When dealing with insomnia, color therapy can be of some help. Color therapy or chromotherapy is the use of color to promote general health and also to treat particular maladies (including but not limited to sleep-oriented problems).
Chromotherapy can be used to treat both emotional and physical sleep disturbances, and may involve exposure to colored lights, massages using color-saturated oils and salves, meditation and visualization of certain colors, or wearing certain colors of clothing.
Color has been used for centuries in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders.
In India, practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine believed that specific colors corresponded with each of the seven chakras, vortices of energy in the body that represent organs, emotions, and aspects of the soul or life force.
In the days of ancient Egypt, practitioners built solariums with specifically designed glasses and lenses that served to break up the sun's rays into the colors of the spectrum.
In the late 17th century modern-day color theory was born when English mathematician and philosopher Sir Isaac Newton conducted his prism experiments and showed that light is truly a mixture of colors from the visible spectrum.
But it was not until the late 1800s, when Dr. Edwin D. Babbitt published his book Principles of Light and Color, that Chromotherapy as we know it was outlined.
It is in this work that Dr. Babbitt suggests the use of color as a treatment for a variety of ailments, including sleep and anxiety disorders.
In the late 1940s, Russian researcher S.V. Krakov conducted a series of experiments in which he separated the different wavelengths in the light spectrum to show how color affects the nervous system.
In his experiments, he observed that red light stimulated the adrenal glands, raising blood pressure and pulse rate, and that blue and white light had a calming, relaxing effect.
The fruits of Krakov's studies are still used today by many practitioners, and his brand of color therapy is commonly recommended for stress and for stress-related pain.
In recent years studies have demonstrated the positive effects of full-spectrum light on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and other forms of depression, which has resulted in increased public awareness of color therapy.
It is becoming more and more common to find mainstream researchers turning to chromotherapy for a variety of ailments as well, particularly sleep disorders.
Color is a property of light, which is made up of many different waves of energy. When light falls upon the photoreceptor cells of the retina, it is converted into electrical impulses.
These impulses travel to the brain and trigger the release of hormones. The release of these hormones in controlled bursts can be used to treat the body and mind for many of the medical conditions that hinder sleep as well as promote conditions that are conducive to sleep and rest.
While many forms of chromotherapy can and should only be practiced by licensed practitioners and/or medical doctors, some forms of color therapy are simple and safe enough to be practiced in the comfort of your own home.
These include wearing clothing of particular hues, surrounding yourself with a recommended color, eating certain colorful foods, and concentration on visualizing a particular color.
Some Cautions:
Never use color therapy instead of conventional care for serious sleep problems.
If you suffer from epilepsy, use caution when looking at flashing lights.
If you are receiving colored light therapy, avoid looking directly into the light source. Look at an object illuminated by the colored lights instead.
When taking prescription drugs, read the warning label to make sure that no side effects are induced if your skin is exposed to bright light.
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Strange episodes during sleep
By: Theresa | 21-07-2008
My daughter and myself need to understand more about these episodes she experiences on a weekly basis, here goes...she falls asleep but a some point she is aware that she is awake..her eyes can open but she can't move..she trembles and experiences a overwhelming loudness as if she was strapped to a train...she has to focus and "fight" to wake herself up out of the stage she is in. Just the other night she felt as if someone was pressing her down into her bed..she couldn't move her arms or yell..she want to yell but couldn't. I have had a similiar sort of episode myself but only once. She almost feels as if she is having a near death experience. She tries to explain to me that she sometimes feels as if she's spinning wildly. The key points however seem to be the loud almost train like noises and the heart pounding and the feeling of having to beat this and fight herself to wake up...all while her eyes are open and she can see her surroundings. My daughter is 21 and has this going on weekly. It upsets her so so much. I would assume she is stuck between two stages of a sleep pattern. As I'm trying here to explain these strange circumstances I can't help but to compare it to the horrow stories we may have all herard of of when someone is being operated on and the doctors think they are anesticized and asleep but they feel and hear everthing but their cant move or yell out for help. Please share any thoughts or comments that may help or at least make her feel better.
Help diagnose these symptoms, very scared and worried, need help
By: SimplyMe | 18-07-2008
My symptoms include:-40 pound weight loss, w/o dieting, in only 2 months.-Bouts of extreme diaphoresis (HOT/COLD same time, w/no fever, rolling sweat), lasting 48 hours or more, leading to severe dehydration.-Extremely vesicular pompholyx, never had allergies or eczema before. -Horrible insomnia. -Muscle fatigue, weakness, bone and joint pain. -Hands are very swollen upon waking. Somedays they stay numb for several hours. Not carpal tunnel, had that w/pregnancy, and carpal has more 'electric' feeling to it. I have been in and out of the hospital in the last 2 months several times. Had every test you can imagine from the neck down, all negative. The docs just scratch their heads and say its probably a virus, puh-lease. Obviously something fairly serious is going on here, and I'm not getting any answers. I'm only 37, and have a life and family. I just want to live it. I'm scared this problem could kill me before the docs figure out what the heck is going on. Please help!
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By: Pat | 27-06-2008
How long does it take to get off of Ambien before you have normal sleep?
Help me!!!
By: Daniel in Canada | 19-06-2008
How can I prevent snoring is there medicine or treatments available
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Is Melatonin safe to take with Naispan?
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By: legalman | 23-04-2008
I'm doing a school report on medical research. Anyone participated in one or know where I can get some info?
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