The Green Pharmacy for Insomnia

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The " Green Pharmacy " for Insomnia JoAnn Guest Jun 01, 2005 17:59 PDT

 

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We live in a country that has a hard time getting enough sleep. About a

third of Americans experience insomnia regularly, and up to ten million

rely on sedative prescriptions to help them fall asleep. That's a whole

lot of sleeping pills.

 

Insomnia is a broad term that encompasses any and all difficulties with

sleep, including the inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep.

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Green Pharmacy for Insomnia

 

Pharmaceutical sedatives work, but they can become addictive, and they

" interfere " with " natural " sleep cycles. You won't be surprised to learn

that I prefer natural alternatives, of which there are several.

 

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).

 

Also known as melissa, lemon balm is endorsed as both a sedative and

stomach soother by Commission E, the body of scientists that advises the

German government about herb safety and effectiveness.

 

The sedative action is attributed largely to a group of chemicals in the

plant called terpenes. Several other herbs--juniper, ginger, basil and

clove--are better endowed with some of these chemicals, but none of them

has the " combination " that lemon balm contains, and none of them has its

reputation as a bedtime herb.

 

I suggest trying a tea made with two to four teaspoons of dried herb per

cup of boiling water.

 

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis).

Drinking a tea made with one to two teaspoons of dried valerian root

shortly before bedtime will promote sleepiness, according to Commission

E. In fact, the commission considers the tea so safe that it also

endorses drinking it up to several times a day to relieve restlessness,

anxiety and nervousness.

 

Valerian has a fairly rank aroma and taste. If its earthiness is not to

your liking, you can always opt for a tincture or capsules instead.

 

In the United Kingdom, there are more than 80 over-the-counter sleep

aids containing valerian.

 

Why? Because it works.

 

In one study, a combination of 160 milligrams of valerian and 80

milligrams of lemon balm extracts brought on sleep as well as a standard

dose of one of the drugs in the Valium family of pharmaceuticals

(benzodiazepines).

 

I should mention here that Valium is not derived from the herb valerian.

 

 

There's a common misconception that the two are related, probably

because they both begin with a V.

 

Unlike prescription sleep or anxiety medications, valerian is not

considered habit-forming, nor does it produce a " hangover, " as do

medications in the Valium group.

 

Some naturopaths I respect suggest that you treat insomnia by drinking

valerian root tea about 30 minutes before retiring. Others suggest

taking 150 to 300 milligrams of a standardized extract (0.8 percent

valeric acid). Personally, I don't think it matters.

 

Valerian presents another opportunity for me to reiterate my belief that

the whole herbal extracts used in natural medicines often make more

sense than the " magic bullet " herbal derivatives that the drug industry

favors.

 

For years scientists believed that only two constituents in valerian,

valepotriates and bornyl esters, produced its sedative effect. But one

more recent Italian study notes that other chemicals in this herb,

valeranone and kessyl esters, also contribute to its sleep-inducing

effectiveness.

 

The researchers concluded that the sedative effect of valerian comes

from the actions of its many different constituents working in harmony

with each other.

 

 

Valerian

The root of this herb has long been used as a sedative, and it's the

active ingredient in more than 100 over-the-counter tranquilizers and

sleep aids.

 

 

 

Lavender (Lavandula, various species). It's nice to see lavender

approved by Commission E for insomnia. I've seen accounts of British

hospitals using lavender oil to help patients sleep at night. The

hospitals administer the oil either in a warm bath or sprinkled onto

bedclothes.

 

Lavender oil is also a favorite of aromatherapists, who use it for all

sorts of ailments, including insomnia.

 

Some components of lavender oil affect cell membranes, interrupting the

interaction of cells with each other. Because the oil helps to " slow "

nerve impulses, it can help reduce irritability and bring on sleep. It

also has an anesthetic effect.

 

But beware: Not all lavender is tranquilizing. Some species, especially

Spanish lavender, might have a stimulating action similar to rosemary's.

When you buy lavender oil, be prepared to try it out to discover whether

it's soothing. If you buy from an aromatherapist, specify that you're

looking for an oil that can help you sleep.

 

If you inadvertently buy a lavender oil that has the opposite effect,

simply save it for other uses (you'll find many in this book). But

remember that essential oils are intended for external use only.

 

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). This is a mild sedative, according

to Commission E. Respected herbalists around the world agree, among them

Steven Foster, a distinguished Arkansas herbalist and photographer and

co-author of The Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients.

 

In the United Kingdom, about 40 over-the-counter sedative preparations

contain passionflower.

 

But wouldn't you know that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

banned the use of passionflower in over-the-counter sedatives because it

has not been proven safe and effective? The problem here is not with the

herb itself. The problem is with the FDA's unrealistic and exorbitantly

expensive standard of proof.

