This is what I do when I can’t sleep. It works really well and I am reluctant to add anything else to this formula.
Take B6
B6 modulates the nervous system and promotes relaxation. It helps your body convert food into fuel and converts tryptophan into serotonin. A lack of B6 may result in insomnia. Take the active form, P5P, which has already been converted into a coenzyme.
It’s not as easy to find, but much easier for the body to metabolize. Take 50mg-100mg an hour before bed. AOR is a fantastic brand and one of the only ones that makes a P5P-only supplement.
Take Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is common with chronic infections. Some claim that Lyme leeches magnesium, leaving us depleted. Some even say to remove magnesium from the diet to starve the Lyme. I did this for a while when I first got Lyme Disease. It’s hard to say if it helped. But without magnesium, mitochondria don’t function properly, shaking occurs, even seizures. Magnesium calms the nerves. It also lowers stomach acidity, so take it away from food, as you want acidity increase when eating. The dosage depends on your body.
Take Melatonin
Take melatonin an hour before bed. It works wonders for putting and keeping people asleep. It can extend life in cancer patients according to cancer.org. I take 0.5mg; more doesn’t seem to do much for me but people take anywhere between 0.2mg and 20mg or more for its antioxidant effects. Start low. Side effects include low body temperature and vivid dreams. Melatonin has not been tested for interactions with many medications, and not many long term studies on side effects exist. Foods like dairy and rice can also increase melatonin production.
Turn off the lights
Light messes with the circadian rhythm. It stunts the release of melatonin in the pineal gland, causing restlessness. Turn off the computer by 8pm to give your body a few hours to produce this hormone. If you can’t go that long without looking at a screen try melatonin glasses, which remove blue light and help melatonin production despite our technological addictions.
Unplug everything close to where you sleep
I don’t know much about EMF or if this is a placebo effect, but since I’ve been doing this I sleep much better.
Be itch-free
Co-infections like Babesia can make people very itchy, especially at night. If you have a feeling this will happen, shower and put a moisturizer on your skin that you find soothing. I put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in a moisturizer specifically for this reason.
Take a hot bath
This helps make the body temperature consistent throughout, something people take for granted who don’t have cool hands and feet and hot flashes going on all at once. It also raises your body temperature, which, besides helping with immunity and detoxing, sets you up for a good sleep. This is because when you get out of the bath your body temperature drops suddenly and that signals your body to sleep.
So this is what I do if I can’t sleep. Share this if you like!
Update: Do NOT get hooked on ZzzQuil like I did. It works so well…TOO well and I developed a bad habit of taking this to knock myself out. Just thinking about having Lyme Disease can stress me out sometimes to the point where I wake up in the middle of the night with worry. I think the milder supplementations combined with a daily de-stressing habit such as yoga or meditation is much better as a long term option!
Update: I found this supplement