daytime symptoms of insomnia

It is believed that honey possesses sleep inducing properties. Dark honey possesses more antioxidants than light colored honey. Honey can be used in herbal teas or mixed with warm milk.

Chamomile (Matricaria camomilla) is a common flowering plant which grows in various parts of central and southern Europe (Italy, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, and Germany), as well as in north western Asia. Chamomile is also now widely cultivated in the United States, North Africa, Egypt, Argentina, and Australia.

Often packaged as a tea, the dried flowers and dried leaves can be bought over the counter in both loose and bagged form.

Throughout the ages Chamomile has shown itself to be a very effective sleep aid and it can be administered in a variety of ways including being brewed as a tea and used in a sachet placed under your pillow.

Unlike some other sleep remedies, chamomile does not have to be used on a regular basis to enjoy its effects as a sleep aid. It can be used as needed to give speedy relief for anxiety and sleeplessness.

Chamomile tea, which is made from the leaves and dried flowers of this common plant, usually proves most effective when taken a half an hour to forty-five minutes before retiring.

Chamomile can be especially useful in relieving the symptoms of mild insomnia (also known as transient insomnia).

Chamomile can also act to reduce the histamine-based swelling produced by some allergic reactions, and is an excellent solution when congested sinuses or food allergies contribute to sleeplessness.

It should be noted that hay fever sufferers who demonstrate an allergic reaction to ragweed and its close botanical relatives (such as aster and chrysanthemum) commonly demonstrate a similar reaction to Chamomile.

Lavender, a shrubby flowering bush indigenous to the mountainous regions of the western Mediterranean, was first 'domesticated' by the Arabians before it was later spread throughout 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 1800s. It can be found abundantly in the wild in many parts of the world as well as being garden grown in well-drained, sunny areas, preferably 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 acts to depress the central nervous system in a manner comparable to many pharmaceutical tranquilizers.

Lavender is very useful and effective in its usage as a sleep aid. On top of the use of lavender flowers in a tea, it can 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 to relax the muscles or its aroma can be inhaled to produce a calming effect. Rubbing lavender essential oil on the feet is an especially effective method of application, as anything put on the feet is absorbed very quickly.

Lavender oil is used extensively in aromatherapy and can be added to bathwater, dispersed in a vaporizer or simply popped onto a tissue and breathed in. The essential oil from the flowers and leaves can also be employed in a sachet underneath your pillow.

You should note that allergic contact dermatitis has been described in some individuals applying lavender products externally. So that you can safely detect an allergic reaction it is advisable to carry out a spot test before administering a full application.

It should also be noted that not all varieties of lavender are tranquilizing - some, such as Spanish lavender, may have just the opposite effect.