Many people suffer from sleeping troubles almost every night. If you are one of them, you most definitely know how badly this condition affects someone’s life. Feeling constantly tired, irritated, and unfocused are just some of the consequences of a bad night sleep. But suffering from chronic insomnia can also impact someone’s life very negatively. Many individuals who suffer from this condition never seek help or ask their doctor for proper treatment. Many times, they think that insomnia is transitory and that it will go away eventually. On the other hand, some people avoid asking a practitioner due to the fear that they have of being put under strong sleeping pills. For this reason, there are more and more people each day who look for natural remedies to relieve insomnia.
In this article, we will tell you about a relatively unknown one: akuamma. So, if you are interested in this subject, keep reading below to learn how akuamma for insomnia can help.
Types and Causes of Insomnia
Insomnia derives from the Latin word “insomnium”, which literally means “sleepless”. A person who suffers from insomnia can’t achieve quality sleep at night. Most people experience sleepless nights from time to time. Who hasn’t had trouble sleeping after a busy stressful day or when they have to face a problem in their lives? But there are people who simply can’t sleep almost every night.
Types of Insomnia
There are many types of insomnia, each of them characterized by different factors:
- Acute insomnia is the most common. It lasts for a few days or weeks.
- Chronic insomnia happens when an individual has trouble sleeping at least 3 days per week for a month.
- Onset insomnia is the trouble to fall sleep in the first 30 minutes after going to bed.
- Maintenance insomnia is trouble staying asleep. Typically, people who suffer from this type of insomnia will wake up multiple times for periods over 30 minutes or wake up too early and can’t go back to sleep.
Causes of Insomnia
Most times, insomnia is a symptom of an underlying condition, but other times the cause is unknown. Let’s see the most common causes of this problem below:
- Medical causes of insomnia include neurological, hormonal, psychological, and metabolic conditions. Additionally, some illnesses that cause pain can provoke trouble to sleep. On the other hand, people who need to go to the bathroom frequently due to a urological problem may also suffer from insomnia.
- External factors that can affect sleep include unhealthy eating habits, alcohol or drug abuse, poor environmental conditions, and unhealthy work schedules (i.e.: shift work).
Insomnia: Effects on Health
Evidence and research have shown that insomnia can have serious side effects and risks to our health. For this reason, it must not be taken lightly. Risks of insomnia include:
- tiredness and overall discomfort
- distress, anxiety, and depression
- mood swings
- decreased attention capacity
- memory loss
- increased risk of developing medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease, and stroke
What Is Akuamma?
Also known as Picralima Nitida, akuamma is a plant native to Western Africa. Its seeds have been traditionally used for different purposes, including:
- pain relief
- to relieve inflammation
- relaxation
- to relieve inflammation
Additionally, in its areas of origin akuamma seeds are used to treat ailments such as diarrhea, malaria, and as an antibacterial and to treat ulcers.
Akuamma As a Kratom Alternative
Although akuamma is a little-known natural remedy to most people, it is relatively popular among individuals seeking kratom alternatives. In fact, akuamma is mostly used by kratom users who want to cut off on their kratom use, or who simply don’t have access to kratom.
Like kratom, it has a number of alkaloids that are responsible for its properties. The main akuamma alkaloids are akuammine and akuammidine. And again, like kratom’s alkaloids, akuamma’s compounds act upon your opioid receptors. This helps akuamma users relax and achieve better sleep.
As a kratom alternative, people use akuamma mainly to relieve pain and to calm anxiety. But since the plant has potent sedative effects it can also be a choice to fight insomnia.
Akuamma for Insomnia
Unfortunately, akuamma is still very unknown in our region, so there is not enough research on the plant to determine how akuamma for insomnia works. However, anecdotal evidence shows results in this area. As we said above, since its alkaloids act on the opioid receptors of the brain, akuamma can effectively help you relax and achieve better sleep.
Due to the lack of research, there is no general rule to determine how to use akuamma for insomnia, so we must rely on users’ experience.
Akuamma is typically sold in whole seeds or powder form format. The powder can be ingested directly (toss n’ wash) or inserted into capsules. On the other hand, the seeds are pretty straight forward to use. Akuamma seeds are more or less the size of a capsule, so you can simply swallow them with a glass of water.
Regarding the dosage of akuamma for insomnia, again, there’s no proper research. So, as we always say, less is more. Start with a low dose and build your way up until you find the necessary relief. People usually start with one seed (250mg of akuamma powder). If this doesn’t work, the second phase would be trying 500mg and then 1g. There are users who go as high as 4-5 grams, but it is recommended to stay lower than that to prevent any undesired effects.
Where to Buy Akuamma for Insomnia?
Although akuamma is unknown to most people, it is easy to find in the market. Typically, you’ll be able to buy akuamma from the same vendors from where you buy your kratom and other ethnobotanicals.
If you are considering purchasing akuamma, it is recommended that you do your due diligence and research before you buy it. Look for online vendor reviews, have a look at their sites, policies and contact methods, and when you feel comfortable, make your purchase.
