Do you find it difficult to fall asleep? Waking up in the middle of the night and can’t close your eyes until 5am? Statistics show that every third person suffers from sleep disorders. Do not rush to take handfuls of sleeping pills or anxiolytics, there are natural remedies, herbs and oils that will help you regain the joy of sleep.
Sleep disturbance can be caused by many reasons. Among them, the main ones, according to Elena Bezlyudova, a somnologist at the SM Clinic, are stress, taking medications and psychoactive substances such as caffeine, alcohol. “It is preferable to start the treatment of insomnia with herbal sleeping pills, which do not require a prescription,” the doctor recommends. “They are quite effective, but they do not give side effects and can be easily canceled.”
Sleep-grass
For sleep disorders, valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, hops, hawthorn are usually used. These medicinal herbs have a pronounced sedative (calming) effect. Elena Bezlyudova also recommends preparations of motherwort, peony, mint. Medicinal herbs can be used individually or in combination. In pharmacies, herbs are most often sold in the form of tablets, pills, or powders for brewing. Magnesium is also added to some preparations to enhance the relaxing effect.
What herbs work best?
Valerian is a recognized method of combating insomnia. It is not addictive, usually sold in granules, in the form of tablets or tinctures. Valerian helps fight the nervousness that often accompanies insomnia, improves sleep and makes it easier to fall asleep after just a few weeks of treatment. Valerian is often combined with hops: for example, you can buy herbal pillows with collections of hops, valerian, fern and laurel.
Passionflower also has a calming effect, it reduces anxiety, helps restore sleep patterns without any unwanted side effects. Recipes for healing teas based on passionflower came to us from traditional medicine. Often, passionflower is drunk along with other herbs, such as hawthorn. In pharmacies, passionflower is usually sold in the form of granules or drops.
Read more:
- How does aromatherapy help you lose weight?
Melissa has a calming effect, and also helps with symptoms that are often manifested in a nervous breakdown: stomach cramps, anxiety, excessive excitability, heart palpitations.
Fruit decoction hawthorn used to combat mild sleep disorders. Hawthorn relieves stress, calms the heart rhythm. True, studies confirm the effectiveness of hawthorn only in combination with magnesium intake.
For the preparation of decoctions based on medicinal herbs, 1-3 teaspoons of the collection per 200 ml are most often used. hot water, the solution is infused for 15-20 minutes. Sometimes, to prepare an infusion, medicinal herbs are poured with water at room temperature and kept for 4 to 48 hours. Tinctures sold in pharmacies are taken in concentrated form or diluted with water – 20-30 drops 2-3 times a day.
As if in oil
Essential oils can also help you fall asleep. However, when choosing them, you need to be more careful – aromatic oils sometimes cause allergic reactions.
What oils are considered the most effective?
Tatyana Deryabkina, dermatovenereologist at the Cascade Wellness Club, advises using neroli, chamomile и lavender: “They not only have the necessary calming properties, but also allow you to harmonize nervous activity, relieve anxiety and irritation.” Also, sleep disturbance caused by depressive disorders helps to cure bergamot, clary sage.
“It has a calming and warming effect. marjoram, says Tatyana. – Ylang-ylang, sandalwood and juniper oils will also help to cope with sleep disturbance. For chronic insomnia, severe sleep disorders, you can use lavender, rosemary, orange, lemon balm, rose, cypress, fennel, bay, mint, neroli oils in any combination.
Tatyana Deryabkina advises rubbing oils or their compositions into the temporal lobes, 1-2 drops each. Oils are also used for aroma lamps and aroma baths. “For aroma lamps, 6 drops of essential oil diluted in water are used. The only limitation for lemon balm oil is that its optimal dosage in lamps is 3 drops, Tatyana advises. – Aroma baths can be taken every day, in the evening, for 10-15 minutes. Enough 5-10 drops of essential oil per bath. Use only warm water, not hot.”