What is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a system of medicine developed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the 18th century. Hahnemann was dismayed with the medical approach of his day which included techniques such as blood letting and using poisons like arsenic and mercury. His theory, also known as the principle of similars, was that substances which caused certain negative reactions could cure those same symptoms when administered in very minute doses. His materia medica of remedies took years to compile, each remedy being tested on healthy subjects, and their effects recorded in great detail. Patients are evaluated for homeopathic treatments in a process called case taking, where everything from the patient's physical symptoms, dietary habits, sleeping habits, mood and eccentricities are documented. A homeopathic prescription, which is comprised of highly diluted substances, is customized for each individual, and not given solely to address a list of physical symptoms.
Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia, referred to as sleeplessness in the Homeopathic Materia Medica, may be caused by a number of related issues, including: stress, change in work or sleep cycles, medical conditions such as reflux, psychological disorders such as anxiety or depression, medication or substance abuse, hormone imbalance, even excessive computer use. Although conventional medical treatments are limited to a certain set of prescription medications, there are dozens of homeopathic remedies that could be used to ameliorate or relieve symptoms, depending on the individual case.
Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic remedies are customized for the individual. However, this list includes the most common remedies for insomnia, along with a description of related symptoms:
- Coffea cruda – generally used for sleeplessness associated with excitement, agitation, or an inability to fall asleep,
- Aconitum - sleeplessness associated with restlessness, interrupted sleep, or only being able to sleep for brief periods,
- Arsenicum album - also associated with restlessness, but with the addition of waking up after midnight and difficulty falling back asleep,
- Belladonna - sleeplessness associated with high fevers and perspiring during sleep,
- Nux vomica - sleeplessness due to stress or mental strain, over-medicating or substance abuse, including overuse of coffee.
Current Research
Because there is no one remedy for individual ailments, and because the simillimums are prescribed on an individual basis, it has been difficult to study homeopathy with modern scientific methods. Fortunately, current research is emerging which is beginning to validate Dr. Hahnemann's work. In a 2010 study published in “Homeopathy: the Journal of the Faculty of Homeopathy”, researchers used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of homeopathic simillimum remedies in the treatment of chronic insomnia. The homeopathic treatments were found to be more effective than the placebos, and researchers concluded that homeopathy is a viable treatment, and further study is warranted. In another study published in “Sleep Medicine” from the same year, scientists use Polysomnography diagnostics to evaluate the objective effects of taking homeopathic remedies, instead of relying only on subjective reports from patients. Their results showed that the remedies Nux Vomica and Coffea Cruda were able to increase sleep times and improve REM sleep in adult participants.
Precautions
If you suffer from insomnia or uneventful sleep, talk to your medical doctor. If trying homeopathy for the first time, it is advisable to meet with a homeopathic physician for a complete evaluation. As with prescription medication, homeopathic remedies may only address the symptomotolgy. It is important to try to determine the underlying cause of sleeplessness. A trained health care practitioner can help you assess the situation and get to the root of the problem.
References:
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy: An Introduction
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Insomnia
- “Sleep Medicine”; Effects of homeopathic medicines on polysomnographic sleep of young adults with histories of coffee-related insomnia.; I Bell, et al; July 2010
- “Homeopathy”; Chronic primary insomnia: efficacy of homeopathic simillimum; D Naude, et al; January 2010
- “Repertory of the Homeopathic Materia Medica; J Kent; 2000
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