chinese insomnia medication

Honey is said to have sleep inducing properties. Dark honey carries more antioxidants than light honey. It can be used in herbal teas or mixed into warm milk.

Kava is what the Pacific islanders call both Piper Methysticum (a shrub belonging to the pepper family Piperaceae) and also to the drink that is made from it.

Piper methysticum can be found readily in the main in western Polynesia, especially in Tonga and Samoa, and virtually all of Melanesia, including Fiji. It is also found on Pohnpei Island, in Micronesia.

People have traditionally prepared kava as a cold tea (an infusion made from straining a mixture of water and shredded and pounded fresh or dried root). One simple method of preparing kava tea involves putting two or more heaped teaspoons of kava root per person into a clean knotted stocking and squeezing it repeatedly in a bowl of cold water.

The tea typically produces a slight numbing of the tongue and lips initially, followed by slightly talkative and euphoric behavior, a sense of clear thinking, relaxation, calm and well-being. Sleep associated with kava is especially restful and there are no after effects the following day.

Kava can be bought at health food stores as a standardized extract and as a convenient method of anxiety relief as it is fast acting and highly potent. You can also buy kava in pill form.

Some vendors have packaged high-powered Kava mixtures in convenient mini spray bottles. These are handy to keep in a purse or knapsack and are very effective for providing a quick burst of relaxation. A quick spray or two under the tongue can do wonders for the jitters and tension.

If you plan to buy the raw root, it is sensible to choose whole, top grade lateral root.

Various concerns have been raised recently concerning the safety of Kava following a small number of deaths from liver failure. As a result France and Switzerland have banned Kava, and Germany has made it available only on prescription. In the USA the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has raised reservations over the use of kava.

Controversy abounds, fuelled by the economic interest of kava exporting countries and disagreements between the medical profession and champions of natural medicine. Right now the 'jury is out' and only time will uncover the truth.

It should be noted however that the Tongans have relied heavily on kava for hundreds of years and that it is of great significance within Tongan society.

One side-effect associated with the heavy use of kava is kava dermopathy - a scaly eruption of the skin. This is quite harmless and disappears once use is discontinued. Hawaiians used to drink large quantities of kava to produce just this effect as a method of cleansing the skin and giving themselves a smoother, clearer complexion.

Lavender, a shrubby flowering bush indigenous to the mountainous regions of the western Mediterranean, was 'domesticated' by the Arabians before it was later spread across Europe by the Romans.

The Pilgrims brought Lavender to the United States and it appeared as one of the first garden plants in Australia during the 19th century. It can be found abundantly in the wild in many parts of the world as well as being garden grown in sun drenched, well-drained areas, ideally in a mildly alkaline soil. The smaller species can also be grown quite easily in well-drained pots.

The essential oil from this flowering herb depresses the central nervous system in a manner that is comparible to many pharmaceutical tranquilizers.

Lavender is very useful and extremely effective when used as a sleep aid. As well as the use of lavender flowers in a brewed tea, it may also be used in the form of an essential oil distilled from the stems, flowers and leaves of the plant.

Lavender oil can be applied topically as a muscle relaxant or its aroma can be inhaled to get a calming effect. Rubbing lavender essential oil on the feet is a most effective method of application, as anything rubbed into the feet is absorbed very quickly.

Lavender oil is widely used in aromatherapy and can also be added to bathwater, dispersed in a vaporizer or simply dabbed on a tissue and breathed in. The essential oil from the flowers and leaves can also be added to in a sachet placed under your pillow.

It should be noted that allergic contact dermatitis has been well documented in some individuals applying lavender products externally. So that you can safely detect an allergic reaction it is wise to carry out a spot test before administering a full application.

It should also be noted that not all varieties of lavender have a tranquilizing effect - some, like Spanish lavender, can have just the opposite effect.