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62 Comments
- DisposableRob, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18As the saying goes, "When alternative medicine is shown to work under controlled tests, it is called medicine".
- templest, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17I use medicine to get to sleep after a hard day...
It's called marijuana...
... and it ***** works. - wibblewibble, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Also, shower or bath relax before bed with fresh clean sheets and check the temperature of the room. Those all add up to making a great nights sleep without disturbances and when you wake up, GET UP, up with the early sun is also good as you get sunlight in your eyes which helps also to get you in sync. We are affected by light too. If you sleep on after waking up, you end up more tired. In short, the old medicnes and practices are the best. Not this new fangled techie fancy pants *****. Back to basics is so very true. Early to bed early to rise etc :)
- wibblewibble, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5heh but unfortunately for too many people sleep diorders and cronic fatague is no laughing matter ( Im very aware of this ). It can get so severe it DESTROYS your life and those around you. No joke. I had at one point literally physically crawled upside down on a soffa and my bed in pain and agony with crippling headaches that would knock out an elephant. I was in emergency rooms in agony yet they found nothing wrong because it is not something you can test for with blood tests (they did this with me as the usual tests). I was in and out of doctors and all they offered was sleeping pills or anxiety pills.
I cannot stress it enough, do not skimp on your health, its the best investment you can ever make for you and your family. I for one learnt a very very important lesson in life and do not hessitate to pass that on to others. Too many people suffer from this due to the society we live in and it has to change. Thats why I am a great believer in work laws in Europe to have a maximum working week etc and dont mind paying high taxes (over 50% for my income and 25% on shopping etc) because I see it as investing in my and my famlies health. - gl00pp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Just smoke a little cronic before bed and jack off twice.
you'll sleep like the dickens - stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It really depends on whether one is abusing it. If one sleeps because one is relaxed and uninhibited from a little drink, then alcohol is an effective alternative sleep aid. When it is overconsumed to the point of anesthesia, it is not.
- fun4stuff, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7The problem with these alternative meds is that few studies have been done to see how they work. They could have potentially negative effects on the body over a number of years. Also, they may have interactions with other medications you are taking (blood pressure meds, anti-depressants, cholesterol, etc). It is probably best to check with your doctor and let them know that you are taking these alternative meds.
Research has indicated that moderate exercise & and elmination of mid-day naps are the best remedy for insomnia. Also, try setting a regular sleep schedule. Hot showers before bed always work to relax me! - CurtHowland, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5What, a glass of wine isn't "alternative" enough?
- metacoola, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10Yeah natural medicine is great,especially those cherokee hair tampons, nothing is more absorbant than cherokee hair.
- devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4DisposableRob has it right. If it were effective under controlled circumstances, it would be called "medicine" - and not sold at the same store as magnet bracelets and crystal cures. Now, if they're talking about eating a banana and stretching before bed, that's not so much "alternative medicine" as "natural remedy"... which I think is a meaningful distinction. Eating carbohydrates without protein, bananas especially, can raise seratonin levels, and stretching can do so too, in addition to preventing charlie horses and such. But still, doing these things before bed doesn't really count as medicine.
- doctechnical, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Laugh if you will, but what puts me to sleep fastest is a purring cat on my pillow.
I've always wondered why the don't include that sound in those "sound soother" things.
Meow! - HellifIno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4No, entirely different. Do some exploration.
Nice thing about beliefs, they can often be changed by exposure to facts. : ) - wibblewibble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I used to work 13.5 hours shifts and studied at Uni too. I changed my job after finishing my Uni. I even moved country to one with better working hours and conditions (seriously) and am now moved again to one with even better conditions (higher taxes but even better living standards).
If you are not prepared to change your lifestyle then you wont get anywhere. I still have sleep disorders but not on the scale I had before. It even got so bad I had SEVERE crippling headaches and to the point people thought I was drunk because I was totally not with it due to cronic fatague. Ive been through HELL with sleep disorders and experienced it first hand even demanding MRI scans the lot but in fact it boiled down to my lifestyle. Change or suffer. I changed and never put my work before my health. When you get sick, the one thing I learnt (the hard way) is nobody at work gives a *****.
Invest in your health. - eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Excuse me? Bits of plants contain chemical compounds. These can react adversely with medications. Unless you're a biochemist, who are you to say it isn't likely?
- stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5“Beeer... Is there any problem it doesn’t solve?”
~ Homer Simpson - stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Very true. If patient thinks doctor knows/cares about alternative medicine, dialog becomes not only possible, but probable.
Also working against the patient is US legislation against alternative medicines which was shoved through the legislature by the pharmaceutical industry during the 90s specifically to protect their profitable anti-depressants from competition by the popular anti-depressant herb St. John’s wort. They sought an outright ban, but this is the compromise they got: The law prevents the label of any herbal supplement from claiming the content does anything specific. One may buy a blend of herbs that is labeled “Liver Tonic,” and has a list of ingredients, but that is all it is allowed to tell you. Well, suppose in that blend are two potent bile inducing herbs, but the label cannot state that property. They are indeed good for a healthy person’s liver, but would likely precipitate a medical emergency for a person with gallstones. Even if their doctor had cautioned them against using bile inducing supplements, how would they have known that is what they were taking? - stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Alternative medicine offers some effective treatments for insomnia, but it’s not a panacea.
For ordinary people, the rule of thumb is to identify and deal with the root of problems in their lives. Alternative medicine should only be brought in as a next-to-last resort (the last being pharmacology). If a drug/herb is keeping you up at night (ie. caffeine), then you ought to cut back on it to the necessary degree. If you are up late because you are sedentary and your body is restless, then exercise (not later than 6 hrs before bedtime) is your solution. Are you undersexed? That one is a no-brainer, you know what to do about that. Anxiety? Then you will have to find ways to identify and resolve conflicts in your life.
Obviously, people who are under a doctor’s care can be, and usually are, exceptions to all this. Special health concerns often prohibit the common sense remedy, and last resort options can easily become the only available for such people. Example: While marijuana is a wonderful herb, one should not need it to get to sleep. But, for someone being kept up by discomfort caused by cancer treatment, it is the perfect solution for such insomnia. - Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Yes, "Herb" works wonders for insomnia and stress!
But we knew this ages ago. :wink: :wink: :) - Matt-lars, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9If I ever have a problem getting to sleep, I just use marijuana. Bury this if you will but those who smoke know it's a lot easier getting to sleep with just a tiny high. I don't need pills to help me..
- Tynan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"Alternative medicine use was more common among younger people, and among more educated individuals."... or people with money to waste on capsules full of ground weeds.
- HellifIno, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@wibble
.. and this helps me HOW? I work graveyard. My shift ends at 6am. Circadian values state that I SHOULD be waking up w/ the rising sun. And guess what? I DO! And it sucks ass.
I'd LOVE to be able to get off work and go to sleep. I can't. I'm "waking up" just as I get off work. (not saying I'm asleep at work, just that the morning forces waking). - WaterDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3^..^
- HellifIno, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6While you MAY be right, you have no idea of the "alternatives" used by the tested individuals. Thusly your comment was made in ignorance, though I smell a small bit of prejudice there as well.
- Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Accursed demon rum! You knaves will enjoy no sleep whilst gripped in its foul embrace, i'sooth! Only the righteous sleep blissfully, I wot.
- yeahbuddy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3lol
- YoungBrews, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2 He who drinks beer sleeps well. he who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven. Amen.
Unknown monk - Klowner, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Sounds like sooomebody needs a nap.
- maiku00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i cant breath, i wish i could dig you a thousand times
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4You do realize that many modern medicines originated in natural products, right?
- Foobartacus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I use alternative medicine to get to sleep occasionally: it's called alcohol.
- HellifIno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Responding just to the melatonin comment:
Melatonin has proven to boost restful sleep ONLY in people who were trying to sleep while the sun is up. Trying to get restful sleep while the sun is down? Melatonin isn't for you.
As to the other stuff, dude! Yer doctor gives you anything you ask for? O.o - yeahbuddy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Melatonin seemed to work fine for me for a while...then I couldn't wake up in the morning...felt groggy. I switched back to Ambien CR. Works great. I also tried Lunesta...leaves a bad taste in your mouth and it's impossible to wake up. Rozerum made me wake up in the middle of the night and felt groggy as hell the entire next day.
