Honey remedies have been used as a popular way to induce sleep for thousands of years.
An old Chinese adage calls for "eating honey every night" and European folk healers have recommended drinking a cup of hot milk with a teaspoon of honey before bedtime since the Middle Ages.
Honey and sleep (The HYMN cycle):
Scottish pharmacist, researcher and author Mike McInnis believes that honey remedies improve and prolong the restful sleep of at least three mechanisms. When taken before sleep, he teaches that honey:
-Assure adequate reserves of hepatic glycogen for eight hours of sleep (this prevents or limits the morning release of two stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline).
-Stabilizes the levels of sugar in the blood.
-Contributes to the release of melatonin, the hormone needed for both the recovery and reconstruction of resting body tissues.
The mechanism of this process can be described by what McInnes calls the honey-insulin-melatonin cycle or HYMN cycle. This cycle begins with ingestion of one to two tablespoons of honey in the hour before bedtime, as follows:
1. The glucose fragment (portion) of honey passes from the intestine, through the circulation of the liver and into the general circulation producing a slight glucose spike.
2. Slight elevation of glucose (due to glucose) causes controlled release of insulin by the pancreas.
3. The presence of insulin in the general circulation causes tryptophan in the brain.
4. Tryptophan is converted to serotonin, a key hormone that promotes relaxation.
5. In the dark, serotonin is converted to melatonin in the pineal gland.
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6. Melatonin activates sleep by reducing body temperature and other mechanisms. It also inhibits the release of more insulin by the pancreas, thus preventing a rapid decline in blood sugar levels.
7. Melatonin promotes the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone is the hormone that governs the entire physiology of recovery. This is the first step in recovery or restorative physiology that occurs overnight.
8. A cascade of recovery hormones initiates the repair, maintenance and reconstruction of bone, muscle and other tissues.
9. Melatonin has an impact on memory consolidation because of its need to form neural cell adhesion molecules during REM sleep. These molecules are needed for the treatment of short-term memory of the hippocampus in long-term memory in the cerebral cortex.
10. Simultaneously, the honey fructose fragment fulfills its critical role. The liver absorbs fructose and converts it into glucose and then into liver glycogen, providing the brain with a sustained supply of glucose for the night.
11. In addition, fructose regulates the uptake of glucose into the liver by causing the release of glucokinase from the nuclei of hepatocytes. Thus, fructose ensures a good supply of hepatic glycogen overnight and prevents a major glucose / insulin spike as mentioned in step 1.
12. An adequate supply of hepatic glycogen means that stress hormones do not need to be released.
Natural Remedies for Chronic Insomnia:
Honey and sleep go hand in hand. Here are some additional recipes:
Add 1 teaspoon of honey to a cup of hot chamomile, orange blossom, lemon balm or linden flower tea. Drink before bedtime.
Add 2 teaspoons of honey to a cup of hot milk. Drink before bedtime.
Prepare half a glass of diluted orange juice with an equal amount of warm water.
Add 2 teaspoons of honey, and drink just before bedtime.
Add 1 teaspoon of honey to a cup of hot peppermint tea. A clove can be added if desired.
Mix 2 ounces of honey with 5 drops of lavender oil. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of this mixture to a hot water bath and enjoy a relaxing bath for 10 to 15 minutes