Herbal sleep aids - support for sleep disorders
Reading time: 03:30 minutes
Are you one of those people who can't fall asleep despite being tired? Or do you wake up several times a night and constantly look at the clock because you can't get back to sleep? Around a third of people suffer from insomnia. You are therefore not alone, but you can break free from insomnia and find your way back to healthy sleep. Herbal sleep aids can certainly help you do this.
Table of contents:
- Why the right sleep-wake cycle is important
- How does stress affect sleep?
- The importance of good sleep hygiene
- These plant extracts support sleep
- Healthy sleep with herbal sleep aids
- Are herbal sleep aids a panacea for insomnia?
- Sleep better without the risk of addiction and side effects
- Conclusion: Sleep disorders can be managed with stress reduction and herbal supplements
Why the right sleep-wake cycle is important
If you sleep too little or don't reach the REM phase, you wake up overtired and without any motivation. But even if you feel like you sleep for 10 hours or more, your body can only recover during 'proper sleep'. There are a few tips for finding the right sleep-wake rhythm for you, such as having fixed sleeping and waking times. However, even the best tips won't help if you simply can't achieve inner peace at bedtime. In the past, doctors often prescribed pharmaceuticals. However, the potential for addiction is high and you run the risk that your natural rhythm of sleep and wake phases will only follow the medication. You can start every day refreshed and with infectious motivation. All you need is a little self-discipline and a herbal sleep aid to help you sleep through the night.
How does stress affect sleep?
Stress is a sleep killer. If you are under a lot of stress at work or at home, you unconsciously try to organize your thoughts and solve problems at night. However, the nightly carousel of thoughts prevents you from falling asleep and can even lead to you waking up due to bad dreams and then not being able to fall asleep again. The more tense you are, the more adrenaline you release. Sleep is therefore out of the question as your body feels an ambivalence between adrenaline and melatonin. It is certainly not easy to switch off your thoughts and not take your problems to bed with you. But it is possible if you follow a few tips and take care of good sleep hygiene, for example.
The importance of good sleep hygiene
Falling asleep in front of the TV, taking a quick look at your smartphone or answering an email ... - these are just a few examples of why you can't sleep. The bedroom should be a cozy retreat away from technology. Neither a TV nor your smartphone or laptop should have a place here. To help you calm down and leave the day behind you, you should switch off your technical devices around an hour before you go to bed. This is not primarily about electromagnetic radiation, but rather about the flood of information that hits you.
Do the things that calm you down and at the same time avoid anything that could rob you of sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. A calming cup of tea in the evening is better than a glass of wine or a coffee. Let the evening wind down quietly and avoid discussing problems or sorting them out with yourself just before bedtime. A short evening walk also helps you fall asleep and is also good for your health. There are also many other tips for falling asleep.
If all else fails, you can turn to herbal sleep aids to help you calm down.
These plant extracts support sleep
There are some herbs that have been proven to have a calming effect and can therefore help you sleep better. Even if there is no scientifically proven "healing effect", herbal sleep aids have been used for centuries. Valerian, hops and St. John's wort are known to provide relaxation and help the body and mind to rest. It is therefore not surprising that these plants are also used in the natural treatment of sleep disorders. Chamomile, lavender and lemon balm are equally helpful. If you prefer a warm drink in the evening, you can brew yourself a tea from the fresh or dried herbs. Just the relaxing moment you enjoy the tea will let the stress of everyday life fall away from you and put you at ease. As an alternative to tea (which can unfortunately have a diuretic effect), you can also take herbal sleep aids as capsules or a spray.
Healthy sleep with herbal sleep aids
If your biorhythm is working properly, your body releases the hormone melatonin at nightfall. However, constant exposure to artificial light and an often unnatural sleep-wake cycle means that many people's biological clock is "out of sync". However, this does not mean that you are now awake at night and tired during the day. If you have problems sleeping through the night, our Sleep Through Complex could be just the thing for you. These capsules are available both enriched with melatonin as well as hormone-free without melatonin. If you have trouble falling asleep, you can use our melatonin sleep spray, enriched with passion flower extract. More and more doctors are now referring to herbal sleep aids. If you are healthy, have no allergies and your insomnia is not caused by illness, you will in most cases have success with a herbal product and be able to fall asleep and sleep through the night again more easily.
Are herbal sleep aids a panacea for insomnia?
No, herbal extracts are not a panacea. If your insomnia lasts longer and is not caused by a current moment of stress, you should consult a doctor. It is not uncommon for (morning) tiredness, despite supposedly deep sleep, to be caused by sleep apnoea, for example. The consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and late dinners also have an effect on the rest phase. You should therefore do some soul-searching and find out what you yourself are contributing to your sleep problem. If you are healthy and are occasionally unable to fall asleep or stay asleep, a herbal sleep aid may be helpful. You should be aware that not all preparations have the same effect on everyone affected. You may therefore have to try different variants and find your herbal sleep aid.
Sleep better without the risk of addiction and side effects
If people suffer from long-term sleep disorders, they are often prepared to accept side effects and other risks in order to get a good night's sleep. However, you should never underestimate the danger and addictive potential of pharmaceutical sleeping pills. In contrast, herbal sleep aids are not addictive and you don't need to worry about side effects. Unless you have an allergy to a particular plant, you can take natural products as capsules, sprays or teas without any problems and then go to sleep completely relaxed. Once you have conquered your inner restlessness and have regained your balance, you can stop taking such products at any time without any "withdrawal symptoms" or other consequences. This is not so easy with pharmaceuticals, as the addiction develops gradually and you often only find out from relatives that you are obviously addicted.
Conclusion: Sleep disorders can be controlled with stress reduction and herbal preparations
There are two basic things that ensure a good and relaxing night's sleep. Get rid of any stress and all the things that are bothering you, especially at night. Deal with problems before going to bed and don't wait for the "right" moment, which won't come anyway. You can use nutritional supplements to stimulate melatonin production and ensure that the sleep hormone helps you to rest. Herbal ingredients can help you find more inner balance so that you can fall asleep and sleep through the night again. Whether you prefer capsules, sprays or a warm tea, however, is purely a matter of taste.