Sleep is one of the best things in the world! It restores our bodies, minds and souls. Without adequate and quality sleep, our bodies wear out and actually begin to decay with shocking speed! You can live without food four times longer than you can without sleep yet some people still treat good quality sleep as a luxury.
This year, many people in my life have been coming to me with their sleep problems. Some cant seem to turn their minds off to let themselves fall asleep, some initially fall asleep just fine but wake up in the night and cant fall back to sleep, and others cant sleep because of physical pain.
These three different reasons for poor sleep need specific herbal intervention and in this post I will address each of these causes and what herbs will specifically remedy them!
Table of Contents
The Three Main Causes of Poor Sleep
Anxiety/wakefulness
This one is extremely common. Myself, my father and my best friend (and so many others) suffer from this one. Sometimes we just can’t turn our brains off! Thankfully, there are so many wonderful herbs and practical things you can do to calm your mind and ease anxiety.
Hormones
Many of us these days suffer from hormone imbalances. Our modern world bombards us with xenoestrogens and hormone disrupters that can really throw us out of whack.
Some signs that your sleeplessness may be due to hormones include: Fatigue in the day but being unable to sleep through the night, heat and cold sensitivities, night sweats and frequent urination in the night. Thankfully, the world of plant medicine has you covered with some incredible adaptogenic herbs and hormone balancers!
Pain
Sleeplessness due to chronic pain can be such a vicious cycle and I have so much compassion for you if you are experiencing this. Ultimately, the most important thing you can do is treat the underlying cause of pain but don’t worry, there are a few herbs and plants that can really help sedate you and take the edge off.
Herbs for Anxiety, Wakefulness and Insomnia
This list of herbs is packed full of constituents that will quiet your mind, ease your worries and help you peacefully drift off to sleep.
First up we have:
St. John’s Wort
St. Johns Wort Has been used for centuries as a sleep aid and a mood booster. Modern science has shown that St. Johns Wort actually stimulates GABA receptors and increases serotonin reuptake. These two actions help combat insomnia and depression.
Hops
Hops is a fascinating flower with so many incredible health benefits. It has many amazing, high quality scientific studies to support what herbalists have been observing in patients for thousands of years! In this study, a combination of Hops, Passion flower and Valerian were compared to the prescription sleep medication, Ambien. The researchers found the herbal treatment to be just as effective as the prescription medication but without the harmful side effects!
Hops have also been used to treat anxiety and depression and its effects on mood disorders have been heavily studied today. In this study, daily supplementation with Hops was found to greatly reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and depression as well as lower Cortisol levels.
Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is a sweet and slightly minty smelling herb that has been used throughout history as a sleep aid and to calm the nerves. Today, many studies have shown that Lemon Balm, especially in combination with Valerian, decreases stress, eases anxiety and promotes better sleep. Lemon balm is considered a nervine and an adaptogen and helps bring balance to your body and brain.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a wonderful adaptogenic herb that is loaded with Triethylene Glycol, a compound that promotes sleep and calms the body. Some very interesting studies have been done showing that taking Ashwagandha daily can shorten the time it takes you to fall asleep as well as increase your time in deeper restorative sleep. Taking 120 mg of Ashwagandha a day has also been shown to decrease cortisol levels by up to 30%!
Valerian
Valerian has been appropriately referred to as ‘natures Valium’ and is one of the most potent sedaters in herbal medicine. This is why I use Valerian in all three of our sleep tinctures! One of the ways Valerian works is by prolonging the life of GABA which helps calm the nervous system and brain. It also contains chemicals that have been shown to slow activity in the part of our brains responsible for stress, fear and intense emotions. There have also been some studies done on the use of Valerian for treating OCD where the subjects taking the herb showed significant improvement without the nasty side effects of the synthetic drug alternatives.
Chamomile
There is a reason why Chamomile has been so popular from ancient Egyptian times to today. Chamomile is so many herbalists favorite remedy for anxiety because it is very effective but also a very gentle nervine that can be given to children. There are tons of amazing studies on how Chamomile can ease anxiety and sedate the body. Because it is a flower, I like to use it in our Sleep Tea Blend.
