Can homeopathy help you sleep? For years, I struggled with chronic insomnia. It was miserable.
One of the things that helped me was homeopathy.
The mainstream medical profession generally discounts homeopathy. It is true that studies have been mixed.
But homeopathy is as much of an art form as it is a science. It doesn’t lend itself to studies, at least the way they’re usually designed.
Homeopathy is a real medical system. It was developed more than 200 years ago in Germany by a famous medical doctor. Homeopathy is very popular in Great Britain and in India, where some of the world’s best homeopaths live. It’s now becoming better known in the United States, once again. (At one time, shortly before the turn of the century, one-third of the hospitals in the US were homeopathic hospitals. This changed with the introduction of pharmaceuticals.)
How Homeopathy Can Help You Sleep
(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything, I receive a referral fee, at no extra cost to you.)
There are thousands of homeopathic remedies. New ones are being discovered all the time. Any remedy can potentially help with sleep problems. (Homeopathic remedies work by balancing your metabolism.) If an imbalance causes you to stay awake at night, the right remedy can potentially help correct that.
Homeopathic medicine would be perfect, if only it was easier to use.
But it’s not. It’s very difficult for an untrained person to choose the right remedy. There are thousands of remedies to choose from. Finding just the right one is a combination of science, and intuition. Always, I pray before opening my homeopathy books, in hopes of finding the remedy I need.
I’ve studied homeopathy as a non-professional for 20 years. I know more than enough to choose my own remedies. Legally, I can’t treat anyone else. But I can share my own story of how homeopathic remedies have helped me sleep.
Can Homeopathic Medicines Help You Sleep?
My battle with insomnia started when I was a young adult. At the time, I worked as a newspaper reporter. I’d get to work around 4 pm and settle in for a long night. Sometimes, I didn’t leave the newsroom until 2 am.
Then, it was a half-hour commute home. The last thing I wanted to do was sleep.
But I still tried. I’d go to bed. Then I’d lie awake, worried that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I knew the next day would be really busy. How would I muddle through, if I didn’t sleep?
Homeopathic Remedies for Insomnia
This vicious cycle went on for years. Sometimes, I got a full night’s sleep. Most nights I slept very little. I was a physical wreck.
Quitting the job, and switching to a daytime work schedule helped. But not entirely. Something had changed in my body that prevented automatic restful sleep. The kind I enjoyed as a child and as a teenager.
Would I ever sleep well again? (Keep reading and I’ll share my good news with you. Yes, homeopathy has been a huge help. But it has a downside too. I’ll tell you how to avoid this.)
Homeopathic Medicines for Insomnia
I struggle with insomnia for years. Before I met my first homeopath. She was an amazing woman. She helped my children become healthy again. As preschoolers, they were very sickly. She taught me a lot about homeopathic medicine. I am forever indebted.
We talked a lot on the phone. About my children. But, sometimes, when she realized I wasn’t feeling well, she told me what remedy to take. I noticed that the right remedy eased my physical symptoms. It also brought about a deep feeling of mental calmness. (Homeopathic remedies hit on an emotional level. And mental calmness leads to better sleep.)
Homeopathic Remedies For Sleep
However, I wasn’t taking specific sleep remedies. Instead, they were chosen for my overall symptoms. One of the side effects was better sleep.
That’s the nice thing about natural remedies. They tend to work on multiple levels. Say, for instance, you have a backache. The remedy you take to heal the pain should also help you sleep, if you suffer from insomnia.
Do You Need a Professional Homeopath?
A good homeopath takes note of your entire physical and emotional condition. The right remedy can potentially relieve a wide range of problems. Most patients have various complaints. The chief complaint is what generally carries the most weight. If someone’s chief complaint is a headache, and insomnia is a secondary problem, a well-chosen remedy should help both conditions.
But, like I said, regular homeopathy has a big drawback. For best results, you need to work with a professional. Good homeopaths are not easy to find. If you’re thinking about homeopathy, here’s an earlier blog post about how to find a good practitioner.
