Treat Insomnia Naturally

Insomnia is the bane of modern society. Since the introduction of the electric light over one hundred years ago, nearly half of the world is lit up at night. Artificial light disturbs natural circadian rhythms.

The pineal gland produces the sleep hormone—melatonin—only in the dark. Without adequate melatonin production, sleep is disturbed, hormones become imbalanced, and the ability to fight dis-ease is diminished.

The pineal gland, located in the center of the brain, is associated with the crown chakra. Light energy affects pineal production of melatonin. Cells located in our skin called chromocytes carry light wave information to the pineal gland. At dawn, the daylight is a blue wave which stimulates chromocytes to turn off the pineal gland. At dusk, the pink light of sunset blocks the blue rays and the pineal gland begins producing melatonin.

Melatonin production peaks about three hours after dark and lasts eight to nine hours in adults, longer in children. At dawn, the drop of melatonin arouses the hypothalamus. Located deep in the brain at the level of the sixth chakra, the hypothalamus controls all vital body functions including temperature, weight, libido, hormones, stress response, the immune system and directs the cascade of amino acids that form neurotransmitters. The hypothalamus is truly the maestro of the body's biochemical orchestra.

Once the hypothalamus wakes up, it needs glucose, so it stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol which releases stored sugar. Cortisol stimulates the production of dopamine which is the neurotransmitter of alertness, memory and learning. Dopamine follows natural cortisol rhythms, remaining elevated until mid afternoon. Schools capitalize on the natural circadian rhythm of the learning hormone by teaching children from 8am to 3pm. The late afternoon slump that makes many of us reach for sugar and caffeine is a reflection of this natural drop in cortisol and dopamine.

Prolactin is another extremely important nocturnal hormone. Released by the pituitary gland, prolactin is very high in pregnant and nursing mothers—its name refers to promoting lactation. Produced by all ages and both genders, prolactin stimulates the thymus to program the natural killer cells that keep our bodies free of foreign invaders and cancer.  Without sleep, we are prone to disease as our immune systems weaken. Prolactin rises three hours after melatonin and is turned off by dopamine.

In the morning, melatonin cascades into serotonin. A calming hormone, serotonin controls our impulses. And the more serotonin made during the day the more melatonin at night.

You can create a natural circadian rhythm by rising with the sun and exercise early in the day.  Exercise promotes cortisol production thus increasing dopamine, the active daytime hormones. Released in response to both physical and emotional stressors, cortisol fuels our bodies for flight away from potential danger.  Dopamine and cortisol can prevent the cascade of serotonin back into melatonin in the evening so beware of exercising within a few hours of bedtime.

Insomnia is often at the root of many dis-eases. Cancer, obesity, immune dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, even heart disease have been associated with sleep disorders. Although sleep medications are available as temporary relief, they do not promote normal nocturnal hormone production.

I really did not appreciate how the hypothalamus affects our sleep cycles until I began taking Sacred Seven®.

You see, I suffered from somnambulance—sleep walking—for eighteen years. Rarely did I get a restful night's sleep. Most nights I slept less than four or five hours. Many times I found myself outside clutching a pillow. Kind of scary and definitely not good for my health. I managed my days by running on fumes, exercising obsessively, and eating way too much sugar.

Then I began taking SacredSeven® amino acids and within a month, I began sleeping through the night and my sugar cravings stopped. In fact for the first three months, I slept over ten hours a night—my body trying to catch up with years of lack of sleep.

Balancing the hypothalamus takes time to reset the circadian rhythm, so Sacred Seven® is not an immediate sleep aide, but instead gets to the core issue, balancing the brain chemistry, restoring optimal hypothalamic functioning, and, in time, deepening and lengthening the sleep cycles.

GenesisGold® has the Sacred Seven® amino acids in it to balance the hypothalamus and restore normal circadian rhythm, yet it takes a bit longer, so extra Sacred Seven® may be needed for chronic insomnia.

Sweet Dreams...

