Insomnia can be caused by many different factors: physical, emotional and nutritional. Dr. Rettner suggests the following nightly routine for treating insomnia. If it's too overwhelming to incorporate all the suggestions at once, try beginning with a few that make sense to you. You will eventually notice a reduction in your insomnia. Go to the Sleep Well Now Questionnaire & find out which Chinese Herbal Formulas are available for various insomnia symptoms.

  • Keep your bedroom clean and make your bed every day to create an impression of harmony and orderliness before bed. Have warm and soothing colors in your room.
  • Eat dinner between 5:30 and 7:00 pm. Avoid alcohol, coffee, colas, spicy foods and sugar.
  • Put your home heater on at dinner time.
  • Sit for five minutes after dinner.
  • Look at your garden and the stars at night.
  • Read, listen to music, have friends over or engage in some other light relaxing activity.
  • Stop all focused activity by 9 p.m.
  • Start getting ready for bed by 9 p.m.
  • Take two Nidra (sleep) herbal tablets at 9 p.m. This special formulation brings about sound sleep.
  • Take a calcium supplement to help relax and calm your nerves.
  • Take a sauna or hot tub.
  • Massage feet with "Skin Trip."
  • Rub "Blissful Rest 1" into the center of the forehead.
  • Rub sesame oil into the center of the forehead and just below the naval, three quarters of the way to the pubic bone.
  • Listen to gandharva music or other soothing music.
  • Aromatherapy with Nidra (sleep) aroma oil, Ylang Ylang, basil, orange, rose, geranium or clove.
  • Go to bed by before 10:00 p.m.
  • Take the attitude of not minding. Rest comfortably, not minding if you seem to be awake or asleep. Let your mind wander freely.
  • Take the attitude that you will get as much rest as nature wants you to have at the moment, or as much as you need, even if you're not sleeping. Sleep will come naturally when it is time.
  • Sleep position - According to traditional Chinese views, the best sleeping position is lying on the right side, with the legs slightly bent, the right arm bent and resting in front of the pillow, and the left arm resting on the left thigh. According to these views, with this position the heart is in a high position so that blood can circulate freely, the liver is in a low position so that blood can collect there and promote sleep, and the stomach and abdomen are in such a position that facilitates the downward movement of food.
  • Wake up from 6 - 7 a.m. This will make you feel awake, alive and dynamic.
  • Keep a sleep diary. Record the time you go to sleep and wake up each day. Also record daily stresses and dietary indiscretions that cause insomnia.