The Role Of Chromatherapy In Finding An Insomnia Cure

Chromatherapy, or color therapy, involves the use of color to promote general health and also to treat particular maladies (including sleep-oriented problems).

Useful in treating both emotional and physical sleep disturbances, chromatherapy may involve exposure to colored lights, massages using color-saturated oils and salves, meditation and visualization of certain colors, or the wearing of certain colors of clothing.

The use of color in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders dates back many centuries.

Some 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras applied color light therapeutically and "color halls" were used for healing in ancient Egypt, China and India.

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.

In India, practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine believe that specific colors correspond with each of the seven chakras - vortices of energy in the body that represent organs, emotions, and aspects of the soul or life force.

But it was not until the late 1800s, when Dr. Edwin D. Babbitt published his book, Principles of Light and Color, that Chromatherapy as we know it was outlined.

In this work, 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.

Many practitioners still use the results of Krakov's studies today and commonly recommend his brand of color therapy for the treatment of stress and stress-related pain.

Today, many mainstream researchers commonly turn to chromatherapy for the treatment of a variety of ailments - particularly sleep disorders.

Color is a property of light, which comprises many different waves of energy. When light falls upon the photoreceptor cells of the retina, it is converted into electrical impulses that travel to the brain and trigger the release of hormones.

The release of these hormones in controlled bursts can be used to treat your body and mind for many of the medical conditions that hinder sleep as well as to promote conditions that are conducive to sleep and rest.

While many forms of chromatherapy 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 concentrating on visualizing a particular color.

Each of the seven colors of the spectrum is associated with specific healing properties.