Herbs and Vitamins for a Better Night’s Sleep

by Big Papa
on July 20, 2022

Herbs and Vitamins for a Better Night’s Sleep

There are several herbs and supplements that claim to aid in getting a good night’s sleep. Some swear by chamomile tea or valerian supplements, while others prefer to take prescription pills before bed. Finally, the key to discovering excellent sleep aids is to explore and see what works best for you.

Some herbs are known to help you relax and decrease anxiety, while others may be used to enhance overall well-being. Similarly, a variety of vitamins and minerals have been related to improved sleep patterns. Finally, while searching for a herbal or vitamin supplement for better sleep, the best thing you can do is conduct some research and find out what works best for you. It’s up to you whether you use one herb or a mix of multiple supplements; the key thing is that you get enough quality sleep each night!

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the most popular herbs and vitamins for relieving the symptoms of sleeplessness. Keep in mind that no one herb or vitamin will ensure a good night’s sleep. To get the most advantages, add a couple of these into your daily routine.

healthy diet

Chamomile

Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural cure for a variety of health conditions, including sleeplessness. This sweet and calming tea includes flavonoids, which have been demonstrated to have body-relaxing properties. Apigenin, the most useful flavonoid in chamomile, has a calming effect, relaxes nerves, and promotes peaceful sleep (1). If you’re having difficulties sleeping, consider drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bed. It could well offer you the restful night’s sleep you’ve been looking for!

Valerian

Valerian is a herb that has long been used to induce relaxation and deeper, more peaceful sleep. It has been stated that more individuals take valerian when they are having difficulty sleeping than melatonin, the body’s intrinsic sleep hormone (2). According to research, valerian root may assist in shortening the time it takes to fall asleep as well as enhancing overall sleep quality.

This is assumed to be owing to the high concentrations of specific chemicals present in valerian. Flavonoids like linarin (3) and valerenic acid (4), for example, function to boost feelings of calm and relax the nervous system via the action of the neurotransmitter GABA. This has a sedative effect, reducing anxiety while also encouraging comfortable sleep.

While valerian has been shown to lower anxiety (5), which may frequently contribute to sleeplessness, it does have certain adverse effects to be cautious of. These include dizziness, headaches, and an upset stomach. Making you tired and falling asleep is fantastic at night but not so helpful during the day when you may have to drive. So be warned that it might induce drowsiness, particularly if you need to drive. Finally, if you are pregnant or nursing, have liver issues, or are on medicine for any other reason, see your doctor before using Valerian (6).

Overall, valerian is a wonderful natural therapy for persons who suffer from sleep difficulties. Valerian may help you receive your full ration of everyday energy and vigor by promoting peaceful sleep and minimizing nervous sensations.

Lavender

Lavender is a fragrant and versatile flower that has long been valued for its calming effects. Some individuals swear by it as an insomnia treatment, believing that the calming perfume may help them sleep. Lavender scent has been demonstrated to induce calm and deep sleep. Furthermore, some study shows that lavender’s calming effects may be connected to changes in brain waves, which might explain its stated capacity to produce deep sleep (7).

It seems to be more successful in treating moderate insomnia than severe sleeplessness, although it does not make you sleepy the next day (8). If you drive or use equipment, it is a safer alternative to prescription or Valerian.

Diffusing lavender essential oil or placing a few drops on your pillow before night; putting a sachet of dried lavender under your pillow; or sipping lavender tea before bedtime will help you fall asleep fast and experience deep, peaceful sleep.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a vital element that is required for over 300 bodily activities, including muscle and neuron function, blood sugar management, blood pressure regulation (9), and the body’s natural sleep process (10). We may feel fatigued if we do not get enough magnesium, but our whole health may suffer as well.

While there are several possible reasons for insomnia, magnesium insufficiency is one of the least understood (11). Furthermore, insufficient magnesium levels in the body may promote anxiety and sadness (12), as well as restless leg syndrome (13), all of which are recognized causes of insomnia. Magnesium regulates sleep-wake cycles, and low magnesium levels may disturb this process (14).

Magnesium supplements may therefore aid in raising magnesium levels and, as a result, enhance sleep quality. This includes sleeping faster, sleeping longer, and sleeping more profoundly (15).

Magnesium supplements are generally safe and well accepted, making them a useful insomnia treatment choice. However, more is not always better; therefore, it is important to stick to the dose requirements. An excess of magnesium may induce stomach discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea (16). Before using supplements, you should consider consuming more magnesium-containing foods. Nuts, seeds (particularly pumpkin seeds), beans, fish, and green vegetables are examples (17). It is better to acquire your nutrition from your diet since you also get other vitamins and minerals from these foods; your body can access and absorb the nutrients more quickly, and there is less possibility of an overdose.

There is no need to take magnesium supplements at a set time since magnesium may be stored in the bones and other tissues of the body (18). When taking magnesium supplements, be sure the recipe is manufactured from foods rather than chemicals. This is due to the body’s increased ability to absorb and use magnesium (19). Furthermore, if you dislike taking pills, liposomal magnesium is available in liquid form and is more quickly absorbed by the body (20). Finally, you may apply magnesium cream or oil to your skin. This important mineral is subsequently taken into the body through the skin.

Vitamins

The impact of B vitamins on sleep is not completely understood. A shortage of Vitamin B12 results in exhaustion, sleeplessness, and a loss of vitality (21). Recent research, however, found that persons who reported suffering sleeplessness also had high levels of Vitamin B12 (22). There seems to be little anecdotal evidence that B vitamins aid with sleep.

Another crucial vitamin that many individuals are deficient in is vitamin D. Sleep disturbances have been linked to a deficiency of vitamin D. (23). Going outdoors in the sun for as little as 13 minutes during the summer is one of the greatest ways to receive vitamin D (24), and since exposure to natural daylight may help regulate the sleep-wake cycle (25), stepping outside on a regular basis makes sense. During the winter months, however, vitamin D supplementation will assist both your general health and your sleep.

Incorporating these herbs and vitamins into your regular diet or supplement regimen will help you sleep better and feel more refreshed and rejuvenated. What works for one person may not work for another, so give them a go and discover which one suits you best. Finally, there is no replacement for eating a nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables to ensure that we are receiving the complete spectrum of sleep-inducing nutrients when it comes to promoting good sleep patterns.

References

  1. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
  2. Many Insomniacs Turn to Valerian and Melatonin to Help Them Sleep https://aasm.org/journal-sleep-many-insomniacs-turn-to-valerian-and-melatonin-to-help-them-sleep/
  3. Sedative and sleep-enhancing properties of linarin, a flavonoid-isolated from Valeriana officinalis https://saberdasplantas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Valeriana-officinalis.pdf
  4. The anxiolytic effects of a Valerian extract is based on Valerenic acid https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4122768/
  5. Anxiolytic effects of a combination of Melissa officinalis and Valeriana officinalis during laboratory induced stress https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16444660/
  6. Valerian: A safe and effective herbal sleep aid? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/valerian/faq-20057875
  7. An Olfactory Stimulus Modifies Nighttime Sleep in Young Men and Women https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07420520500263276?journalCode=icbi20
  8. Lavender and the Nervous System https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612440/
  9. Magnesium https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/

 

 

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