New Series: Ask the Doctor

The Renew Yourself Blog is going to feature a new weekly post where you can ask Dr. George Cromack health related questions. If you have something you would like to ask the doctor e-mail him at drgeorgecromack[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Question: I am having trouble sleeping, is there anything I can do?

Answer:
Insomnia is often caused by excessive air element when it is in the head region. This causes the mind to race. It is important to try to reestablish a normal sleep cycle by getting to bed before 10p.m and rising by 6a.m. After 10p.m vata or the air element starts to increase and causes us to make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Massaging the feet and lower legs with warm sesame oil as well as the back of the neck and hands and forearms will also decrease the excessive air element and be soothing. Additionally one can do nasaya which is done by dipping the little finger in warm sesame oil and putting a few drops of the oil on the inside of the nose, laying down and tilting the head back and snorting the oil vigorously into the sinuses . This is soothing and has a nutty taste to it. Taking 3 mg. Of melatonin before sleep as well as 5http may also be beneficial as melatonin production is dramatically decreased by the time one reaches 50. Massaging the acupressure point heart 7 on both wrists for about 5 minutes also beneficial.

For more stubborn cases of insomnia there are two different Ayurvedic herbal combinations that work very well. The combination Deep Rest is beneficial for those having difficulty falling asleep, and the formula Blissful Sleep is beneficial for those that fall asleep then wake up in the middle of the night. These formulas are available by special request by contacting me at drgeorgecromack@hotmail.com.

Additionally I would recommend doing alternate nostril breathing for 5 minutes before retiring.The technique for doing alternate nostril breathing and pictures and instructions how to find heart 7 are available in my book Renew Yourself at RenewYourself.net.

Having a properly designed orthopedic pillow may also help. I recommend the tempurpedic pillows available on my website RenewYourself.net.

Remember, these columns are simply the opinions of Dr. Cromack and do not replace visits to your own personal physician. Always discuss health issues and any changes you make in your diet, supplement use and/or exercise with a doctor that knows you and your health issues.