Can Homeopathy Help You Sleep Better?
If you struggle with sleep, and want my personal opinion on homeopathy, I’d say go for it. You need to work with a good professional homeopath. At least at first. Some practitioners are very generous with their time and talent.
My second homeopath was just as good as the first. Both of these wonderful ladies shared their knowledge. They encouraged me to learn as much as I could about homeopathy. I learned what books to read. I learned about the very best Materia Medica (list of remedies and their actions). I bought what I think is the best homeopathic repertoire, which helps you match symptoms with the right remedy.
How To Use Homeopathic Remedies the Right Way
I learned about the wrong way to use remedies. (Such as taking way too many doses. The best practice is to take one dose, and wait. Only take a second if you need it. Never take an extra dose you don’t really nee.)
Another mistake I made was taking high potency remedies. We’re all different. But what works best for me is low potency remedies. Many professional homeopaths believe remedies diluted in water work best. I’ve found that to be true as well.
Does Homeopathic Medicine Really Work?
I saw the power of homeopathic remedies in action. Like when my son had an ear infection. I worried that one more round of antibiotics would cause him great harm. (He’s already had about 22 rounds in his short lifetime.)
Also, I realized there are different types of homeopaths. Some are good, others are mediocre and others are just plain bad. I think I’ve met all three types.
When Homeopathic Remedies Stop Working
Even when working with a professional, you’ll likely encounter bumps in the road. This is when a remedy suddenly stops working. This is normal. It means it’s done it’s job and it’s time to move on to the next one.
What this means is that a particular remedy may help you sleep for several weeks. Then, suddenly, you’re wide awake again. So you need to find a new remedy that helps.
Remedies do stop working. This is normal and expected. But each time this happens, you’re usually a little better off than you were before. It might take years to reverse a case of long-standing insomnia. But homeopathic healing is real. (At least that’s what I and many others have found.)
Best Homeopathic Remedies for Insomnia
There are a number of homeopathic remedies considered good for insomnia. One of the best known as Coffea cruda, derived from coffee beans.
Too much coffee can keep you wide awake. Homeopathy works on the principle of “like cures like.” That means a tiny (infinitesimal) dose of a substance can have the opposite effect. That’s who homeopathic Coffea cruda can help you sleep, despite the fact it’s originally made from coffee.
No one knows exactly how homeopathy works. That’s one reason it’s controversial. The theory is that even though you can’t measure the original substance, it leaves its “Imprint” upon the remedy.
Coffee Cruda for Insomnia
However, there are thousands of homeopathic remedies to choose from. So it’s very possible another may be more appropriate than Coffea. I battled severe insomnia for years. However, coffea was not the best remedy for me. I’ve taken many homeopathic remedies, and I’m not sure I’ve ever taken this one. All of them have helped me sleep better.
Given the large number of remedies, a homeopathic professional is a necessity.
Otherwise, you can fall into the trap of picking the wrong remedy. You can also choose the right remedy, but not know when to stop taking it. One interesting aspect of homeopathy is that you can get “provings.”
Can Coffea Cruda Help You Sleep?
A “proving” means you see an increase in the symptoms you’re trying to get rid of. This generally happens after taking too many doses. Provings are something you want to avoid, and should avoid.
Coffee Cruda Side Effects
Provings are usually harmless. They go way on their own, or when you take a different remedy. But provings are annoying. Think of what could happen if you accidentally take too much Coffea. Overdosing on this remedy may very well mean you spend the night wide awake.
Also, if taken too frequently, homeopathic remedies can even cause new symptoms. This is something I’ve experienced. I take it as a sure sign to stop that remedy. For instance, you may initially have cold symptoms. But if you overdo it with a remedy, you may end up with intensified cold symptoms. Plus a headache, which you didn’t have before. Yet another reason I recommend working with a professional.
Homeopathic Sleep Remedies for Adults
Coffea cruda is one of the remedies you’ll probably stumble across when you Google “homeopathy for insomnia.” (Nux vomica and Ignatia are two of the others.) However, I caution against self medicating with remedies, unless you really know what you’re doing. (Better yet, seek professional guidance.) Homeopathic remedies are sold over the counter. But they’re very powerful. They can be used wrong. So please don’t start self dosing.
