fatal familial insomnia

Hops are the fruit of a member of the cannabis family native to Asia, North America, and Europe. Grown widely in the Pacific Northwest of north America, hops form a major ingredient in adding flavor to beer.

Hops are usually used together with other flowers and herbs. They are typically coupled with lavender, valerian or chamomile, but also holds their own as a natural relaxing sedative. The dried fruits, from which you can make tea, are frequently available, as are tinctures, capsules, and tablets.

Generally, no side effects or adverse drug interactions are seen with the use of hops, but some people have experienced a rare allergic reaction or contact dermatitis from the pollen crystals in the fruits.

Indigenous to the mountain regions of the western Mediterranean, Lavender is a flowering bush that was cultivated by the Arabians before being spread throughout Europe by the Romans.

The Pilgrims brought Lavender to North America and it showed up as one of the first garden plants in Australia in the 1800s. It can be found in abundance in the wild in many areas of the world as well as being garden grown in well-drained, sun drenched areas, for preference in a mildly alkaline soil. The smaller species also grow 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 both useful and very effective when it is used as a sleep aid. On top of the use of lavender flowers in a brewed tea, it can also be used as an essential oil distilled from the flowers, stems and leaves of the plant.

Lavender oil can be applied topically as a muscle relaxant or its aroma can be inhaled for 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 quickly.

Extensively used in aromatherapy, Lavender oil 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 underneath your pillow.

It should be noted that allergic contact dermatitis has been reported in some individuals using lavender products externally. To safely detect an allergic reaction it is a good idea 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, could have just the opposite effect.

The California poppy contains a compound known as protopine, that is similar in effect to a lighter form of morphine.

Different from the Opium poppy, the California poppy doesn't contain the narcotic morphine, though its structure is similar. As a result of this, the California poppy does not possess any of the addictive properties of its narcotic relative.

Right now dosage guidelines haven't been set as very few clinical studies on the effects of the California poppy have been conducted.