"Here Lies Pat,
She's just a guest...
Don't wake her up,
She needs the rest."
Getting up in the morning was like beating a dead horse. I felt like I was among the walking dead. My sleep varied between insomnia and somnalism. I never felt refreshed, even after sleeping twelve hours.
Most, if not all CFIDS/FMS patients have an
associated sleep disorder such as alpha-EEG anomaly, insomnia, or sleep apnea.
Alpha—EEG is characterized by the ability to fall asleep without much trouble,
but the deep level of sleep is interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain
activity. Patients seemed to spend the night with one foot in sleep and the
other in wakefulness. Other patients deal with inability to fall asleep or
early morning insomnia. Research suggests this may be due to the body clock or
circadian rhythms.
Circadian Rhythms are our body’s natural cycles that control appetite,
energy, mood, sleep and libido. When our body is out of sync with nature, we
suffer from a Circadian Rhythm Disorder. Almost all of us, at some time during
a year fall out of balance and suffer from sleep, mood or anxiety disorders.
Fortunately, after decades of research, science has found the way to create
circadian balance.
Circadian rhythms control the timing, quantity and quality of the
hormones and neurotransmitters the body produces and eventually secretes.
Hormones and neurotransmitters are the elements that determine how we feel, our
sleep patterns, our appetite, our sex drive and other sleep and mood-related
issues. When functioning properly, our circadian rhythms create circadian
balance. When out of balance, quantity, quality and timing of hormone and
neurotransmitter secretion suffer and our bodies suffer from a circadian
rhythm disorder (CRD).
Researchers at the National
Institute of Health found that that using light therapy at specific times of
the day could re-entrain circadian rhythms to a normal pattern. They discovered
that a very specific range of blue light is the most effective color
(wavelength) in treating these disorders. Apollo Health
has spent the last several years working with leading experts to develop an
innovative line of BLUEWAVE products. Their goLITE delivers effective
wavelengths, which means a more convenient treatment, and fewer side effects
than traditional 10,000 lux full-spectrum light therapy devices.
BLUEWAVE (goLite) is the result of ten years
of research with medical universities and the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). Apollo participated in this research and produced lights that are twice as effective at
shifting circadian rhythms and suppressing melatonin when compared to 10,000
lux and white LEDs.* Phillips has bought Apollo and you can go on line and check out your own circadian rhythms now. Here is the link:
In my case, for Advanced Circadian
Rhythm Disorder, I began sitting to the side of the goLite (which was placed on
my table where I could read) at 6:30
p.m. for 30 minutes for two evenings. The third night the time
changed to 7 p.m for one
night, and the fourth night at 7:30
p.m. for 30 minutes. This treatment continued for six days and by
the end, my circadian rhythms were back
to normal. The length and time will vary according to your assessment and what
kind of sleep disorder you have.
I have
successfully used the goLite to help a number of people balance their circadian
rhythms. . My neighbor hadn’t had a good nights sleep in over two years.
She checked her circadian rhythms, borrowed my GoLite for several days and for
the past year she has slept peacefully. I have also
used it with CFIDS/FMS patients who experienced improved results in sleep and
mood.
Dr. Oz recommends taking magnesium an hour before bedtime to help insomnia. I have seen Emotion Code help people with severe insomnia. There are also hypnosis tapes for insomnia that have good results.
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