Sleepless in Lafayette

The term insomnia comes from the root word “somnia” which can be defined as “like sleep”, so insomnia is the inverse of sleep. Insomnia can be further described as difficulty in initiating and/or maintaining sleep, and those suffering from insomnia generally experience one or the other, if not both, of these symptoms.

It is important to rule out the cause of insomnia in order to best treat the origin of the problem. It can be important to be evaluated for primary sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy or periodic limb movements during sleep (a variation of restless leg syndrome). It may even be necessary to be evaluated in a sleep disorders center for one of these disorders.

There are also secondary sleep disorders which means that the insomnia may be caused by a particular medical phenomenon, environmental issue, or transitional hormonal irregularity such as a thyroid disorder or menopause. One of the main complaints of menopause are flushes of heat that may occur during the daytime, nighttime or both. In addition, some women may have alternating chills or sweating that can cause waking during the night.

Once the cause of the insomnia is identified, treatment can be relatively straightforward. For example, progesterone has a hypnotic or sedative effect on the body and I use it frequently to help with sleep. In addition, very low dose vaginal estriol can be used to eliminate hot flushes, without significant systemic absorption, thus clearing a symptom that can interfere with sleep. Chinese herbs and homeopathic remedies work very well for unwanted menopausal symptoms when estrogen replacements therapy is not desirable or medically contraindicated.

I occasionally supplement people with a combination of L-Tryptophan and melatonin to aid sleep. L-Tryptophan is converted to serotonin then into melatonin, and when used together they work synergistically. Besides having properties that help with sleep onset and maintenance, melatonin has other properties, which boost the immune system and in some cases even lower blood pressure.

Dr. Schwaiger has over 30 years of health care experience, including 13 years as a sleep technologist. He was director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Paradise valley Hospital in Phoenix Arizona prior to becoming a naturopathic physician. Call today for a free 15-minute informational interview.