Abstract: Sleep is essential for everyone to maintain normal health and fitness. Recovery from the physical and psychological strain of any sickness or hospital stay also depends on it. Lack of sleep, or insomnia, has a significant negative impact on society and public health in many ways. Insomnia is a sleep condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep(1). This article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of homoeopathic medicine in managing insomnia, particularly in cases influenced by psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as lifestyle issues.
Keywords
Insomnia, sleep, stress, anxiety, Homoeopathic medicine.
Introduction
Dictionary meaning of insomnia –The condition of being unable to sleep(2).
Sleep is crucial for long-term health and well-being. The way you sleep affects how you feel during the day, your body works to preserve both your physical and mental well-being. In the present era, with the advancement of life, people are so busy with their work and pursuit of success that they forget the importance of sleep. Along with their busy schedules and heavy workloads, it has been recently observed that insomnia is becoming one of the major health issues. Insomnia is defined by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, resulting in insufficient or poor-quality sleep. These conditions may be short term or long term.it may be acute or chronic. Acute insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks. Chronic insomnia refers to experiencing sleep difficulties on at least three nights per week for a duration of three months or longer(1).
Types of insomnia
- Sleep onset insomnia- it occurs when a person has difficulty in falling asleep. It is a type of severe form. Which is considered to be Physiologically restorative part of sleep.
- Sleep maintenance insomnia- where the person has difficulty in staying sleep. This Insomnia may be complaints of numerous arousals during the night. Resulting in interruption of Non-REM, REM sleep of normal cycle subsequently the person will complaint of poor quality of sleep.
- The last Type of insomnia is early morning awakening insomnia which is the least severe form. This type of insomnia also affects the sleep dream cycle considered to be mentally restorative, and so the person may complaint of fatigue in the midafternoon of following days
Causes Of insomnia–
Risk factors for insomnia include demographic factors, comorbid medical conditions, and lifestyle factors. Age and gender are significant, with higher prevalence in women and older adults. The elderly may experience insomnia due to reduced functionality of sleep control systems and comorbidities. In women, insomnia is more common during menstruation and menopause. Medical conditions like hypoxemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, pain disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases are common in individuals with insomnia. Primary sleep disorders (restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement, and sleep apnoea) and circadian rhythm disorders are also associated with insomnia. In younger individuals, insomnia is often linked to phase delay syndrome, while older adults experience phase advance syndrome, leading to difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, and early awakenings(3).
Homoeopathic Viewpoint:
Homoeopathy treats the patient as a whole, addressing both mental and physical aspects together based on symptom similarity, rejecting the mind-body duality. According to Homoeopathic
principles, the mind and body are deeply interconnected, and mental conditions are not separate from physical ones. Classical Homoeopathic texts emphasize the importance of mental symptoms in prescribing appropriate remedies and in case-taking for mentally ill patients, including the classification and treatment of mental diseases. Homoeopathy suggests that chronic diseases often manifest distinct mental symptoms before any physical changes are detectable through laboratory tests. The mental symptoms—such as feelings, emotions, thoughts, sensations, and responses to life stressors—reflect the deepest aspects of the patient and are considered key to their individualization. In Homoeopathic prescribing, mental symptoms take precedence over general or local ones. When these mental symptoms are accurately identified and matched with the principles of Homoeopathy, they lead to the selection of the right remedy, the “similimum,” resulting in a lasting cure(4).
Homoeopathic Medicine
KALI PHOSPHORICUM
The person experienced early awakening, nervousness, restlessness, and expecting danger. They had sleep disturbances such as talking, grinding teeth, difficulty waking up, and yawning excessively. Pains that shifted locations disrupted sleep, particularly between 2-4 a.m. They had unsettling dreams, including being partially clothed in public and lascivious dreams with anger upon waking. They developed a tendency to sleep on their back and suffered from sleeplessness, night terrors, and sleepwalking. The insomnia was triggered by mental exhaustion, stress, or nervous exhaustion(5).
PHOSPHORUS
The person experiences extreme drowsiness, especially after meals, and a “coma vigil” state. They have sleeplessness, particularly in older age, along with vivid dreams of fire and haemorrhage, as well as lascivious dreams. They tend to fall asleep late, wake up feeling weak, and have short naps with frequent awakenings(6).
SULPHUR
The person talks, jerks, and twitches during sleep, with vivid dreams. They wake up singing, frequently awaken, and become wide awake suddenly. They take catnaps and are easily disturbed by noise, unable to sleep between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m(7).
