Herbal Remedies For Insomnia

Insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep for the desired amount of time, is something that plagues all different types of people. Insomnia can occur throughout a persons life at any time but it’s more commonly seen in people that have high-stress jobs or in the elderly as their declining levels of melatonin make it more difficult for them to fall asleep. Regardless of age or circumstances, insomnia can occur to pretty much anyone and it can be a very frustrating and difficult experience that can affect all your daily activities. Insomnia can put strains on relationships, job performance, health, and add challenges to any ongoing problems or financial situations which is why it’s best to make sure that you get a handle on any sleeping problems you have right away before they begin to cause problems in other parts of your life as well.

The good news is that insomnia can be treated naturally and relieved with herbal teas, herbal baths, and infusions. The great thing about treating insomnia with natural herbal remedies is that you aren’t just taking a pill that will force you to go to sleep, you’re actually correcting the imbalances within your body that are causing the insomnia in the first place. Insomnia isn’t the problem - its usually just a symptom of a larger issue such as being too stressed out, or dealing with a stressful event that occurred recently in your life.

There are many herbs that are very helpful when it comes to the treatment of insomnia and most of them can be used in a variety of ways whether it’s through a bath or a tea or an infusion of them though some are suited to certain modalities more than others. Passionflower, for example, works very well as a tincture as does valerian. Passionflower was used by the aztecs as a sedative and it’s useful for general insomnia as well as mild pain relief and to get rid of muscle spasms. If you take a tincture of it about an hour before you go to bed it should be very effective in treating your insomnia.

Valerian works in much the same way and studies have been done on it that prove its effectiveness at bettering sleep quality and relieving insomnia however it doesn't cause any daytime sleepiness which is a great benefit over prescription medications that often cause drowsiness the next day. Jamaica dogwood is another good herb, known best for its calming effects and it’s ability to ease pain and clear your thoughts. This herb can be taken by mouth or placed in a both but it’s very powerful so it’s wise to stick with your recommended dosage and you can also combine it with valerian or hops if you like.

Hops is another great herb for insomnia, it does best if used in a bath and it can be mixed with chamomile with good results. It is very helpful for headaches, inducing sleep, and it’s also an antiseptic. However hops isn’t a good herb to take if you’re suffering from any kind of depression or if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Chamomile and st. johns wort are also very popular choices for those suffering from insomnia and both work well in baths or by mouth and they are both very useful for treating anxiety, depression, general illness, and reliving pain. They are both sedatives and do an excellent job of reliving insomnia. You can also use oats in a bath as a gentle scrub or as oatmeal which is very nourishing and can relieve stress and exhaustion as well as insomnia from illness or jet lag.

One of the best treatments for insomnia is an herbal bath. The warm water is not only relaxing and soothing but it also releases the sedative properties and healing effects of the herbs. You can use an infusion or a decoction in your herbal bath but the easiest way to put an herbal bath together is to simply wrap up a few herbs in a muslim or a cheesecloth bag and hang it from the faucet so that the hot water runs over it as your bath fills up. This is a really effective method especially if you’re using herbs like lavender, chamomile, st. johns wort, valerian, yarrow and other similar, calming herbs. You can also add an infusion of these herbs to the bath water or use some essential oils. A bath is very effective with herbs, especially for insomnia because not only does the hot water and steam open your pores, allowing more of the herbs to be absorbed by your body but it also infuses the steam with the essences of those herbs which sends them through your nose directly into your nervous system making the effect of them even greater. You’ll want to take these types of herbal baths before you go to bed but take caution and be sure that you don’t fall asleep while in the bath because this can be dangerous.

Another great way to utilize these herbs is to make herbal teas out of them and drink them half an hour before you are planning on going to bed. You can make teas out of chamomile, lime blossoms passionflower, hops, and st. johns wort that will be very effective in helping you calm down and get ready to go to sleep for the night. You can also make a lemon balm or a valerian tea. You can also make infusions of similar herbs that will have the same kind of desired effect by simply steeping them in boiling water for twenty minutes or so.

Insomnia is never a fun thing to experience but if you take the time to make up some good herbal teas, take some baths, and take good care of yourself it won’t be a problem and soon you’ll be back to your normal sleeping schedule, resting as peacefully as you ever have. Follow the advice above and see what herbs work for you but always remember to consult a doctor or healthcare professional if you are unsure or have questions. Enjoy your herbs and your sleep!