Plants for better sleep, which soothe us and make it easier to fall asleep are numerous. We will list some of them throughout this article. Here are 8 plants that can give you restful sleep.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm is preferred for better sleep because it has a sedative action on the central nervous system. Take it if you are prone to spasms and neuralgia. Lemon balm should be considered more specifically if the digestive system is disturbed, with a proven nervous origin. It decreases stress and has an accentuated anxiolytic effect in combination with valerian. Lemon balm promotes sleep in cases of sleep onset insomnia.
Use 10 grams per cup if the plant is dry and up to 5 grams if the lemon balm is fresh.
Linden (Tilia platyphyllos)
Linden buds are rich in farnesol and terpenes with sedative neuroregulatory properties. It is not a sleeping pill but a sleep inducer, without contraindication for pregnant women, children and the elderly.
50 to 100 drops in adults (up to a teaspoonful), one drop per kg of weight per day in children.
(Be careful sometimes reversal of effect: in this case reduce the doses)
Lemon Verbena (Lippia Citriodora)
Used in the event of digestive spasms, scent verbena helps reduce general nervousness, promote restorative sleep, and therefore sleep better. This plant facilitates sleep and fights anguish and anxiety.
1 small handful per cup.
Orange blossom (Citrus aurantium)
Orange blossom water is calming and sedating. It helps fight against hyperactivity, nervousness and stress.
1 tablespoon in a glass of water.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Matricaria chamomile flowers help calm spasms and regulate nervousness. Hypnotic of modest activity, matricaria chamomile acts on sleep disorders, anxiety, but also on mild nervous breakdowns. The apigenin it contains is a competitive ligand for benzodiazepine receptors.
2 teaspoons per cup.
Passionflower (Passiflora Incarnata)
Passionflower acts primarily on the nervous system. It is for this reason that it is recommended for insomnia and mood disorders associated with overworked brain. Passionflower therefore has a calming action by reducing states of nervousness and anxiety. This plant is also antispasmodic. Sedative, it is indicated in insomnia and sleep disorders by evening excitement. The anxiolytic activity passes through an effect on the GABAergic systems, it soothes and relaxes.
2 g of flowers and leaves in a cup of simmering water.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
A great regulator of the central nervous system, valerian allows you to sleep better, thanks to its calming and antispasmodic effect. The power of its active ingredients has earned it its reputation as a natural sleeping pill, improving the structure and quality of sleep. Valerian is an agonist of 5-HT5a receptors and plays a role in the serotonergic regulation of the circadian cycle by increasing the level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). In particular, it reduces the stress induced by reducing the level of monoaminergic neurotransmitters. Indicated in insomnia, palpitations of nervous origin, neurotonic states and neuro-vegetative dystonias in adults and children, valerian acts on the sympathetic alpha hyperfunction of prolonged stress and on sleep disorders ( especially sleep-onset insomnia), associated with hop extract, even after a single administration, and lemon balm. This plant also improves the quality of sleep in postmenopausal women with insomnia.
2 g of roots in a cup of boiling water. Let steep for 10 to 15 minutes.
Eschscholtzia (Eschscholtzia Californica)
Eschscholtzia is considered a natural anxiolytic. It is a major plant in nervousness, anxiety and sleep disorders because it is not addictive. Hypnotic and inducing sleep, it decreases the time it takes to fall asleep and prolongs the duration of sleep by inhibiting the enzymatic degradation of catecholamines. Its action on serotonin by certain alkaloids which bind to serotoninergic 5-HT receptors (protopine, aporphine) is not negligible. The induction mechanism is done, among other things, by modulation of GAGA-A. Eschscholtzia is used in the treatment of insomnia, especially those caused by difficulty in falling asleep and anxiety. The duration of falling asleep is markedly reduced.
20 g / liter. Let steep for at least 15 minutes.
Note that the consumption of herbal tea for therapeutic purposes should not exceed three weeks, and the precautions for use specific to certain plants must be observed in order to stay in good health.
