Herbs for Restful Sleep
I think I slept a good 13 hours last night ! This cold weather send me into hibernation mood but it is only natural. We see many other plants and animals doing the same during this time of year particularly in these northern regions of the earth where it gets very cold when the sun is not predominantly in the northern hemisphere. I must tell you that sleep is so sacred & necessary . It allows the mind to rejuvenate and body to repair itself. When your mind becomes relaxed enough it can access various other wavelengths (delta) and activate different receptors to bring the consciousness into a dream state . Many of the times it's difficult for many to reach this because subconsciously the mind is anxious about the next day or even anxious about getting enough rest that very night. Anxiety is a stress. So the mind never truly relax to its fullest potential . On nights like these, I'll sleep the whole night but never truly feel rested to the point I feel recovered! There's a few things that go on chemically in the brain during sleep time:
1. Melatonin is already being produced as an aid to get the body prepared to rest for an extended period of time (vs. two hour nap during the day) 2. Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid, is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in your central nervous system (CNS). That is, your body uses GABA to dampen nerve activity in your brain, which leads to feelings of calm and relaxation as the body is within the beginning stages of sleep. This is perhaps the key link between having a truly restful and restorative sleep. When nerves are calm they can rest and repair and when your nerves are calm and repairing ... So are you! Last night I was granted a natural overdose of GABA I sleep so long and good. I even dreamt that I went to sleep and slept long and hard in my dream. Woke up in my dream, missed my plane, & ain't even care! (I believe I was in Barcelona in my dream) There are many natural solutions to promoting calmness to the nervous system before sleep. Meditations , Teas, Tinctures, and Exercises/Postures Rest is also essential to growth and mental clarity. When the mind is rested it can generate thoughts, ideas and respond with swiftness. There are a few herbs that’s I’d like to share that I’ve found to promote relaxation of the mind and body thus allowing for a peaceful , deep , revitalizing nights sleep
Valerian The aforementioned GABA also helps to calm anxiety with its regulation of nerve cells. The valerenic acid and valerenol contained in the Valerian root act as anti-anxiety agents, stabilising the central nervous system. The improved GABA levels make it easier for the mind and body to relax, meaning Valerian root can also help to keep your stress levels down – significantly helping with daily stress management.
Hops Pairing hops with Valerian may help treat insomnia. Research has found that the use of valerian on its own or in combination with hops helped improve sleep quality and lessened the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Used as a bittering agent in beer, hops are thought to deliver sedative effects.
Passion Flower Passion Flower is a gentle anti-anxiety and mildly sedative herb that can even be used to induce a good night's sleep in children. One particular study asked volunteers with trouble sleeping to drink a cup of Passion Flower tea at bedtime for a period of time, all reported significant sleep improvement. The herbs are quite common and can typically be found at your local herb shop or health food store that sell herbs in bulk. Combining these herbs listed creates for the perfect, all-nature sleep concoction. Please note that you never want to boil herbs. Steeping herbs for about 15-20 mins should extract a good amount of its essence or healing properties. Consume at comfortable temperature & enjoy!