – hard to think yet difficult to go to sleep.
Insomnia from exhaustion. Hard to get fully asleep. Worse for: bad news;
thinking about problems.
Yawning with tiredness. Sleeplessness with teething. Sleeplessness from
itching on head, face, neck, and shoulders. Sleeplessness during delirium
tremens (withdrawal from alcohol).
Ign.: Key Symptoms: Intense, repeated yawning or frequent sighing.
Sleeplessness from a recent disappointment or grief. Grieving.
Waking - easily from sleep/from the jerking of a limb. Itching of arms
with yawning. Yawning produces tears in the eyes or threatens to dislocate jaw.
<: Coffee;
dispute, anger, disappointment, sorrows cannot be solved at daytime
Lyc.: Key Symptoms: Waking from hunger – must get
up and eat. Restless sleep and anxious dreams with frequent waking. Feeling
unrefreshed in morning.
Unable to get comfortable in any position. Falling asleep late and
waking early. Sleepy all day and sleepless at night from an active mind.
Children who sleep all day and cry all night. Child wakes terrified with
screaming – seems not to recognise anyone (sleep terrors).
Nux-v.: Key Symptoms: Frequent yawning. Irritability from loss of sleep.
Falling asleep before normal bedtime and then waking at 3 – 4 h. Waking at 3 –
4 h with alert and active mind and then falling asleep as daylight approaches
only to then wake with difficulty, feeling tired, weak, and not wanting to get
up. <: stimulants and narcotics
Sleeplessness from the excessive consumption of coffee, alcohol, or
drugs (therapeutic or recreational). Tendency to lie on back with arms under
head. Sleeplessness from mental strain and stress or excessive study. Drowsy
after meals an in early evening. Grogginess on waking in morning. Weeping and
talking in sleep.
Passi.: Key Symptoms: Restless, exhaustion, and
sleeplessness.
Restless sleeplessness from excessive work. Sleeplessness with exhaustion.
Insomnia of infants and the aged. Convulsions with sleeplessness.
Other Comments: Has a long history of use in herbal medicine where its
homeopathic effect in the treatment of insomnia has also been exploited. It is
effective in either herbal doses or homeopathic potencies.
Phos.: Key Symptoms: Short naps with frequent waking. Frequent waking from
feeling too hot. Sleeplessness from excitement or anxiety.
Sleeplessness in old people. Sleepless before midnight. Sleepy all day,
sleepless and restless at night. Sleepless with sensation of bubbling in blood.
<: lying on left side;
Sulph.: Key Symptoms: Waking between 2 – 5 h. and unable to go back to
sleep. Difficulty in falling asleep from itchiness of skin or perspiration.
Drowsy by day and sleepless at night. <: becoming hot/atmospheric changes.
Wakes up singing from happy dreams. Waking at night from a rush of blood to the
head. Sudden waking from sleep. Constant flow of thoughts that prevent sleep.
Sleep disturbed by headache. >: dry/warm weather;
Borx.: Conflict: something cannot be
said, because it is too disgusting and has hurt (emotions)
Bry.: an uneasy or disgusting experience had been “swallowed” and could
not be spoken about.
Cycl.: guilty feelings about one´s mistake.
Hyos.: great jealousy, cannot speak about it at
daytime
Stann-met.: sexual conflicts (feels rejected),
disharmonious partnership cannot be cleared up at daytime.
[Lia Bello]
Insomnia can be helped by Coff. for alertness when it is time for sleep
because they are wired and upset.
Hylands combination remedies:
“Calms” [Ingredients: Aven. (stress, nervousness) + Cham. (nervous
irritability) + Lup. (occasional sleeplessness) + Passi. (restless sleep from
exhaustion)]
“Calms Forte”[Ingredients: Pass. (restless or wakeful sleep from
exhaustion) + Aven. (stress, nervousness or nervous headache) + Lup.
(drowsiness with incomplete sleep) + Cham. (nervous irritability) + Calc-p. +
Ferr-p. + Kali-p. + Nat-p. + Mag-p.]
HOMOEOPATHIC SIMILLIMUM TREATMENT of SECONDARY INSOMNIA in PERI- and
POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
Pellow (2002) conducted a qualitative study which examined the efficacy
of the homoeopathic simillimum approach in the treatment of secondary insomnia
in peri- and postmenopausal women.
Homoeopathic remedies were prescribed in LM potency, taken once daily,
and the patient’s progress was noted over the 3 month duration of the trial.
This consisted of an initial consultation and 6 Follow-Up consultations
at 2 week intervals.
According to the study, homoeopathic simillimum treatment helped
decrease fatigue and sleepiness in varying degrees in each subject and improved
the subjects’ perception of the quality of their sleep. This study produced
positive results although there were potential methodological flaws present. It
was not a double-blind-placebo-controlled study and the sample size of the
study was
small (n =10).
LM potencies used, may have been restrictive.
Each participant was asked to success the bottle each day before taking
a dose, giving the bottle eight hard blows against the palm of the hand.
One teaspoon of the remedy was then stirred into 100ml of water and
taken once a day. The use of this method of administration of the remedy may
have led to difficulties with compliance.
Unrestricted simillimum studies, however, would allow for the use of
remedies in any potency, including LM potencies.
In cases where the remedy’s action appeared to aggravate the insomnia,
participants were advised, by Pellow, to stop taking the remedy until the
aggravation had passed. In cases where the participants were not
responding adequately to the remedy, as reported by the participant and
perceived by the researcher, they were advised to increase the frequency of the
dose.
This results in significant inconsistencies in treatment administration
in the study.
Participants using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were not excluded,
as subjects with insomnia despite HRT were considered suitable, by the
researcher, for the study.