With regular homeopathy, best results will be obtained working with a professional. I just wish more good homeopaths were available.
However, there is another type of homeopathy that lends itself to a do-it-yourself approach. This is called Bach flower homeopathy. There are only 38 remedies to choose from. And they’re selected based upon emotional criteria.
Flower Essences for Sleep
Some people use flower essences to help them sleep. I’ve used them myself. I like them. But I don’t think they hit as deep as a well-selected regular homeopathy remedy. (But the drawback with regular homeopathy is you most likely need to work with a professional.)
Bach flower remedies are much more user friendly. They’re easy to choose, based upon your emotions at that given point in time. If you have two or more predominant emotions, you can mix multiple remedies together in one treatment bottle. In fact, that’s considered good practice.
Dr. Bach Flower Remedies for Sleep
From what I understand, Dr. Edward Bach, MD, the creator of Bach remedies, believe his 38 essences covered all emotional states. Because they could be mixed. In the past, I’ve used Bach Rescue Remedy as a natural sleep aid.
I wrote about my personal experience using this popular remedy in an earlier blog post, which you can read here.
Bach Rescue Remedy is the most famous of the Bach essences. It’s meant to be taken occasionally. This remedy is designed for when you hear traumatic or deeply upsetting news. My personal opinion is that it’s not best used on a daily basis. But it’s really helped me in specific instances.
Does White Chestnut Really Work?
White chestnut is one of the Bach flower essences often cited for sleep problems. It’s supposed to be useful for ushering in a state of calmness. But any of the Bach remedies that match your particular emotional state can potentially lead to better sleep. If your body is balanced, sleep comes naturally.
Agrimony flower essence is another remedy that may be considered. You can read more about Bach flower remedies to help you sleep in an earlier post.
Bach flower remedies are thought to be more gentle than regular homeopathy. But it’s still important to use them the right way. My second homeopath (who recently passed away), warned me to use them judiciously, just as I would any other homeopathic remedy. Her advice was take one dose and see what happens. Never take another unless you need it. This means I disregard all dosing instructions written on the bottle.
Natural Remedies To Help You Sleep Better
Essential oils also played a big role in getting rid of my stubborn case of insomnia. I don’t think they effect your body as deeply as homeopathy. But you can use them every day. There’s rarely a night when I don’t use essential oils. They calm my mind, as I drift off to sleep.
Homeopathic remedies, on the other hand, must be taken at intervals. They stop working, necessitating a switch to another remedy. They do push your body toward healing. But it’s often difficult to know when to take the next remedy. That’s why I like to use essential oils, in addition to homeopathy.
Natural Remedies To Help Insomnia
Sometimes, I also take herbal sleep remedies. All of these healing methods (for me) seem to work on different levels. Below, you can see several posts on using herbs and essential oils to sleep.
Homemade Essential Oil Sleep Balm
Cedarwood Essential Oil for Sleep
How To Fall Asleep Without Taking Medication
How To Fall Asleep Naturally Course
Has insomnia taken over your life? Is it ruining your life? Do you spend much your day worrying if you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep when your head finally hits the pillow?
The good news is that you’re not alone. At least 50 percent of adults in America have trouble sleeping.
I was one of them. Sleep problems ruled my life for years.
But now I sleep like a baby. Most nights. Occasionally, I still have nights where I have trouble falling asleep. Or staying a sleep. But these are rare.
Natural Sleep Tips Course
Instead, I now go to bed confident. I know I’m going to get deep, restful sleep.
Because my body has reset itself. It knows how to sleep well again. In the course below I describe the natural remedies and healing methods I used to sleep again. This is not meant as medical advice. Instead, these ideas are to be shared with your own healthcare practitioners. Click on the image below for more information.
Natural Sleep Solutions CourseSign Up Here
Homeopathy for Chronic Insomnia