COCCULUS INDICUS
The person has a strong tendency to sleep in the morning, with sleeplessness caused by anxiety and restlessness. They experience spasmodic yawning and delayed sleep due to a flood of thoughts. Their sleep is interrupted by anxiety, fear, and agitation, with physical movements such as jerking, crying, and convulsions. They have vivid, frightening dreams of death, disease, and ghosts, leading to unrefreshing sleep and frequent waking(8).
ARNICA MONTANA
The person experiences sleeplessness and restlessness when overtired, with comatose drowsiness and waking up with a hot head. They have anxious, terrifying dreams of death and mutilated bodies, along with night horrors. Involuntary stools occur during sleep(9).
NUX VOMICA
The person cannot sleep after 3 a.m. and wakes up feeling miserable. They feel drowsy after meals and in the early evening. Their dreams are busy and hurried. They feel better after a short sleep, unless disturbed(10).
COFFEA CRUDA
The person is wakeful and constantly moving, sleeping until 3 a.m. and then only dozing. They wake with a start, and their sleep is disturbed by dreams. Sleeplessness is caused by mental activity, a flow of ideas, and nervous excitability. They are also disturbed by itching of the anus(11).
PULSATILLA NIGRICANS
The person is wide awake in the evening, with restless initial sleep. They wake up feeling sluggish and unrefreshed, experiencing irresistible sleepiness in the afternoon. They sleep with their hands over their head(12).
CHAMOMILLA
The person experiences drowsiness accompanied by moaning, weeping, and wailing during sleep, along with anxious, frightened dreams and half-open eyes(13).
OPIUM
The person experiences extreme drowsiness, falling into a heavy, stuporous sleep or profound coma. They may lose breath upon falling asleep and exhibit a “coma vigil” state, picking at bedclothes. Despite being very sleepy, they can’t fall asleep, disturbed by distant noises. A child dreams of cats, dogs, and dark figures. The bed feels unbearably hot, and they have pleasant, fantastical, amorous dreams. Symptoms include shaking chills followed by heat, sleep, and sweating, with thirst occurring only during the heat(14).
PASSIFLORA INCARNATA
The person experiences restlessness and wakefulness due to exhaustion, particularly in the weak, infants, the elderly, and those mentally stressed or overworked, with a tendency toward convulsions. Nocturnal cough is also present(15).
ZINCUM METALLICUM
The person cries out, jerks, and wakes up frightened during sleep. They experience nervous foot movements and loud screaming at night without being aware. Somnambulism (sleepwalking) is also present(16).
Conclusion:
It is essential to consult with a homeopathic physician for an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. Alongside homeopathic treatment for insomnia, making dietary and lifestyle changes can further enhance the effectiveness of the treatment and help manage insomnia more effectively.
References
1. Insomnia: Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/insomnia-symptoms-and-causes
2. insomnia noun – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/insomnia
3. Roth T. Insomnia: Definition, Prevalence, Etiology, and Consequences. J Clin Sleep Med JCSM Off Publ Am Acad Sleep Med. 2007 Aug 15;3(5 Suppl):S7–10.
4. (PDF) The Concept of Mind and Treatment of Mental Diseases in Homoeopathy [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379957819_The_Concept_of_Mind_and_Treatment_of_Mental_Diseases_in_Homoeopathy
5. Kali Phosphoricum. – A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICAL MATERIA MEDICA By John Henry CLARKE, M.D. Presented by Médi-T ® [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/clarke/k/kali_ph.htm
6. PHOSPHORUS – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 8]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/p/phos.htm
7. SULPHUR – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/s/sulph.htm
8. Cocculus. – A DICTIONARY OF PRACTICAL MATERIA MEDICA By John Henry CLARKE, M.D. Presented by Médi-T ® [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/clarke/c/coccul.htm
9. ARNICA MONTANA – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/a/arn.htm
10. NUX VOMICA – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 8]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/n/nux-v.htm
11. COFFEA CRUDA – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/c/coff.htm
12. PULSATILLA PRATENSIS – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 8]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/p/puls.htm
13. CHAMOMILLA – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/c/cham.htm
14. OPIUM – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/o/op.htm
15. PASSIFLORA INCARNATA – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/p/passi.htm
16. ZINCUM METALLICUM – HOMOEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA – By William BOERICKE [Internet]. [cited 2025 Mar 4]. Available from: http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/z/zinc.htm
About Author:
Dr Mithlesh Dhurvey – MD Scholar (Department of organon of medicine and homoeopathic philosophy)
Co-Author: Dr. Suresh Chandra Awasthi – Professor,
Department of organon.
Government Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh.
