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Philip Watkins Naturopathy

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You are here: Home / Archives for Sleepless, Restless, and Sad?

Sleepless, Restless and Sad?

Sleep deprivation in Hong Kong is so prevalent it’s almost considered part of the lifestyle. An HKU study showed that 92% of the people studied showed signs of sleep deprivation without even knowing it. The same trial suggested that over 60 per cent of people woke up more than once in the preceding seven days before the survey.

If you feel as if you are one of those people, just because it seems normal does not mean it can’t improve. Maybe you’ve always been a good sleeper, but things have changed recently without a good reason why.

Most of us can handle the odd night where we don’t hit the magic eight hours, but when you find yourself waking at 3 am every night, struggling to sleep from then until the alarm goes off every morning, it’s then that you start to feel anxious, restless and even sad. From there, it becomes difficult to know where one starts and the other begins. Sleepless, restless and sad offers articles and podcast episodes to explore the origins and solutions around fixing your sleep, feeling less anxious and improving your mood using natural medicine.

Melatonin in 2022: What you need to know

October 22, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Melatonin use is rising sharply post-pandemic and is often polarising in its effects. Some find it gives them what they need, while others don’t. In an article written earlier this year, I promised I would dive deeper into this remarkable hormone, and here we are.  We’re going to look at how melatonin works in the body, how it interacts with other hormones such as … [Read more...]

Poor sleep: A beginner’s guide to herbs and supplements to help.

September 24, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Herbal medicine can help get you to sleep, stay asleep and improve your sleep quality.

It’s fair to say over the last fifteen years, I’ve used herbal and nutritional medicine to treat many people who have poor sleep, especially so in Hong Kong. You only need to experience poor sleep to understand just how the quality of your day falls apart after just one or two bad nights. In fact, nearly forty per cent of adults in the US with insomnia have either tried … [Read more...]

Omega-3, Fish oil, depression and your mental health

September 3, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Fish oil capsules might helps depression

When talking about fish oil for mental health, especially depression, to my patients, I always refer to it as a “research merry-go-round.” One study will show it’s positive for mental health[1] and even for reducing mortality risk.[2] As the merry-go-round continues, there’ll be a contradictory study on mental health[3] that confuses patients and practitioners … [Read more...]

Meditation for mental health in 2022?

August 13, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Young Asian man with eyes closed, enjoying meditating with his headphones

A question asked many times over the last decade is whether meditation is more effective than medication in managing your mental health and health in general. I put together a small workup about meditation’s role in the brain when taking some personal responsibility for stress. In that article, I promised I would do a deeper dive and feel the time is right, so here we … [Read more...]

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for mental health?

July 30, 2022 by Philip Watkins

young woman feeling calm and less anxious

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a nutritional compound that seems beneficial for mental health and everything in between. Or at least that’s how the initial research presented. Let’s look into how it might help you.  NAC, as it’s usually known, is a popular over-the-counter supplement and FDA-approved drug used for paracetamol overdose.[1] Interest in NAC’s use spans multiple … [Read more...]

Herbal medicine for Anxiety and Depression – Part One

June 4, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Women can use lavender to help with generalised anxiety

Herbal medicine used for anxiety and depression is becoming more common. One study of two hundred and sixty patients with depression showed that up to fifty per cent had tried some form of natural medicine.[1] Another study from the USA found that forty per cent of people with moderate depression and anxiety had tried some form of natural medicine, including herbal … [Read more...]

Insomnia in a post COVID world: do the same solutions still help?

May 7, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Depressed woman with insomnia unable to get to sleep at night

It seems so. However, as with insomnia in the pre-COVID era, unravelling what might have caused it in the first place is an important, complex and personalised priority. In this article, we’ll be looking at what the most recent studies say about how the prevalence of insomnia has changed during and post-pandemic, chronic insomnia in general and some solutions that you may or … [Read more...]

Can the brain and digestion be the answer to your acne and skin issues?

April 30, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Woman worried about her acne

In this article, I’m here to tell you that the brain and digestion can be the answer to your acne and skin issues. Would you believe two dermatologists first spoke about the brain, gut, and skin connection in 1930?[1] I’ve been excited to write this article. I feel that this relationship has been in the literature for a while; it’s only recently that the brain-digestion-skin … [Read more...]

Is there a connection between the gut, your brain and chronic pain?

April 23, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Woman experiencing chronic pain in her neck and shoulders. Is her gut and brain the real origin of it?

The answer is yes, there is a connection between the gut, your brain and chronic pain. Around 2 billion people are living with chronic pain worldwide.[1] For most people living with chronic pain, it is often considered a symptom of another condition. Usually, unfortunately, this leaves it inadequately treated. In my early years of practice, I saw many fibromyalgia patients, … [Read more...]

Introducing Cortisol, the stress hormone.

March 25, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Woman wondering how to manage her stress.

“I think stress is affecting my hormones.” And it’s so true. But not in the way many people may think. It’s not just your sex hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone that are causing reactions in your body but others such as insulin and the hormone we are looking at today, cortisol. Introducing cortisol, the hormone that allows your body to deal with stress … [Read more...]

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Recent Posts

  • Free and Inspired Radio Episode 26: Magnesium is deficient for some, essential for all.
  • Melatonin in 2022: What you need to know
  • Hydrogen Sulfide and SIBO: The reason your treatment hasn’t worked yet?
  • Is coffee good for you?
  • Poor sleep: A beginner’s guide to herbs and supplements to help.
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Recent Posts

  • Free and Inspired Radio Episode 26: Magnesium is deficient for some, essential for all.
  • Melatonin in 2022: What you need to know
  • Hydrogen Sulfide and SIBO: The reason your treatment hasn’t worked yet?
  • Is coffee good for you?
  • Poor sleep: A beginner’s guide to herbs and supplements to help.

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