Lavender
For thousands of years, lavender has been used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. In this study, lavender was compared to Lorazepam (prescription anti anxiety and insomnia drug) and proved to be just as effective without the feeling of drowsiness the next morning! You can diffuse lavender oil, incorporate the flowers into baking or drink it as a tea. I use it in my Sleep Tea Blend.
Passion Flower
Passion flower is a beautiful flower from the Passion fruit tree that, among many other things, can increase GABA in your brain! It has been used as a sedative, an anxiolytic, a pain killer and a hormone balancer. This flower really is a powerful herb for all three causes of poor sleep. In this study, participants were given passion flower tea every day for seven days and showed significant increase in their sleep quality compared to the control group!
Here is How to Make My Tincture and Tea Blend for Anxiety, Wakefulness and Insomnia
Herbs for Hormone Imbalance
The world of hormones is so complex and mysterious but thankfully, herbs have been used for hormone support since God had our fish bodies evolve legs! (I got tired of saying ‘thousands of years’)
Herbs have been used for menstrual care, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause and low testosterone over the years by herbalists, midwifes and now doctors and research scientists.
Because different herbs should be used for different hormone imbalances, you may want to leave out some herbs listed here that may make your problem worse. For example, Motherwort is perfect for you if you are going through menopause or need cycle support, but if you have low testosterone or estrogen dominance, you will want to skip this one.
Motherwort
Motherwort is a sedative, anxiolytic and a powerful estrogen boosting herb! It contains an alkaloid called Leonurine that is anti-inflammatory and reduces oxidative stress. Its an emmenagogue and contains phytoestrogens making this herb an awesome menstrual and menopause support! Because it can boost estrogen, it is not recommended for people with low testosterone or estrogen dominance.
Vitex
Vitex, also known as Chasteberry is an incredible herb for hormone balance. Although vitex does not contain any plant hormones, its constituents stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more luteinizing hormone which then increases progesterone production. Progesterone is vital for hormone balance and can increase Testosterone if you have too much estrogen. Vitex has been shown to decrease PMS symptoms and regulate cycles, increase low testosterone or estrogen, increase fertility and libido, decrease menopause symptoms and clear the skin of hormonal acne. This herb really is a hormone balancing powerhouse!
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen. Adaptogens work by bringing balance to your body systems and help you achieve homeostasis. Ashwagandha has been shown to lower stress related inflammation and regulate healthy cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels not only makes it difficult to sleep at night but also depletes testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. Ashwagandha also has been shown to increase sperm count in men and increase fertility in women!
Black Cohosh
Black Cohosh has primarily been used over the centuries to treat menopausal symptoms but can also be used to alleviate other hormonal imbalances such as PCOS and uterine fibroids! Many studies have shown that menopausal women supplementing with black cohosh experienced a reduction in hot flashes, night sweats and irritability.
In this study, 244 women with uterine fibroids supplemented with 40mg of black cohosh for three months. By the end of the study, a significant number of women had seen an up to 30% decrease in the size of their fibroids!
Valerian
Valerian has been appropriately referred to as ‘natures Valium’ and is one of the most potent sedaters in herbal medicine. This is why I use Valerian in all three of our sleep tinctures! One of the ways Valerian works is by prolonging the life of GABA which helps calm the nervous system and brain. It also contains chemicals that have been shown to slow activity in the part of our brains responsible for stress, fear and intense emotions. There have also been some studies done on the use of Valerian for treating OCD where the subjects taking the herb showed significant improvement without the nasty side effects of the synthetic drug alternatives.
Hops
Hops is a fascinating flower with so many incredible health benefits. It has many amazing, high quality scientific studies to support what herbalists have been observing in patients for thousands of years! In this study, a combination of Hops, Passion flower and Valerian were compared to the prescription sleep medication, Ambien. The researchers found the herbal treatment to be just as effective as the prescription medication but without the harmful side effects!
