I don’t know anyone who truly gets happier for being more tired. Most of us get sullen, irritable, cranky, and our immune suffers, our healing ability suffers...it all goes downhill when we’re tired!

 I am so excited!  We’ve been testing a supplement program we devised on a handful of clients who have exhibited ‘adrenal exhaustion’ sleep patterns.  Adrenal exhaustion manifests itself most obviously in disturbed sleep which follows very characteristic patterns.  Typically, the person will sleep fairly well for two to four hours, then will spend the rest of the night waking up, rolling over, getting frustrated, dozing off and on.  Essentially, these people are running on almost no sleep. 

 There are, of course, a myriad of other symptoms of adrenal exhaustion which I won’t go into here.  Suffice it to say that allowing an adrenal exhausted person to get 7 – 8 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each night goes a very long way to their recovering full adrenal function and feeling great!  You do the math – 3 hours vs 8 hours.  Which one would make you feel better?

 We have seen excellent success in my small test group!  Typically, when compliance is high we have seen sleep improve dramatically within 2 – 3 weeks.  We have proven that this in not an ‘either-or’ or ‘pick-and-chose’ program.  All components need to be in place in order to get the amazing results we are getting!  And yes, the program seems a little on the heavy side.  Consider the alternatives – sleeping meds, not healing well after injury, increased menopausal problems in women, increased PMS, increased arthritic symptoms, increased risk of high blood pressure, reduced immune function, inability to cope well with stress, not to mention increased risk of bad temperament and decreased energy!

 Here’s what we’ve found for a typical 150 lb adult.

 A sleep mask is critical.  Get a good-quality one that is comfortable and doesn’t have scratchy edges.  I wish I had the lab facilities to test my theory.  People who do this program without a sleep mask don’t get as good results.  I feel it has something to do with night-time melatonin production, and the need for total, absolute dark.  Even the amount of ambient light coming in through the curtains or radiating from the clock-radio seems to be too much for adrenal exhausted people.

 Daily exercise for 30 – 60 minutes is required.  It should not be too strenuous.  Biking at 70 RPM, swimming, walking at 3 – 4 mph, all fit the bill.  Going too hard and/or too fast will stress the adrenals further!  You need the benefits of exercise, not the stress of it.

 All of these supplements are from Nature’s Sunshine Products. 

Judith Cobb