 

Because of this, you may not be able to buy the kind of safe, gentle

sleep-inducing preparations containing passionflower that are widely

available in Britain or Germany.

 

But you can buy the herb itself, as well as herbal tinctures, and these

should be safe to use. Fresh or dried passionflower has been used

successfully for centuries to treat nervous tension, anxiety and

insomnia.

 

 

Opium: History's Favorite Sleep Inducer

 

Do you have any pretty poppies growing in your backyard garden? If

they're large red, purple or white annuals, it's just possible that

you're harboring illegal plants. Because poppy plants are the source of

both opium and heroin, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has made it

illegal to grow them.

 

If you're among the " guilty, " however, you certainly have a lot of

company. These poppies are grown as ornamentals throughout the nation.

And opium poppies are so good at seeding themselves that they're hard to

get rid of. (I've even seen them growing illegally in many state-run

botanical gardens.)

 

If you do have an illegal poppy or two among your petunias, you should

also know that you're growing one of the world's oldest medicines. The

sleep-inducing, pain-relieving powers of opium have been recognized for

thousands of years.

 

According to a manuscript sent to me by the famous Hungarian scientist

Peter Tetenyi, people along the Rhine had fields of opium poppies as

long ago as early Neolithic times, around 5000 b.c. Although the seeds

were first used as food, the sedative effects of the pod and latex were

recognized quite early.

 

By the middle of the second millennium b.c., the ancient Greeks used

opium extensively as medicine. And by about 1000 b.c., the beautiful

opium poppy was being used as an ornamental flower from Europe all the

way to China.

 

I certainly don't recommend taking any of the narcotics derived from the

opium poppy, except when they are prescribed by a doctor.

 

But you might as well be aware that doctors still do make considerable

use of drugs derived from this plant, including codeine and morphine.

 

And just in case you're curious, the opium used for legal prescription

drugs comes from poppy fields in Holland and Australia.

 

 

 

Camomile (Matricaria recutita). Camomile tea has been used as a bedtime

beverage for centuries. Although its reputed sedative effect was not

scientifically proven until this decade, the folklore was right.

 

Apigenin has proven to be one of the effective sedative compounds in

camomile. I'd probably try it at bedtime, if I didn't have my valerian

and lavender handy. It is a pleasant-tasting tea that you'll probably

enjoy.

 

Catnip (Nepeta cataria). The plant that intoxicates most cats also has

mild tranquilizing-hypnotic-sedative effects on many people. Catnip

contains chemicals (nepetalactone isomers) similar to the sedative

constituents of valerian.

And being a member of the mint family, catnip tastes much better than

valerian. You can try a cup of tea about 45 minutes before bedtime.

 

Hops (Humulus lupulus). Hops has been used to treat anxiety, insomnia

and restlessness for more than 1,000 years, ever since the plant became

a popular ingredient in beer.

 

Hops' sedative ingredient is apparently the compound methyl-butenol,

which has a sedating effect on the central nervous system. Smoking hops

is said to have a sedative effect, and while I wouldn't recommend

smoking it, it does make a pleasantly bitter-tasting tea.

Hops

Hops comes from the female flowers of a grapelike, perennial vine.

 

 

 

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis). Although not usually grown in the United

States, this shrubby African legume is available in selected herb

stores. Tea made with this herb is a bedtime favorite among South

African herbalists, consumers and even physicians.

 

South Africans also use it to improve appetite, calm the digestive tract

and reduce nervous tension. They regard it as safe enough to give

infants.

 

Herbal formulas. In searching my database for plants that are rich

in sedative compounds, I turned up several surprises. Many plants that

are rich in sleep-inducing chemicals have little or no folkloric

reputation as sleep aids.

Among them are ginger, with 11 different sedative compounds; basil,

thyme, tangerines and tomatoes with 9; cinnamon, spearmint, red pepper,

pennyroyal and oranges, 8; and peppermint,

 

I can't prove that a tomato salad with basil and thyme or a cup of

spearmint tea with ginger and cinnamon will bring on the Sandman, but if

you have sleep problems, it might help to eat these foods and herbs more

frequently.

 

In addition, California herbalist Christopher Hobbs, a fourth-generation

botanist and author of about a dozen books I often refer to, suggests a

number of combinations that can treat sleeplessness and its close

relatives, anxiety and stress.

 

For insomnia Hobbs suggests treatment with passionflower, valerian and

California poppy. To banish the anxiety that may cause insomnia, he

recommends a combination of California poppy, hawthorn and hops.

 

And to help cope with stressful situations that could contribute to

insomnia, Hobbs recommends two parts each of camomile, lavender, lemon

balm and linden with one part orange peel.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

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