my 22 year old daughter is just leaving college life where pot and alcohol were common place. Now she has a great pressure filled job that she is really excited about.

She for the most part has given up the pot and reduced her drinking to a few drinks on the week-end.

she is finding it difficult to get to sleep.

I sent her some kool herb supplements that contained melatonin. What i really am looking for are the raw organic foods that help us all sleep. something that can be taken a hour or so before bed. my diet is based on dr. cousens and dr jubb.

and i want to help her move that way.

so i only eat, raw flowered vegetables, fruity, seeds, and nuts ( not peanuts)

what do u suggest??


i have heard that grapefruit is good.

Also:

lemon and honey.

sunflower seeds
hazelnuts
almond butter
celery and celery juice
dark leafy green vegetables, almonds,
cashews,
blackstrap molasses,
brewer's yeast


what is your wisdom

uh, raw? Im not sure... Valerian tea though flavor masked with abit of mint may help... growing your own is fairly easy too... valerian doesnt help everyone though...

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I've had a lot of insomnia... I don't think that eating late at night is such a good idea, actually, and definitely nothing heavy. When I do it it keeps me from sleeping. I'd recommend herbs. I personally don't like valerian, because it's really strong and makes me feel depressed the next day, but I've had success with kava kava and passionflower.
If you're going to eat an hour before bed I think it should just be fruit. A grapefruit sounds good, something along those lines.

I think eating before bed stimulates the appetite, no matter what it is. Bee juice an hour and a half before bed acts as a sedative. Otherwise, more fruit than greens, but earlier in the day. Also, lots of exercise helps to regulate sleepiness. Good luck, Rudra

Bee juice? How cruel! Stinger and all? They must make quite a racket in the Omega 8006

Oh, now, that's gross, banana who!

I use Valarian and Kava.

I and all the women in my family have had insomnia for years.
The combo of Valarian and Kava really helps me more than anything I have ever tried.

Chamomile!!! I love having it with honey and lemon. I usually make herbal tea all winter, but I had some the other night and it was so relaxing.

Lettuce is a classic natural aid for insomnia. It might be because it contains 'lactucarium', sometimes referred to as 'lettuce opium', which relaxes the muscles.

How long ago did she quit pot? Maybe some kind of detoxing program will help. Sleep problems are typical pot withdrawl symptoms. A detox program might not work though if she's still drinking alcohol. If anything, I'd think lots of water/fresh juices/smoothies would help throughout the day at least.

Tamukha Wrote:
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> I think eating before bed stimulates the appetite,
> no matter what it is.

Agreed. This is my problem. And on the other hand, if you do feel "hungry", an empty stomach can keep you awake.

I'd just recommend sending her different teas such as Chamomile to help sleep easier. Or "Rescue Remedy" sold at healthfood stores. It's one of those..things.. that help you relax and sleep better. It's just drops you put on your wrist or something.
Edited to add [www.rescueremedy.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/2010 02:10AM by BackAgain.

Ive read that banana's contain tryptophan, they have never made me feel really sleepy though.
Plenty of exercise should help, and common sense things like waking early, so you can be tired and ready for bed at bedtime, no stimulants, I think caffiene takes two weeks to detox out of the body, and no tv before bed.

Breathing exercises might help.

marijuana messes with melatonin levels so if she has just recently quit then it will take abit of time for her system to adjust.

ashwagandha although stimulatory(not cns stimulant) for some intensifys GABA and can help sleep, melatonin is effective but long term it can shut down the bodies own supply being a hormone. Valerian, chamomile are sleep aids but i dont find there effective.

ZMA which is a zinc and magnesium formula i find is as effective as melatonin without the hangover the next day. I usually use ashwagandha powder though.

Durian...it has tryptophan.

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Rudra, please look up the connection between carb intake and serotonin production. Cos with not enough carbs in our diet, we wont produce enough serotonin and sleep will be effected.

Alcohol is just another source of carbs and if we dont eat enough fruit or cooked starches,people will go to alcohol to meet their carb needs. Thats why alcoholics put on a high carb diet have a much easier time getting off the booze and getting fit and healthy again.

I talk more about carbs and sleep in my 'are you an undercarbed zombie' blog.
[durianrider.wordpress.com]

LOL @ La Veronique!

My experience with sleep is that its less about what you eat, and more about what you don't eat. Avoid eating foods that are stimulating - foods that have medicinal qualities, medicinal herbs, drugs of any kind, digestive stimulants, i.e. condiments and spices.

Which means to eat plainly, whole fresh raw fruits and salads, small quantities of raw nuts and seeds.

Eating within 3 hours of eating is not wise, in fact the longer the time between the last meal and the sleep time the better. If I am digesting at night, I do not sleep as well.