Every night is the same story, you sleep for a few hours and then you wake up and wake up. Your night sleep is continually interrupted and far from being a moment of physical and mental rest sufficient to make you face the activities that await you the next day with the right energy and without accumulating fatigue. Having periods in which sleeping becomes difficult is normal, we must not be alarmed, or believe that the only remedy for what seems to be a period of insomnia is the use of drugs, indeed.
Often, the use of drugs is far from being the right remedy to get back to sleep without problems and this also because of the feeling of lightheadedness and disorientation they can leave in the morning, or the episodes of addiction, or addiction that they can give. . In this article we will see what are the natural remedies to use in case of continually interrupted night sleep and in particular how to go back to sleep thanks to:
- titrated dry extracts of plants, useful in case of often interrupted sleep: here’s how to take them and where to find them
- relaxing baths based on herbs and essential oils, useful in the case of muscular and emotional tensions to grant the body (and also the mind!) a moment of total relaxation before sleeping
- herbal teas to sip after dinner to prepare the body for sleep and guide the mind towards the relaxation needed to fall asleep
Sleep is one of our basic needs. There is no greater torture, perhaps, than not being able to sleep anymore and few people are able to enjoy a good night’s sleep nowadays. For this reason we have created a guide dedicated to perfect rest that, with 10 simple steps, will guide you towards a restful and quality sleep.
Let’s get to know them better.
The Linden is a tree native to the northern hemisphere, whose inflorescences are used in the form of dry extract titrated for their marked relaxing action against the central nervous system and in contrasting anxious states. Since it also has antispasmodic and relaxing properties, its use can also be useful in cases where anxiety affects the intestinal system and creates discomfort such as pain, spasms, swelling and the need to often run to the bathroom.
Valerian is a perennial herbaceous plant to be used in the form of a dry extract titrated in valerinic acids. Like Linden, Valerian also acts on the central nervous system, on which it has a relaxing and sedative action. It is interesting to discover that according to what has been shown by clinical studies, the mechanism of action of Valerian on anxiety and stress, often the cause of sleepless nights and nocturnal awakenings, is the same as some widely used synthetic drugs, even if with fewer side effects.
Escolzia is a plant native to North America and belonging to the Papaveraceae family. The best way to use it is in the form of dry extract titrated in alkaloids, whose main action is to promote falling asleep without causing dizziness upon waking.
Last but not least, Hops, a plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family, very rich in flavonides, anthocyanins and monoterpenic alcohols, widely used and appreciated (as well as for making beer!) Also for its marked calming and sedative properties.
As you can see, natural remedies for interrupted sleep exist and given their effectiveness confirmed by clinical studies, they are worth a try!
Relaxing baths based on herbs and essential oils
What’s more relaxing than a nice warm bath before going to sleep or to end a day that didn’t go as expected?
The relaxing effect of the bath becomes even greater if essential oils or aromatic herbs are added to the water.
Among the essential oils to use in case of periods of insomnia there are:
- sweet orange essential oil
- lavender essential oil
- chamomile essential oil
Since essential oils are lipophilic, ie they need an oily phase to dissolve, it is not possible to add them directly to the tank, because they would remain “afloat”. To combine them with the bath, they must first be mixed with a dose of neutral cleansing base, or with a tablespoon of milk. A few drops of essential oil in a tablespoon of cleansing base or milk are enough.
Some recommendations to follow before using essential oils:
- always do a test in the crook of the elbow to rule out allergic reactions
- do not use in pregnancy, lactation and children under 7 years of age
- in case of allergies to pollen and / or plants, first ask for the opinion of the attending physician or allergist
To prepare a relaxing herbal bath, however, we will need approx. 100 g of the plant we have chosen: hawthorn, chamomile, lemon balm, mallow… and about 1 or 2 liters of water, which we will need to prepare an infusion to add to the bath water, naturally after filtering it with the help of a colander or gauze.
During the bath the plant releases its vegetal principles both by diffusion, thanks to the steam, and by solubilization, dispersing them in this case directly in the water.
It is possible to follow this technique – obviously decreasing both the amount of water and that of the plant – also to prepare relaxing foot baths to do in the evening before going to bed.
Herbal teas to sip in the evening to prepare the body for sleep
If anxiety continually awakens you at night, try sipping a nice warm chamomile tea before going to bed.
When you feel agitated, or agitated, there is nothing better than sipping a nice hot cup of chamomile tea to regain calm and serenity.
As evidenced by a clinical study, the natural principles present in chamomile bind to the same receptors in the brain to which synthetic drugs normally used to counter generalized states of anxiety bind, giving the same effects, but not their effects. collateral.
The extra advice give you is not to sweeten it with simple sugar, but with a teaspoon of honey.
Another very effective herbal tea to relax the mind and guide it towards sleep is the infusion of passionflower. This is because the leaves of the passionflower contain flavonoids that give the plant sedative and anti-anxiety properties.
Remember that herbal teas and infusions have a very mild effect compared to sleeping herbs taken in the form of titrated dry extract (the most effective) in a quality sleep supplement.