New research into the causes of obesity has suggested sleep deprivation may be one of the factors affecting fat accumulation, opening a possibility that natural therapies for insomnia may also be effective against weight gain.
Studies conducted in the last two years seem to point to a hormonal mechanism that may link the lack of sleep with body weight.
Specifically, there are two hormones that affect the appetite, leptin and ghrelin, whose delicate balance is upset when people do not get enough sleep. That prompts them to eat even when they are full.
To prove that, James P. Krainson, medical director of the South Florida Sleep Diagnostic Center, says his patients frequently tell him that when they dont sleep well at night they feel an urge to eat.
In view of these findings, people suffering from insomnia may turn to natural therapies that may alleviate their symptoms.
They include herbal supplements containing chamomile or lemon balm, according to Health-cares.net, an informational website.
The source also suggests passion flower or valerian extract taken in moderation for short- to medium-term treatment of insomnia may be helpful.
Other traditional remedies involve drinking warm milk before bedtime, taking a warm bath or half an hour of vigorous exercise in the afternoon.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, meanwhile, have been treating insomnia for thousands of years using acupuncture, dietary and lifestyle analysis and herbology to rebalance the bodys energies, the source says. 