Fri, 10 Oct 2008
Insomnia
Last Monday I gave a talk on homeopathy and the treatment of insomnia to our study group. Here's the handout I prepared for the talk. Maybe someone who reads this weblog will find it useful.
Sleeping problems are an indication of a disordered mind and body. Before trying to solve them homeopathically, we should first look at our way of life and look for the cause of the disorder. We should only try homeopathy after removing the cause or if there is no apparent cause. This is consistent with what Hahnemann say in the Organon. Check for:
- Overuse of stimulants. Caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and over the counter cold or sinus medications can cause insomnia. Prescription drugs can also cause insomnia. Ask your doctor and check online.
- A change of schedule caused by job or travel. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. Melatonin may help if your schedule is suddenly disrupted.
- Stress or anxiety often causes insomnia. Exercise, relaxation techniques, and meditation can help. Do not exercise before sleep.
- Sleep apnea is often helped by losing weight.
Homeopathic treatment can be used in either acute or chronic insomnia. Insomnia is acute if it has lasted for a two weeks or less and has a clear cause. The most common causes are:
- Fright. Consider aconite if the person has been mugged, in a car accident, or in a natural disaster.
- Overexcitement. Consider coffea if the person is overexcited from good news.
- Grief. Consider ignatia if the person has recently suffered a loss.
- Drug hangover. Consider nux vomica if the person is sleepless after recently quitting drugs or alcohol.
If the problem is chronic, it should be treated constitutionally by an experienced homeopathic practitioner. Here are a few of the useful rubrics in Kent's Repertory:
- If the person is awakened by nightmares, use "Sleep, dreams, frightful" on page 1240.
- If the person cannot remain still, use "Sleep, restless" on page 1247.
- Use the rubrics under "Sleep, sleeplessness" on page 1251 if the person has trouble falling asleep.
- Use the rubrics "Sleep waking" on page 1255 if the person wakes in the night and cannot return to sleep.
The generalities and concomitants are also important in deciding the best constitutional remedy.
- Look at the time modalities in the Sleep rubrics and the Generalities section
- Check for temperature sensitivities and whether the person want the windows open or closed and why.
- Ask about physical problems such as aches and pains that may prevent sleep.
- Ask about any persistent thoughts or worries and repertorize them.
- Check the subrubrics of "Mind, anxiety" on page 6 if the person is anxious.
- Check the subrubrics of "Mind sadness" on page 75 if the insomnia is associated with depression.
- Use the rubric "Mind, starting, sleep" on page 83 if appropriate.
- Use the rubric "Mind, weeping" on page 92 if the person weeps before sleep or after waking.
