Pharmaceutical companies are always looking for the next expanding market for drug development — and it appears they have hit the jackpot with the treatment of sleep disorders. While cholesterol-lowering drugs have proven among the most profitable, sleep medications are gaining rapidly.

The problem with the drugs is that they rarely produce restful sleep and often plague users with a number of complications and side effects, including next-day drowsiness, sleepwalking, and confusion.

The lack of sleep can sharply influence your quality of life as well as raise your risk of everything from automobile accidents to obesity and heart attacks.

Below I have outlined a few steps you can take to increase the likelihood that you will enjoy a good night's sleep. For more information on reducing insomnia, see my report "Good Sleep: Stop Insomnia, Reduce Stress, Boost Your Total Health" for detailed information.


It is important to remember that there are many different reasons people develop chronic insomnia, and there are often very specific problems that must be addressed before an insomniac can enjoy a solid night of sleep.
Those suffering from narcolepsy will find that a product called gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) works very well. This substance has now been labeled a prescription drug, even though it is a natural product.
Men with prostate hypertrophy can benefit from beta-sitosterol, saw palmetto and pygeum, which prevent trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Here are some other tricks that can help you get the sleep you require:
• Always try to go to bed at least by midnight. Staying up late resets the biological clock and can disrupt sleep patterns.
• Keep the room slightly cool. Benjamin Franklin suggested a cool pillow to induce sleep.
• Make sure the room is dark. Avoid nightlights, brightly lit phone dials and clocks.
• Try playing soothing music on a low volume at bedtime.
• Avoid reading or watching television at least one hour before bedtime. Allow yourself time to wind down.
• Avoid sugar in the evening. Some people will become hypoglycemic during the night, and this will wake them up. Try eating a piece of turkey by itself (no bread) before bedtime. Turkey is high in L-tryptophan, an amino acid that the brain uses to generate the sleep neurotransmitter serotonin.
• Avoid caffeine, smoking, and all foods containing excitotoxins. (For more information on excitotoxins and the damage they can cause to your body, read my newsletter " Food Additives: What You Eat Can Kill You.")


• Avoid sleeping late and taking naps during the day.
• Exercise earlier in the day. Exercising late in the day revs up the metabolism and this can keep you awake.

For more of Dr. Blaylock’s weekly tips, go here to view the archive