A good night’s rest, naturally
Herbal Medicine
Sabine Hiller Sufficient good-quality sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing, but most of us have at some stage or another found it difficult to either go to sleep or stay asleep. Usually, this happens in response to stress or worry, and hopefully won’t last more than a few nights. However, if sleep problems persist, a closer look needs to be taken. In this, the first of a two-part series of articles on insomnia, I will look at the causes of this distressing condition and some ways of tackling it.
Causes Insomnia can come about for a number of reasons, including a noisy environment; feeling too hot or too cold; shift work; jet lag; caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks and over-the-counter pain medication; alcohol or cocaine consumption; conventional drugs, such as bronchodilators, thyroid hormone, anticonvulsants; conditions causing pain or itching; conditions affecting breathing, such as asthma, sleep apnoea or congestive heart failure; tinnitus (ringing in the ears); restless-leg syndrome; stress, anxiety and/or depression.
For any short-term sleep problem that is not caused by a medical condition, following a simple relaxation technique, changing your bedtime routine or taking a relaxing bath will often do the trick. For chronic cases it is advisable to see a health professional. A medical herbalist will look into the causes, discuss lifestyle changes with you, prescribe a personalised combination of herbs and, if necessary, refer you back to your GP for further investigations or treatment.
Here is an outline of the strategies medical herbalists may employ or advise when treating a patient with insomnia:
Herbs Herbs frequently used by medical herbalists in the treatment of insomnia include valerian, passionflower, hops, St John’s wort, Californian poppy, Virginian skullcap, Green oats, chamomile, lime flower, lemon balm and motherwort.
In most cases, a medical herbalist will not only give you a ‘sleep mix’ to be taken at bedtime, but also a daytime mix that will deal with any underlying problems. If, for example, insomnia is caused by anxiety, then calming and relaxing herbs will be included in such a general mix. Likewise, a sleep mix for a menopausal woman will be different from the sleep mix for somebody with restless legs. To ensure the best results, the herbs that are chosen will reflect the needs of the individual patient.
Baths Various dried or fresh herbs, like chamomile, limeflower, lemon balm and lavender can be filled loosely into a muslin bag, infused in boiling water for 5-10 minutes and the water added to the bath. The muslin bag can then be used as an aromatic sponge. If a full bath isn’t practical, foot baths can often be just as effective. (In the case of a known plant-contact allergy, contact a health professional before applying herbs topically).
Massage A few drops each of lavender, chamomile and/or rose essential oil can be diluted in an eggcup-full of carrier oil (such as almond, jojoba, sesame or olive oil) for a gentle and relaxing massage at bed time. Alternatively, you could just do a hand-and-foot massage, which can be surprisingly effective.
Nutrition The essential amino acid tryptophan is needed by the body to make serotonin and melatonin. Increasing the intake of tryptophan may result in higher levels of serotonin, which in turn is responsible for improved sleep and reduces the time needed to fall asleep. Foods rich in tryptophan include chicken, turkey, eggs, milk, cheese, tuna, halibut, tofu, cooked soybeans, nuts and seeds, oats and bananas.
Try having a small snack of tryptophan rich foods one hour before bedtime – but make sure you combine them with a carbohydrate, as insulin helps deliver tryptophan to the brain. Oatcakes with nut-butter and banana slices are good, as are wholegrain crackers or toast with chicken, turkey or tofu-spread. These types of pre-bedtime snacks will also combat nocturnal hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels at night time), which can cause disrupted sleep.
Ensure that your diet includes sufficient magnesium and calcium, which are found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds (especially hazelnuts and almonds), sardines, buckwheat, barley, yoghurt, chickpeas and tofu.
Getting enough B-vitamins is likewise important, especially B6, which is found in spinach and other green vegetables, as well as watermelon, red peppers, potatoes, banana, oats, fish, chicken, turkey and other meats.
Next time Insomnia, part 2.
Sabine Hiller is a qualified professional medical herbalist based in Westport. She is a member of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists and the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (UK). She can be contacted at 098 35909.
