Getting Sleep, the Natural Way – Examples of Herbal Medicines and Herbal Aids for Sleep

Some natural herbal medicines may help you sleep better, including melatonin, magnesium, and valerian root. However, these should not take the place of healthy eating, regular exercise, and good sleep habits. Obtaining a good quantity of sleep is highly crucial for your health. Sleep helps your body and brain function correctly. A good night’s sleep can help improve your learning, memory, decision making, and even creativity.

What’s more, getting insufficient sleep has been linked to a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Despite this, sleep quality and quantity are at an all-time low, with more and more people experiencing poor sleep. Getting good quality sleep often starts with good sleep practices and habits. Nevertheless, for some people, that’s not enough.

Try the following natural herbal sleep-promoting supplements if you feel like you need a little extra assistance to get a good night’s sleep.

Valerian root

The herb valerian is indigenous to both Asia and Europe. Its root is frequently used as an all-natural remedy for menopause, depression, and anxiety symptoms.

One of the most popular herbal supplements for promoting sleep in the United States and Europe is valerian root. The study’s findings are still contradictory, though. Menopausal and postmenopausal women have seen their sleep quality and sleep disorder symptoms improve after using valerian, according to one review.

Another small study found that taking 530 mg of valerian per night for 30 days led to significant improvements in sleep quality, latency, and duration compared to a placebo in people who had undergone heart surgery. Nevertheless, most observed improvements in these trials and studies were subjective. They relied on participants’ perception of sleep quality rather than on objective measurements taken during sleep, such as brain waves or heart rate.

Some researchers have determined that valerian’s favorable effects are negligible at best. For instance, it may lead to a small improvement in sleep latency. Nevertheless, consuming valerian root for a brief period of time seems to be safe for adults, with only minor, infrequent side effects.

Lavender

Nearly every continent is home to the lavender plant. It yields purple blooms that, when dried, offer a range of domestic purposes. Additionally, lavender’s calming scent is thought to improve sleep. In fact, some studies suggest that simply smelling lavender oil soon before sleep may be enough to enhance sleep quality in persons with mild insomnia.

Additionally, a small study on dementia-afflicted older adults suggests that lavender aromatherapy can help with symptoms of sleep disturbance. Less persons woke up very early and were unable to fall back asleep, and participants’ overall sleep time increased. In 60 people with coronary artery disease, a different study found that lavender aromatherapy improved sleep quality and decreased anxiety after 15 days.

Although oral ingestion of lavender has occasionally been linked to nausea, belching, and diarrhea, it is generally safe for use in aromatherapy. Essential oils should not be consumed orally; they are meant for aromatherapy.

It’s also important to note that there aren’t many studies on the advantages of taking supplements of lavender for sleep. So, additional research is required before drawing firm conclusions.

Passionflower

 

Passionflower, also known as Passiflora incarnata or maypop, is a popular herbal remedy for insomnia. The species of passionflower linked to sleep improvements are native to North America. They’re also currently cultivated in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Passionflower’s sleep-promoting effects have been demonstrated in animal studies. Its effects on people, though, seem to vary depending on the form taken. One older study in humans compared the effects of a passionflower tea with those of a placebo tea made from parsley leaves.

Participants drank one cup of each tea an hour or so before bed for a week, switching between the two teas after one week. Each tea bag was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and researchers gathered objective evaluations of sleep quality. At the end of the 3-week study, the objective measurements indicated that participants had not experienced improvements in sleep.

However, after the passionflower tea week as opposed to the parsley tea week, they subjectively rated their sleep quality as being about 5% higher.