Oestrogen has powerful effects on several biological factors that
directly influence sleep, including body temperature regulation and circadian
rhythms. Oestrogen therapy most likely improves sleep as it alleviates
vasomotor symptoms (Moe, 1999).
Boyle and Murrihy (2001), reported that women who use HRT have decreased
anxiety, less insomnia and fewer somatic symptoms.
Therefore, it is difficult to assess whether the homoeopathic treatment
or a combination of the homoeopathic treatment and HRT was effective in
alleviating secondary insomnia in the study.
The study made use of the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) (Hoddes,
Zarcone, Smythe, Phillips and Dement, 1973) and a Sleep Diary.
The SSS was used to determine each participant’s subjective assessment
of sleepiness in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening every day for the
duration of the study. The scale consists of seven statements that range from
being wide awake and alert to being almost in a state of sleep (Hoddes, et
al.1973). Participants were asked to record the number between one and seven
that best described their level of sleepiness.
A Sleep Diary provided an indication of perceived total sleep time per
night and number of nightly awakenings. The information given in each
questionnaire was evaluated and was used together with information
obtained at each consultation to compile a descriptive study of individual
cases. There was no use of statistical analysis of the SSS and Sleep Diary
readings,
which would have expanded the subjective perceptions of the improved
quality of sleep following homoeopathic intervention.
According to Neuman (2000: 418), qualitative data analysis is less
standardized.
The wide variety in possible approaches to qualitative research is
matched by the many approaches to data analysis. Quantitative researchers, on
the other hand, choose from a standardized set of data analysis techniques.
Quantitative analysis is highly developed and builds on applied
mathematics (Neuman, 2000: 418).
Due to the paucity of quantitative, double-blind-placebo-controlled
clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum in the
treatment of chronic primary insomnia; there is a need for further studies.
THE EFFECT OF AVENA SATIVA COMP®, A HOMOEOPATHIC COMPLEX REMEDY, ON
SUBJECTIVE SLEEP MEASURES IN SUFFERERS OF SECONDARY INSOMNIA
Roohani (1997) showed that Avena Sativa Comp® decreased fatigue and
evening sleepiness and improved subjective perception of sleep quality in
self-diagnosed secondary insomniacs.
Avena Sativa Comp® is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company,
PharmaNatura (Pty) Ltd and comes in 100ml dropper bottles:
Avena sativa (Ø) 25 ml
Humulus lupulus D 1 4 ml
Passiflora incarnate (Ø) 7,5 ml
Valeriana officinalis (Ø 30 ml
Coffea tosta D60 15 ml
Nominal Ethanol content 45% v/v
Ten male subjects complaining of secondary insomnia formed the sample
group.
They underwent a 14 day screening period, during which time they
completed questionnaires relating to sleep.
The measurement tools used included a Sleep Diary, a Profile of Mood
States (POMS) (McNair, Lorr and Droppelman, 1971: 27) form to assess
psychological status, and an assessment of day-time sleepiness using the
Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) (Hoddes, et al.1973).
Analogue scales were used to indicate the subjective assessments of
quality of the previous nights sleep (morning form) and to give an indication
of the subject’s anxiety levels during the day (evening form).
Each participant was required to complete a Sleep Diary for the duration
of the study, to provide an indication of total sleep time per night and the
number of nightly awakenings. The POMS (McNair, Lorr and Droppelman, 1971: 27)
was used to determine the mood states of the subjects, including tension -
anxiety, depression - dejection, anger - hostility, vigour, fatigue and
confusion - bewilderment. Scores were
determined for each scale of the POMS questionnaire using the POMS
scoring system.
The SSS (Hoddes, et al. 1973) was used to determine daily subjective
assessments of sleepiness in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening for
the 42 days of the study.
Participants were admitted to the study provided they had a minimum of
four sleep deprived nights in the 14 day screening period. There
after the participants entered a double-blind crossover trial when the
homoeopathic complex or placebo was administered nightly, for 14 days.
Statistical analysis using Instat, Instant Statistics, Sandiego,
California, Version 2.0. was conducted using all measurement tools.
The Friedman test, combined with the Dunn’s statistical test to identify
the origin of significance were used.
Significance was set at p≤ 0.05.
The study concluded that
Avena Sativa Comp® helped decrease fatigue (p<0.0001) and evening
sleepiness, and improved the subject’s perception of the quality of their
sleep.
This study produced positive results although there were potential
methodological flaws present. Expansion of the sample size, as well as the
inclusion of females into the study may have further validated the results.
The placebo and treatment was administered by placing ten drops in
½ glass of water after supper in the evening and just before going to
bed. Participants could also take the medication if they awoke during the
night. They were requested to record this information
in their Sleep Diary. This results in significant inconsistencies in
treatment administration in the study.
According to Lavery (1997: 28 – 36), there are many causes of secondary
insomnia.
Including:
MEDICAL CAUSES such as: Non-prescription drugs e.g. caffeine, nicotine
and „diet pills’
Prescription drugs e.g. Ritalin®, Ventolin®, Cardioquin® and Cylert®
MEDICAL CONDITIONS:
Pain from any source or cause
Thyrotoxicosis
Dyspnoea from any cause
Drug or alcohol intoxication or withdrawal
Depression
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Mania or hypomania
The sample group in Roohani’s study may not have been a homogenous group
due to the various causes of secondary insomnia.
Although the findings of the study were positive, the administration of
complex homoeopathic remedies is in conflict with the principle of single
remedy prescription (Kayne, 1997: 27).
It is not necessary, and therefore not permissible to administer more
than one, single homoeopathic medicinal substance to a patient (Vithoulkas,
1998: 217).
All drug pictures in the material medica have been determined on this
basis. Provings have not been carried out on complexes of remedies and it is
not known how and if remedies interact
(Kayne, 1997: 28).
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum