Recent scientific studies on the effect of homeopathy in insomnia
Sleep is a condition of physical rest. During sleep the muscles of the body relaxes and various vital functions such as heart rate, digestion, breathing, etc. slow down. But most important processes inside of our brain and body take place during sleep. Unlike our body, brain undergoes various functions like storage of memory, transferring information, development of new synaptic connections, etc., which in turn is essential for normal cognitive function. Many important hormones are secreted during sleep. It also helps to build immunity, accelerate healing and enhance many other bodily functions. For a normal, healthy body and mind, sleep is indispensable. When it is disrupted, it reflects on both mental and physical state.
In homeopathy sleeplessness is not treated as a separate entity, but as an expression of imbalance between an individual’s body and mind. In many cases, it is found in the clinical settings, insomnia occurs as a result of a psychological or physical disturbance for a prolonged period. It would not be sufficient enough to treat either just body or mind. The relationship between our body and mind is reciprocal and it is essential to consider the whole entity.
It is observed in cases of insomnia that the maintaining causes like nature of work, shift duty, continued professional and domestic stress form as obstacles to cure. It would be difficult to remove such maintaining causes but one can to try to change or adapt accordingly to the lifestyle. Appropriate advice to manage the lifestyle along with a remedy considering these aspects will help. Kent’s repertory has 144 rubrics for sleeplessness. There are numerous drugs covering sleeplessness in Boericke’smateriamedica. These time tested remedies have also been scientifically tested in recent times. A quick review on the research databases reveals that there is good number of research papers on the efficacy of homeopathy in insomnia. There are many new drugs that has been introduced into homeopathy which acts well in cases of insomnia like Eschscholtziacalifornica, Lupulus and Withaniasomnifera. These drugs are also being studied for their effects. This article highlights such scientific studies published in recent times with their references.
Chronic primary insomnia: Efficacy of homeopathic simillimum
Chronic primary insomnia is defined as difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep or of non-restorative sleep that lasts for at least 1 month and causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The homeopathic simillimum is that remedy which most closely corresponds to the totality of symptoms; remedy selection is based on a full evaluation of the patient’s physical, emotional and mental characteristics.
The purpose of this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the efficacy of homeopathic simillimum in the treatment of chronic primary insomnia.
30 participants were selected in accordance with DSM-IV TR (2000) criterion 307.42 Primary Insomnia and then randomly divided between treatment and placebo groups. The measurement tools used were a Sleep Diary (SD) and the Sleep Impairment Index (SII).
After an initial consultation, 2 follow-up consultations at 2-week intervals took place. Homeopathic medication was prescribed at the first and second consultations. The SII was completed at each consultation and participants were instructed at the first consultation to start the SD.
SD data revealed that verum treatment resulted in a significant increase in duration of sleep throughout the study, compared to the placebo treatment which resulted in no significant increase in duration of sleep. A significant improvement in SII summary scores and number of improved individual questions were found in the verum group, responses to all 11 questions having improved significantly upon completion of the study. An initial improvement occurred in the placebo group, but was not sustained. Comparison of results between the groups revealed a statistically significant difference.
The homeopathic simillimum treatment of primary insomnia was effective, compared to placebo. Homeopathy is a viable treatment modality for this condition and further research is justified.[1]
Effects of Homeopathic Medicines on Polysomnographic Sleep of Young Adults with Histories of Coffee-Related Insomnia
Homeopathy, a common form of alternative medicine worldwide, relies on subjective patient reports for diagnosis and treatment. Polysomnography offers a modern methodology for evaluating the objective effects of taking homeopathic remedies that clinicians claim exert effects on sleep quality in susceptible individuals. Animal studies have previously shown changes in non rapid eye movement sleep with certain homeopathic remedies.
Young adults of both sexes (ages 18–31) with above-average scores on standardized personality scales for either cynical hostility or anxiety sensitivity (but not both), and a history of coffee-induced insomnia, participated in the month-long study. At-home polysomnographic recordings were obtained on successive pairs of nights once per week for a total of eight recordings (nights 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23). Subjects (N=54) received placebo pellets on night 8 (single-blind) and verum pellets on night 22 (double-blind) in 30c doses of one of two homeopathic remedies, Nux Vomica or CoffeaCruda. Subjects completed daily morning sleep diaries and weekly Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scales, as well as Profile of Mood States Scales at bedtime on polysomnography nights.
Verum remedies significantly increased PSG total sleep time and NREM, as well as awakenings and stage changes. Changes in actigraphic and self-rated scale effects were not significant. Possible mechanisms include initial disruption of the nonlinear dynamics of sleep patterns by the verum remedies.[2]
The effect of homeopathic remedies on psychophysiological onset insomnia in males: a randomized pilot study.
Psychophysiological onset insomnia (PI) is defined as sleeplessness exceeding 30 min due to learned, sleep-preventing behaviors and hyperarousal at bedtime. This common condition significantly impacts sufferers’ health, occupational performance, and interpersonal relationships. Conventional treatment with hypnotics has many shortcomings. Homeopathic medication may present an alternative treatment for this condition. The study was intended to determine the effect of homeopathic medicines on PI.
The research team designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-wk pilot study, using matched pairs. The study took place at the Homeopathy Health Clinic at the University of Johannesburg in Johannesburg, South Africa. Forty-six males aged between 18 and 40 y with chronic PI were recruited; 28 completed the study- placebo group (n = 14) and experimental group (n = 14). Homeopathic medicines Ambragrisea 6CH, Arsenicum album 6CH, Coffeacruda 6CH, Staphisagria 6CH, Ignatiaamara 6CH, Lycopodium clavatum 6CH, Passifloraincarnata 6CH, Valeriana officinalis 6CH were made in 20% alcohol for this study. The placebo consisted of the unmedicated vehicle only. The study used the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS) and the Sleep Diary (SD), which assessed sleep-onset latency.
The experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement in presleep arousal as well as sleep onset latency over the 4 wks of the study. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that the improvement occurred gradually. Intergroup analysis showed through both the PSAS and the SD that the experimental group had outperformed the placebo group by day 28 of the study. Findings suggest that daily use of the homeopathic complex does have an effect over a 4-wk period on physiological and cognitive arousal at bedtime as well as on sleep onset latency in PI sufferers. Further research on the use of this complex for PI is warranted before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.[3]
Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Effects of Homeopathic Remedies on Multiscale Entropy and Correlation Dimension of Slow Wave Sleep EEG in Young Adults with Histories of Coffee-Induced Insomnia
Investigators of homeopathy have proposed that nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) and complex systems science offer conceptual and analytic tools for evaluating homeopathic remedy effects. Previous animal studies demonstrate that homeopathic medicines alter delta electroencephalographic (EEG) slow wave sleep. The present study extended findings of remedy-related sleep stage alterations in human subjects by testing the feasibility of using two different NDS analytic approaches to assess remedy effects on human slow wave sleep EEG.
Subjects (N=54) were young adult male and female college students with a history of coffee-related insomnia who participated in a larger 4-week study of the polysomnographic effects of homeopathic medicines on home-based all-night sleep recordings. Subjects took one bedtime dose of a homeopathic remedy (Coffeacruda or Nux vomica 30c). We computed multiscale entropy (MSE) and the correlation dimension (Mekler-D2) for stage 3 and 4 slow wave sleep EEG sampled in artifact-free 2-minute segments during the first two rapid-eye-movement (REM) cycles for remedy and post-remedy nights, controlling for placebo and post-placebo night effects.
MSE results indicate significant, remedy-specific directional effects, especially later in the night (REM cycle 2) (CC: remedy night increases and post-remedy night decreases in MSE at multiple sites for both stages 3 and 4 in both REM cycles; NV: remedy night decreases and post-remedy night increases, mainly in stage 3 REM cycle 2 MSE). D2 analyses yielded more sporadic and inconsistent findings.
Homeopathic medicines Coffeacruda and Nux vomica in 30c potencies alter short-term nonlinear dynamic parameters of slow wave sleep EEG in healthy young adults. MSE may provide a more sensitive NDS analytic method than D2 for evaluating homeopathic remedy effects on human sleep EEG patterns.[4]
An open-label observational study of the homeopathic medicines for anxiety and sleep disorders
Anxiety and sleep disorders (SDS) are frequently treated with psychotropic drugs. Health authorities in France have been advised to improve access to alternative treatments such as homeopathic medicines. Aim of the authors of this study was to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and clinical progression of patients prescribed homeopathic formulation containing Passifloraincarnata (passionflower) 3DH, Ignatiaamara (St Ignatius bean) 4CH, Coffeacruda (green coffee) 5CH, Nyckterinia (midnight candy) 4CH, Tellurium metallicum (tellurium) 5CH, Phosphoricumacidum (phosphoric acid) 7CH, Palladium metallicum (palladium) 5CH, and Magnesium metallicum (magnesium) 5CH for anxiety and/or SDS.
This was an open-label, observational study. Randomly selected general practitioners (GPs) known to prescribe homeopathic medicines recruited consecutive patients (≥18-years) prescribed homeopathic formulation. The following data were recorded at inclusion by the GP: socio-demographic data and anxiety severity (Hamilton anxiety rating scale or HAM-A); and by the patients: level of anxiety (STAI Spielberger self-assessment questionnaire) and SDS (Jenkins sleep scale or JSS). Anxiety and SDS were reassessed after 4 weeks of treatment using the same scales.
A total of 639 patients (mean age: 46.3 ± 17.5 years; 78.6% female) were recruited by 98 GPs. Anxiety was present in 85.4% (HAM-A) and 93.3% (Spielberger State) at inclusion (mean scores: 17.8 ± 8.91 and 54.59 ± 11.69, respectively) and SDS was present in 74.0% (mean score: 15.24 ± 5.28). A total of 401 (62.7%) patients received homeopathic formulation alone and 167 (26.1%) PC + psychotropics. After 4 weeks, mean anxiety scores decreased by more than 7, 12 and 6 points (HAM-A, Spielberger State and Trait respectively), and SDS score by more than 4 points (JSS).
Anxiety and/or SDS improved significantly in patients included on this study. Homeopathic formulation could be an alternative to the use of psychotropic drugs for first intention treatment of anxiety and SDS. Further studies are needed to confirm those results.[5]
References
[1] David Francis Naudé, David Francis Naudé, David Francis Naudé, Ingrid Marcelline Stephanie Couchman, Ingrid Marcelline Stephanie Couchman, AshnieMaharaj. Chronic primary insomnia: Efficacy of homeopathic simillimum. Homeopathy, January 2010Volume 99, Issue 1, Pages 63–68
[2] Iris R. Bell, Amy Howerter, Nicholas Jackson, Mikel Aickin, Carol M. Baldwin, Richard R. Bootzin. Effects of Homeopathic Medicines on Polysomnographic Sleep of Young Adults with Histories of Coffee-Related Insomnia. Sleep Med. 2011 May; 12(5): 505–511.
[3]Harrison CC, Solomon EM, Pellow J. The effect of a homeopathic complex on psychophysiological onset insomnia in males: a randomized pilot study. AlternTher Health Med. 2013 Sep-Oct;19(5):38-43.
[4]Iris R. Bell, Amy Howerter, Nicholas Jackson, Mikel Aickin, Richard R. Bootzin, Audrey J. Brooks. Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Effects of Homeopathic Remedies on Multiscale Entropy and Correlation Dimension of Slow Wave Sleep EEG in Young Adults with Histories of Coffee-Induced Insomnia. Homeopathy. 2012 Jul; 101(3): 182–192.
[5]StéphanieVillet, StéphanieVillet, StéphanieVillet, VéroniqueVacher, Aurélie Colas, KarineDanno, Jean-Louis Masson, Philippe Marijnen, Marie-France Bordet. Open-label observational study of the homeopathic medicine Passiflora Compose for anxiety and sleep disorders. February 2016Volume 105, Issue 1, Pages 84–91