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Increased anxiety, overexcitement, irritability, insomnia – all these conditions are terribly exhausting a person, both mentally and physically. Traditional medicine treats such conditions with medication, drugs that do not always help and sometimes have an impressive list of side effects. Traditional medicine has used herbs for thousands of years to calm the mind, overcome anxiety, and relieve irritability.
Herbal sedatives: video recipes
Benefits of herbal sedatives
The herbs are available over the counter without a prescription, and you do not need to visit your doctor to buy herbal sedatives or individual herbs. Herbal remedies have almost no contraindications and side effects. One of the biggest benefits of sedatives is that they are not addictive. Relying on medications, people often become addicted to them. Drinking decoctions and teas, taking relaxing baths, you can stop taking at any time.
Medicines often have not only short-term negative side effects that you feel you can stop taking, but also long-term consequences that the manufacturer cannot predict, because drug research has not been carried out before sale for many years. Taking home herbal sedatives in this aspect is safe, since the history of human use of herbal preparations goes back centuries of findings and observations.
Many prescription medications are synthesized versions of natural sedatives
Do herbal remedies have contraindications?
While sedative preparations are safe, they cannot be said to be suitable for everyone. For example, you should not drink herbal teas if you are pregnant, as they can cause miscarriage or problems in the development of the fetus.
You can not give herbal preparations without a doctor’s prescription for children under one year old, since the child’s body may react more sharply to some natural ingredients. If your pediatrician has recommended soothing herbs for your baby, follow the prescribed dosage strictly.
Adults also need not to exceed the recommended dose, it is not for nothing that the great doctors of antiquity said: “there is medicine in a drop, poison in a spoon.” Soothing decoctions, of course, can rarely become toxic in an overdose, but they can cause a very different effect than the one you hoped for. So, for example, a decoction of chamomile, when used correctly, relaxes and causes drowsiness, but in case of an overdose it can cause indigestion, nausea, and vomiting.
Do not drink herbs without consulting your doctor if you regularly take any medications, because you do not know what can happen from the interaction of tablets with active ingredients in herbs
There are a number of mental and physical disorders, the symptoms of which are anxiety, insomnia, increased anxiety, and irritability. If you have these symptoms all the time, you should also see a doctor, since by removing the symptoms, you can start a disease that needs a completely different treatment regimen.
Before you start drinking herbs, make sure you are not allergic to them.
Most Popular Herbal Sedatives
One of the most famous sedatives is Valerian Root. It is used as a sedative, hypnotic, and relieves mental and physical stress plant. Valerian root relieves nervousness and fatigue. It is also worth noting that the infusion with this plant is able to reduce pain during menstruation and is effective for menopause.
Catnip is a unique soothing herbal remedy. It relieves symptoms of increased anxiety such as spasms, headaches caused by insomnia, muscle tension, relieves stress.
Chamomile is a natural sedative for insomnia.
Chamomile is safe for children, but doctors recommend using it only occasionally and not on an ongoing basis.
St. John’s wort, although not directly a sedative, is effective in combating depression. It improves mood, which is often enough to deal with increased anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that St. John’s wort is also effective as the famous antidepressant Valium, but St. John’s wort tincture does not have the side effect of this drug – blurred consciousness.
Other popular soothing herbs:
- Melissa
- lavender
- motherwort
- fennel
- sweet
How to brew soothing herbal teas
Soothing natural remedies can be taken in the form of medicinal tinctures by adding a few drops to juice or water, but herbal teas are very popular. To brew a soothing tea, boil water, dried or fresh herbs, one or more, place in a linen tea bag or strainer and dip into a vessel of boiling water. Cover and leave for 5-7 minutes. Remove herbs. You can put just a few tablespoons of the herb in boiling water and then filter the infusion. In herbal tea, you can add a little honey, a slice of lemon.
If you do not want to buy ready-made preparations at the pharmacy, prepare a mixture of herbs yourself.
You can take:
- 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried catnip
- 1 tablespoon peppermint leaves
- 500 ml boiling water
- lemon and honey to taste
This tea not only relieves anxiety and insomnia, but also clears the airways and relieves puffiness.
The following herbal tea is often recommended for children:
- 1 tablespoon lemon balm
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
- 2 slices licorice root
- 500 ml boiling water
- honey
This tea, in addition to its calming effect, also soothes the stomach.
Tasty and healthy tea will turn out from 2 tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers, several pieces of apple, brewed with 2 cups of boiling water.