A Guide to Herbal Sleep Aids

Difficulty sleeping can affect many aspects of life. People who don't get the recommended amount of sleep for their age groups can have a myriad of negative affects.

Daytime crankiness, difficulty concentrating, frequent illness, depression, and accidents are all common problems associated with poor sleep habits.

For some people, getting more sleep is not as easy as going to bed earlier. If you suffer from insomnia, you know how wearisome it can be to lie in bed, unable to sleep.

Doctors can prescribe medication to help, but these medications have undesirable side effects. Stomach problems, dizziness, daytime drowsiness, difficulty awakening, accidents, and poor coordination are all common.

Not only do prescription sleep medications have negative side effects, they also don't cause healthy sleep. They cause sedation or unconsiousness--not the restful, healing sleep you need.

But you don't have to choose between sleep deprivation and unwanted medication--nature has provided us with many natural remedies for sleeplessness.

Whether you want a little help falling asleep occasionally or a long-term supplement that will help restore your body's natural sleep rhythms, you should be able to find an herbal sleep aid that will work for you.

Chamomile

Chamomile is one of nature's oldest and gentlest herbal sleep aids. It is most often drunk as a tea, which has a mild and pleasant taste. In addition to promoting calm and restfulness, chamomile is also used in cases of stomach irritation.

The benefits of chamomile works when taken occasionally, and is mild enough that it can be used daily for extended periods of time. It doesn't cause dependency, and has no side effects. It may, though, be an allergen for people who are allergic to daisies.

Experts are not sure how chamomile works to induce sleep. US Pharmacist reports that apigenin, a flavonoid in chamomile, may help to promote sleep, but that other components are probably also involved.

Valerian

Valerian is a root that has long been used as an herbal sleep aid. It has a characteristic smell, like old socks, which comes from isovaleric acid. Valerian can be used to help occasional sleeplessness, but is also particularly helpful taken long-term.

Many studies have shown valerian root to be an extremely safe and effective way to promote sleep. Patients who take valerian report that they feel less anxious and nervous, and have better rest at night.

Clearly, there are many benefits of valerian, and it causes none of the negative effects on concentration and alertness that prescription medications, thereby making it an excellent choice for people who suffer from chronic insomnia. Very high doses may cause certain side effects such as nausea, headaches, and dizziness.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces at night. It is sometimes called the "sleep hormone" because it is so important to healthy sleep. People who are blind, who suffer from jet lag, or who live in places with extended sunlight hours may have trouble sleeping because their bodies do not produce enough melatonin.

Patients looking for a short-term sleep solution may be helped by taking melatonin supplements, as will persons whose natural wake/sleep cycles have been disturbed. Melatonin is also helpful to people who are trying to wean themselves off of sleep medications.

SAMe

SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine) is an amino acid derivative, and is found normally in the body. It is typically used as an antidepressant, but is also commonly used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome or as an herbal sleep aid. Its actions in the body help to promote healthy sleep cycles, especially when taken daily for several weeks.

Mario Kyriazis, M.D, author of The Anti-Aging Plan (Element, 2000) explains that SAMe helps to promote sleep by increasing serotonin, a nerotransmitter important to sleep and mood. SAMe also works with the hormone melatonin to harmonize the body's natural day/night rhythms. SAMe is extremely safe, with no known serious side effects. Minor possible side effects in high dosages may include nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to seratonin. Low seratonin levels can cause irritability, anxiety, and sleeplessness, so adding more tryptophan to your diet can help you relax and will promote healthier sleep patterns.

Many foods naturally contain tryptophan. Increasing the amount of turkey, cottage cheese, peanuts, soy, brown rice, or milk in your diet will help your body to manufacture seratonin. Tryptophan supplements are also available.

Choosing your supplement

With all of the natural and herbal sleep aids available, it can seem tough to choose one. The choices don't have to be overwhelming, though.

Some supplements are meant to be used only occasionally, while others work better when used long-term. Many supplements have additional benefits, so it's often easy to pick one supplement to meet several needs. Naturopathic physicians, dieticians, and herbalists can help you choose the best herbal sleep aid for you.

By Dan Ho

Sleep Wrinkles - Preventing and Repairing Them

As we age, the appearance of sleep wrinkles, those facial lines that develop from sleeping with your face against a pillow, becomes much more prominent. This should come as no surprise if you consider how much of one's life is spent sleeping. If you are getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night, you sleep 1/3 of your life. Consequently, by age 60, you will have slept 20 years. It is obvious why sleeping on our face eventually leads to creases that become permanently etched in the surface of the skin. Sleep wrinkles are much easier to prevent than they are to repair. As a result, you should make every effort to keep from getting them in the first place.

The most effective and least costly method for preventing sleep wrinkles is to sleep on your back. People who sleep in this position simply do not develop these wrinkles. Chinese women recognized this fact ages ago, and always slept on their backs using concave porcelain pillows. If you are unaccustomed to sleeping in this position, you might try placing a pillow under you knees to decrease stress on the lower back and increase your comfort.

If you are unable to sleep on your back, using a pillow that minimizes facial wrinkling is another possibility. Sleep on a big, soft, non-synthetic pillow that you are able to fluff and squish. Those with natural fill, such as down and feathers, offer the most comfort, long-term performance, and adjustability. This type of pillow supports the head while providing softness, eliminating pressure points, and increasing facial circulation to reduce squashing and sleep wrinkles. There are also pillows available made specifically for preventing sleep wrinkles. They support the head while keeping the face and eye tissue away from the pillow.

Choosing the correct pillowcase on which to sleep can also deter the formation of sleep creases. If you awaken with these unsightly lines in the morning, your cotton pillowcase may be to blame. Instead of cotton, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase that allows your face to slide across the pillow thereby minimizing skin wrinkling. Another option for not only preventing sleep lines, but also repairing those which you already have, is to use a copper technology pillowcase. It is imbedded with copper micro fibers which serve to repair your skin as you sleep. Copper has been proven to stimulate collagen production thereby helping reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Unfortunately, if you already have sleep wrinkles, they may be difficult to alleviate. As we age, our skin loses its elasticity. When the skin becomes creased while sleeping, it no longer readily snaps back when the head is not resting on the pillow, as it did when we were younger. Since these wrinkles are not the result of muscle contractions, such as worry lines or crow's feet, products with Botox-like benefits are ineffective. In order to correct them, new collagen needs to form under the wrinkles to push up the skin from below. There are many skin care products on the market that contain various peptides that promote the formation of collagen. If topical formulations are ineffective, you might want to consult your dermatologist about a wrinkle filler such as Restylane.

By Cynthia Ruscitto

How to Improve Dream Recall Using Body, Mind, and Spirit

Recalling your dreams has many benefits. You can use dreams to inspire your artwork, get to know yourself better, solve difficult problems or answer tough questions, or just share them with friends. Keeping track of your dreams on a long-term basis lets you watch your growth and development over the years.

Dreams are like soap bubbles, however. The longer you wait to record them, the less chance that any will still be around to record. Sleep scientists estimate that most people have 150,000 dreams in a lifetime. While recalling and recording that many dreams is more information than anyone needs (remember poor Doug Quaid [Arnold Schwarzenegger] in "Total Recall"), keeping track of your longer, more elaborate, most interesting dreams is a gift you give yourself.

Use all your natural resources to help you recall your dreams. The combined efforts of body, mind, and spirit will make the task much easier.

Body

The first thing to do is get a good night's sleep. Keep the room temperature at a moderate level and make sure your pillow and bed linens are clean and comfortable.

The longest REM (rapid eye movement) cycle comes towards morning when dreams are easiest to recall. You'll remember more dreams by waking naturally than by waking to a jarring alarm clock.

Keep materials for recording dreams at your bedside. Buy a special pen and notebook specifically designated for this purpose or a tape recorder used for nothing else. Record your dreams immediately upon awakening -- before you get out of bed and begin your day.

Mind

Tell yourself before you go to sleep that in the morning you will remember your dreams. Convince yourself that it's going to happen. Be satisfied with one dream at first; eventually with practice you'll be able to remember several dreams from each night.

Record dreams exactly as you remember them. Don't fill in the gaps with transitions, logic, summaries, or translations from your wide-awake conscious mind. If your dog is outside, then the scene shifts to your third grade teacher barking orders in the classroom, say so.

You don't want to take shortcuts in descriptions. The symbolism and figurative speech used in dreams is half the fun of dream recall.

Spirit

Appreciate your dreams and show them some respect. Realize that not every dream is insightful, but that all dreams have something to offer, whether humor, creative inspiration, physical warnings, or unconscious perception.

Although dreams should be recorded without initial judgment or analysis based on the actions that occurred, give each dream a succinct title that expresses the emotions that you felt and/or identifies a key character. Don't be afraid of violent or sexual dreams from your unconscious mind that are inconsistent with your conscious mind. Write them down, title them, and read them later when you no longer feel the emotions of the dream.

Go back and re-read your dream diary or listen to your dream tapes in later months or years. You'll be amazed at what people, places, and things consumed your thoughts at the time, and at the creative inspiration lurking within your unconscious mind.

By Leslie Halpern

Treat Snoring With Natural Remedies

One reason people snore is that they are congested. Allergies, colds, smoking, anything that irritates or inflames the breathing passages can contribute to snoring. One natural remedy that can combat snoring is honey. Honey is good for reducing inflammation and congestion in the body. Add honey to your favorite tea, or mix it with lemon juice and sip it throughout the day to alleviate the nasal congestion that can cause snoring. The mixture of lemon juice and honey contain antibacterial properties to help clear out congestion.

A cayenne pepper gargle is also useful in clearing out congestion. Take a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and place it in a glass of water. If you gargle with this mixture you should feel heat in your throat. The pepper helps clear out the congestion by drawing blood to the throat.

Nasal congestion can also be alleviated by using a humidifier or increasing the humidity in the air. A humidifier can be purchased for as little as $20 and there are various types which can add either cool or warm moisture to the air. Nasal passages can be inflammed when the air is too dry. The added moisture in the air helps them to shrink, thus giving relief to the sufferer. You can also create your own humidifier by using a pot and a towel. Put water in a pot and let it boil. When it comes to a boil, turn off fire, place your face over the pot and inhale the steam. Placing a towel over your head traps the steam and gives you more steam to breathe in. This will help relieve your congested sinuses and you don't have to spend any money.

Essential oils can also be used to help with congestion. Essential oils come in a lot of different varieties, but basil, eucalyptus and peppermint are commonly suggested to help clear out those clogged sinuses. Applying basil oil to the chest 2 to 3 times a day will give relief of sinus congestion. Alternately, one can just inhale the aroma without placing it on the body and obtain the same results. Eucalyptus oil can be rubbed on chest and under nose to help clear sinuses. It can also be added to hot water and inhaled using the homemade humidifier. Peppermint oil can also be used by placing a few drops under the nose or adding a few drops to a humidifier.

Lemon Balm, basil and peppermint are herbs that can be used to combat congestion. Lemon Balm leaves can be placed in a glass of warm water and used as a gargle. This herb has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Drinking the juice from the boiled leaves gives even better results. Basil leaves can be boiled in water and this tonic can be consumed several times a day. Basil has antiseptic properties. Lastly, peppermint leaves have anti-inflammatory properties and can be boiled in water, as with the others, and consumed as a tea.

Apple Cider Vinegar is touted as a cure for many things and can also help with nasal congestion. Two teaspoons diluted in 8 ounces of water can give immediate relief of sinus problems. You can also drink it straight, but Apple Cider Vinegar has a very strong flavor and has been known to ruin teeth enamel if taken straight over a long period of time.

If your snoring is related to sinus congestion, try some of these remedies. They are guaranteed to give you relief. Some will help you feel relief immediately, some may clear out congestion immediately, while others may take longer for you to see the desired results.

By Shrene M McCallum