Natural Remedies for Insomnia Don't miss the sunset. Remember the pink light of dusk induces melatonin production. Don't watch television or work on the computer after dark. The blue light from these screens acts like dawn and shuts down melatonin production. If you must expose yourself to blue light wear pink tinted glasses while watching television or doing computer work at night. Try eating tryptophan enriched foods in the evening. Tryptophan is the amino acid needed to convert serotonin into melatonin. Sleep inducing foods include: whole grains, nut butters, bananas, grapefruit, dates, figs, yogurt, turkey and tuna.  Heavy protein foods are not recommended before retiring for the night. Be sure to sleep in complete darkness. A cool, very dark room helps the pineal gland produce melatonin. Deepen sleep with soothing sound like water or other night sounds. In the morning, arise with natural sunlight. Help melatonin cascade into serotonin by eating complex carbs and getting at least 20 minutes of sun exposure. Exercise moderately about 30 minutes of aerobic activity early in the day. Sacred Seven® amino acids balance circadian rhythm by supporting optimal hypothalamic functioning which helps with insomnia.

Sacred Seven amino acids formulated to optimize hypothalamic function and restore normal circadian rhythm

Why I became a Hormone Expert...

Everyone has a story: why they do what they do, how they became who they are in the world. And I have mine.

In 1984, I gave birth to a premature baby who stumped expert endocrinologists with numerous hormonal challenges. Defying medical advice, I orchestrated the care of my firstborn by learning everything I could about how hormones affect developmental behavior. My intuition proved correct—our healthy son is now a beloved teacher. In spite of my traditional training as a nurse practitioner, what I learned as a patient and a parent sparked an expertise in holistic neuro-immune-endocrinology, the interface, I believe, between the bio-physical and the psycho-spiritual being.

Through my own bio-psycho-spiritual journey, I evolved into an intuitive healer capable of honing in on the biochemical interconnections of human physiology and relating them to symbolic imbalances as lessons on a patient’s soul path. Spiritual gurus, psychological geniuses, and fully grounded but very ill patients from around the world presented themselves to gain insight on the wellbeing of their physical forms. Yet, I learned the most from the children.

In 1988, my daughter was born beautifully whole and much more work than my premature son. Although developmentally advanced, speaking by six months and reading at three, he struggled in his body, while she delighted in her humanness. Forcing us all to stay awake, she candidly shared her interdimensional experiences, in constant communication with my dead grandmother, so connected to her father that at any distance she knew what he was feeling, claiming with innocent assurance that they had been father and daughter in a past life, and like I did as a child, could lay her hands on someone and “know” what ailed them. 

Meanwhile, my son struggled in school and at eight, asked to see a “brain doctor.” The psychologist insisted that with his intense brilliance, he could not have attention deficit disorder, but my son insisted on being tested with the “video game.” The psychologist was floored. How could a child know about the newly developed computer program used to differentiate learning disabilities? I just shrugged; his uncanny knowingness was part of our life. When my son agreed to submit to traditional therapeutics, “only, Mommy, if I do not lose my dreams,” again, I was challenged to find a natural solution to his dilemma. Of course, the universe presented lots of opportunities for growth as pediatric patients were brought to me by their parents.

After much research, I began treating my autistic and learning disabled patients nutritionally. While gladly mixing the “brew,” squeezing oil from capsules, carefully measuring powders, their parents asked me to create something easier. So by 1998, and after many exhaustive but futile attempts at finding the nutritional connection between genetics and the hypothalamic orchestration of the neuro-immune-endocrine system, I surrendered to the advice of my children and prayed. 

Every night for three months, I had the same dream in which my most hormonally challenged patients came to drink from a chalice I held. We never spoke, but intuitively I knew they were better. I awoke every morning asking what was the golden liquid in the cup. The first answer came as seven letters, I thought were Hebrew, but later found were Aramaic. Amazingly they translated into the same single letter denotations used for the seven amino acids I had been studying related to the hypothalamus. 

And that’s how my nutraceutical formula, GenesisGold®, was born.

Keep Hormones in Harmony with Genesis Gold!