Ambien CR or the occasional Melatonin works for me. - Animal, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4So this analysis of some survey data shows that a rather small percentage of people with sleeping problems use alternative medicine to TRY and help relieve those problems, but it lumps that together with complementary medicine (which is really just using both alternative AND conventional medicine).
So how does this show the effectiveness of alternative medicine at all? There's nothing in this article about how effectively these solutions are for the people that are using them, and at best it shows some loose anecdotal evidence.
I know the article isn't claiming proof and acutally suggests more research which is rarely bad. But I think everyone should think about the next time they are about to drop cold hard cash on some BS alternative placebo. - Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I'd rather not fill the pockets of the pharmaceutical companys by buying their drugs when i have something that works perfectly well already, and is organic. :)
- Aliarse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I dont think were saying we need maryjane to get to sleep all the time, but me personally, if im suffering from the odd bout of bad insomnia i get now and again (literally can go days without feeling the need to sleep), it does work extremely well at helping you drop off, with no side effects occuring in the morning.
Its there already and i know it works, i dont see the need to bother using anything else when i have it and i know exactly whats in it due to it being grown by me.
Doesnt matter what you use, aslong as you're happy with it and it does what you want it to do, get you to sleep! - raz3000, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9Moderm medicine is simply not very good at treating sleep disorders except through powerful and addicting sedatives. Alternative medicine seems really good in such a scenario.
- leva, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Work harder, that's a good way to pass out after work. I've only had this problem once, when I was out of a job. I can barely talk after being up 17 hours, I don't get how people can have sleep problems, especially after work. Like the person above said, just exercise hard. I also used to work night shifts, but I still fell asleep from being so damn tired. Either I'm really weak and lazy, or you're the lazy one.
I like the second one..... Go construction workers!!! - wired4u, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Just smoke pot, it will knock you right out.
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That's what I was thinking. I had problems staying asleep so I have a beer before I go to bed, it works wonders.
- HellifIno, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually, alcohol doesn't help you sleep. It helps you pass out. Alcohol-induced sleep is not real sleep at all. Even at low blood/alcohol levels. You will not get any rest from alcoholic sleep until alcohol is no longer a part of the sleep.
- bloqmon, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5i've just had one of the best nights of sleep i've had in a long while thanks to some mj
- maiku00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great post, more people should understand that masking the symptoms does not solve the problem. But of course, nothing is black and white.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I had some problems with getting a good night sleep, and getting plenty of vigorous exercise early in the day helped me feel naturally tired before bedtime. Here is an article on getting a better sleep:
http://projectririan.blogspot.com/2006/08/11-ways-to-sleep-better.html - wibblewibble, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5-HTP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffonia_simplicifolia
I used this and it does work but sometimes I get wakeups due to probably the wrong dose just like if you have the wrong strengh of sleeping tablet you wake up but cant move feeling.
Best way to sleep, a clear unworried mind and a good pillow like Tempur http://www.tempur.com/ - AlbinoRaven, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My favorite alternative sleep remedy is excercise and a good diet.
- GlassAgate, on 09/18/2008, -0/+1Placebos?
I figure that this article has long been abandoned, but my comment stands. - stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Better make damn sure about the parasites first though. ;^)
- rmtatum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The simplest solution is to take a pinch of salt (preferably sea salt) and put it on your tongue followed by consuming some water (usually about 8 ounces, depending on your water intake for the day). Water (not soda, tea, or fruit juices) is the simplest way to cure many of our modern ailments. For more information see http://watercure.com .
P.S. - Spring water is always best. - Zybisco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0One of my biggest problems was getting up after a bad night's sleep. I didn't hear the alarm at all. Oversleeping then caused the same problem the next night.
I can't say I found a cure but did get some relief when I found http://TelePixie.com It's a free wake up call service. Seems I hear the phone. Must be a psychological thing. Anyway, waking up at a regular time helps a lot. - Humzaseo, on 06/09/2008, -0/+0no doubt herbal medicines has been used widely now a days because of their many plus points. not only in sleep disorder but in skin disorder , skin disorder is now great disorder of the world for the proof of my suggestion one can visit any vitiligo site like http://www.antivitiligo.com/, Vitiligo.net and Vitiligo.org
According to them about 1 to 2% of our population is sufferin from vitiligo. and alternative treament is videly use for this skin disorder because it is cheap and easy to use. -
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