Herbal Solutions for Sleeping Difficulties
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The following is derived from an article in Sleep and Health magazine, April 2004 issue. For the most part, herbal remedies are much safer than conventional, isolated-active-ingredient-type synthetic drugs. Ancient wisdom says take the whole herb and eat the whole food for best results. And since sleep disorders have been around for a long time it would make sense that there are holistic herbal remedies for sleep disorders, falling asleep easily, insomnia and other sleeping difficulties.
Valerian, one of the 25 best-selling herbs in the USA in the late 90s is a well-known sleep aid with over a one thousand year history of usage. It was taken widely in Medieval times. It is known for its calming, relaxing effects and its ability to decrease the time it takes for a person to fall asleep and to experience deeper sleep.
Although the US Food and Drug Administration rates valerian as generally safe, patients should not overuse this remedy and withdraw from it abruptly because of possible side effects. Start with a little and increase from there as necessary. As with many herbal remedies people should not be looking for or expecting immediate results, although they can happen. As a society we’re used to instant gratification by just popping a few pills and feeling better. What is happening a lot of the time is the symptoms are being subdued while the actual cause of the discomfort is being ignored. With herbal remedies, if you take the herb that is known to effectively treat the discomfort or imbalance, the actual cause for the imbalance is treated and ideally, you are relieved from that for good.
Ginseng root may maintain normal sleep and wakefulness. Typically people take ginseng to boost energy and sharpen the mind, but it has the effect of stabilizing and balancing the whole physiology and it’s functions, including sleep.
Ginseng is known as an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a naturally occurring substance found in some plants. Russian scientists discovered them years ago and prescribed them for Russian athletes. They found that adaptogens were helpful in raising an individual's resistance to physical, chemical, or biological stresses. It also boosts recovery from stressful workouts. It has the power to normalize the physiological functioning of organisms suffering from various physical problems. So the Russian scientists applied these natural adaptogens to keep athletes from getting ill and preventing them from being wiped out by heavy training and to augment recovery so that intense workouts could be carried out more frequently. They thought that adaptogens might improve athletes' overall training program and therefore quicken race times. They found that ginseng can be helpful in reducing stress, which is a leading cause of sleepless nights.
Ginseng does have some effects that are common. Some people report nervousness and excitation, but these are reported to diminish with continued use or dosage reduction.
Hops, a dried strobile, is a popular sleep aid. It has been used for centuries as a sedative-hypnotic that improves the appetite and promotes sleep. You may have it as a tea, which can be purchased at most grocery stores, or place the dried herb into your pillow, breathing its smell at night. Hops is not recommended for women who are pregnant or who have breast cancer.
In addition, the ancient system of Ayur Vedic medicine has different sleep remedy solutions for various types of sleep disorders. There is one herbal remedy for trouble falling asleep and another for waking up several times in the night. Each sleeping disorder is associated with a different type of constitution. Ayur Veda has a different sleep remedy for each type of constitution. Ayur Vedic herbs are ancient remedies and made of all natural ingredients. Ayur Veda offers some of the most effective natural sleep aids.
Of course caffeine, nicotine, steroids, alcohol, etc., and other similar substances that impair both falling asleep and staying asleep should be avoided entirely.
As with most herbal remedies, try them one at a time until you find one that works for you.
From and article in Sleep & Health April 2004
This article is for information purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice. Please see your physician for health or sleep disorders.
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