Hops have also been used to treat anxiety and depression and its effects on mood disorders have been heavily studied today. In this study, daily supplementation with hops was found to greatly reduce cortisol levels and balance estrogen, progesterone and testosterone!
Chamomile
There is a reason why Chamomile has been so popular from ancient Egyptian times to today. Chamomile is so many herbalists favorite remedy for anxiety because it is very effective but also a very gentle nervine that can be given to children. There are tons of amazing studies on how Chamomile can ease anxiety and sedate the body. Because it is a flower, I like to use it in our Sleep Tea Blend.
Lavender
For thousands of years, lavender has been used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. In this study, lavender was compared to Lorazepam (prescription anti anxiety and insomnia drug) and proved to be just as effective without the feeling of drowsiness the next morning! You can diffuse lavender oil, incorporate the flowers into baking or drink it as a tea. I use it in my Sleep Tea Blend.
Passion flower
Passion flower is a beautiful flower from the Passion fruit tree that, among many other things, can increase GABA in your brain! It has been used as a sedative, an anxiolytic, a pain killer and a hormone balancer! This flower really is a powerful herb for all three causes of poor sleep. In this study, participants were given passion flower tea every day for seven days and showed significant increase in their sleep quality compared to the control group!
Here is how to make my Tincture and Tea Blend for Hormone Imbalance Insomnia
Herbs for Pain and Discomfort
Prescription pain medication can be so hard on our bodies and sometimes even addictive. Thankfully, there are a few great herbs for pain management that can help ease discomfort without nasty side effects!
Willow bark
Willow bark has been used for thousands of years as a pain killer. Salicin is the active ingredient in Willow bark and is what Asprin is made from! Salicin can be harmful in its synthetic state (Asprin) but in its natural form, as found in willow bark, salicin can easily convert to salicylic acid and is much gentler on your stomach.
In this study, willow bark was found to significantly reduce back pain!
Ginger
Ginger is an excellent addition to this list because it not only reduces pain but also reduces nausea related to chronic pain! In a study of women with severe menstrual pain, they found ginger to be just as effective as ibuprofen.
Ginger has also been found to decrease pain related to migraines and arthritis!
Valerian
Valerian has been appropriately referred to as ‘natures Valium’ and is one of the most potent sedaters in herbal medicine. This is why I use Valerian in all three of our sleep tinctures! One of the ways Valerian works is by prolonging the life of GABA which helps calm the nervous system and brain. It also contains chemicals that have been shown to slow activity in the part of our brains responsible for stress, fear and intense emotions. There have also been some studies done on the use of Valerian for treating OCD where the subjects taking the herb showed significant improvement without the nasty side effects of the synthetic drug alternatives.
Chamomile
There is a reason why Chamomile has been so popular from ancient Egyptian times to today. Chamomile is so many herbalists favorite remedy for anxiety because it is very effective but also a very gentle nervine that can be given to children. There are tons of amazing studies on how Chamomile can ease anxiety and sedate the body. Because it is a flower, I like to use it in our Sleep Tea Blend.
Lavender
For thousands of years, lavender has been used to treat depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. In this study, lavender was compared to Lorazepam (prescription anti anxiety and insomnia drug) and proved to be just as effective without the feeling of drowsiness the next morning! You can diffuse lavender oil, incorporate the flowers into baking or drink it as a tea. I use it in my Sleep Tea Blend.
Passion Flower
Passion flower is a beautiful flower from the Passion fruit tree that, among many other things, can increase GABA in your brain! It has been used as a sedative, an anxiolytic, a pain killer and a hormone balancer. This flower really is a powerful herb for all three causes of poor sleep. In this study, participants were given passion flower tea every day for seven days and showed significant increase in their sleep quality compared to the control group!
Here is how to make my Tincture and Tea Blend for Chronic Pain Insomnia
Conclusion
I hope you found this extensive post helpful and that you try out one of these tinctures and tea blends!
Do you suffer from poor sleep and you don’t think it is related to one of these three causes? Let me know in the comments below and I would be happy to come up for a customized list of herbs for you! 🙂
