When was the last time you had a really good night’s sleep?

Sleep deprivation, mostly caused by corrosive “stress” is the reason. The common denominator in all the terrifying epidemic diseases we face today, stress is the foundation of every sickness known to mankind, particularly cancer.

And to add to this epidemic of sickness is the fact that without sleep the body cannot truly heal itself — what a conundrum!

Far too many people worldwide suffer from insomnia, tossing and turning at night, battling anxiety and depression – waking up exhausted. And as we age, getting restful and restorative sleep becomes an almost impossible problem.

As a result, tranquilizers and sleeping pills have become some of the most over-prescribed medications on the market. Americans consume over a million and a half pounds of dangerous tranquilizers annually, mostly for psychological, stress-related reasons, not for physical problems.

Far from being simple medications to relieve sleeping problems, these drugs can cause dizziness, memory loss, decreased mental function, confusion, loss of coordination (which increases the risk of falling and hip fractures) and automobile accidents.

Additionally, virtually everyone who uses drugs like these for more than a few months becomes addicted. It’s a lucrative proposition for drug manufacturers, but a costly one for patients both health and wealth-wise.

Good Sleep Is Serious Medicine

Unfortunately, over the years we’ve gotten away from a natural sleep cycle based on the rising and setting of the sun. And based on research I’ve found, I firmly believe that our change in sleeping patterns is contributing to many modern-day diseases.

It’s a known medical fact that we all need 8 hours of deep sleep each night for the body to recover and replenish from the stress of the day’s activities. Ninety percent of us reading this article right now get by with one-half to one-third this amount.

I predict that proper sleep will one day be considered a very necessary factor in disease prevention, just like good nutrition and regular exercise.

Studies continue to show that exposure to light at night increases the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm controlled by the pineal gland.

The pineal gland secretes a special sleep hormone called “Melatonin”, which induces sleep, but now also is being shown to exhibit profound anticancer actions, in particular in preventing hormone-dependent forms of cancer, such as those of the prostate and breast.

Melatonin release generally peaks sometime between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. If you are awake during this time or asleep but with lights on, Melatonin production will be suppressed.

Causes of Melatonin Deficiency

If sleep is a problem and you suspect a Melatonin deficiency is at the root of it, you should take a hard look at any medications you are taking. There are several common ones that could be lowering your Melatonin levels and interfering with your sleep.

• Anti-inflammatory compounds like aspirin and ibuprofen block Melatonin production.
• Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers used to treat high blood pressure also inhibit the formation of Melatonin.
• And ironically, sleep aids and drugs that treat anxiety problems also stop Melatonin formation.

Boosting Your Melatonin Levels
What foods contain high amounts of Melatonin?  Bananas, barley, ginger, rice, and corn. Eating these foods on a daily basis will lift your Melatonin levels dramatically.

The problem however, is Melatonin itself is not sufficient to solve this serious problem of chronic sleep deprivation. For the body to get a full eight hours of sleep at night, we must lay the foundation during the daytime. Controlling stress levels during the daylight hours means the body is far more receptive to “turning off” at night time.

That’s why I sat down with my trusted aides in the lab and came up with a true breakthrough in fighting stress and sleep problems.  Two spectacular formulas that work ‘hand in glove” with each other to tackle the problem with two barrels, not just one. We call it the Stress Relief Combo.

And both are drug free formulations!

	Tolerance Stress-X for reducing stress during the day. Tolerance Stress-X is a blockbuster stress control formulation using calming herbs, vitamins and Magnesium (the tranquility mineral) to keep the body in a de-stressed mode, free of high anxiety during the daylight hours.
	Good Night for deep, restorative sleep at night. Good Night is a tour de force of all the sleep-inducing elements known to natural medicine, in a capsule, to bring on a satisfying sleep at night and deep, restorative REM sleep in the early morning hours. It is particularly high in Melatonin, of course.

Further Tips & Suggestions for Relieving Insomnia:

• Don’t sleep late in the morning – or continue to hit the snooze button. These are just a few habits that could be contributing to your insomnia problem.
• Refrain from eating for at least two hours before you go to bed.
• Avoid stimulating drinks with caffeine after 5 o’clock. They can prolong the time it takes to go to sleep. Alcohol is also disruptive to sleep patterns, as are less obvious sources of caffeine like chocolate, chocolate-flavored foods, soft drinks and salt, which can act as a mild stimulant to the adrenal glands.
• Check to see if your inability to sleep coincides with the use of a new medication. One of the biggest detriments to sleep is the widespread use of medications, both over-the-counter and prescription. Even seemingly harmless over-the-counter sinus and nasal congestion medications can be strong nervous system stimulants that can interfere with sleep.
• Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can also be responsible for insomnia. Your brain uses glucose as its main source of energy. If glucose (blood sugar) levels fall below normal while you’re sleeping, your adrenal glands automatically release hormones that stimulate glucose production. This will wake you up in the middle of the night. If you fall asleep easily, but waken in the middle of the night and have difficulty returning to sleep, it could be an indication of falling blood sugar levels. Consuming a small amount of unsweetened juice or a teaspoon of peanut butter when you wake up at night will often stabilize the blood sugar enough to allow you to return to sleep.

As always, here’s to your Contagious Health!

Dr. G

Brain/Mood, Contagious Health, Nervous System good night, insomnia, Magnesium, melatonin, sleep, stress, tolerance stress-x