home remedy for insomnia

Lemon Balm is an herbaceous perennial in the mint family. It grows naturally in southern Europe and northern Africa where it grows along roadsides, in landfills and on disturbed land from sea level into the mountains.

It can be grown in any well-drained soil and is particularly tolerant of poor, sandy soils. It can also withstand the full force of the sun.

Lemon Balm shows an effective sedative action and is typically made into a pleasant, lemony-tasting tea.

Try making a tea with 2 teaspoons of dried lemon balm per cup of boiling water. Steep the tea for 10 minutes, strain, and drink right before getting into bed.

Hops are the fruit of a member of the cannabis family native to Europe, North America, and Asia. Widely grown in the Pacific Northwest of the US, hops are used as a major ingredient in the flavoring of beer.

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

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

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

The Pilgrims brought Lavender to the United States and it showed up as one of the very first garden plants in Australia in the 1800s. It can be found abundantly in the wild in many areas of the world as well as being garden grown in well-drained, sunny areas, preferably in a slightly 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 very useful and effective when used as a sleep aid. In addition to the use of lavender flowers in a tea, it may also be used in the form of 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 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 rapidly.

Lavender oil is used extensively in aromatherapy and can be added to bathwater, dispersed in a vaporizer or simply put onto 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 however that allergic contact dermatitis has been reported in some people using lavender products externally. To safely detect an allergic reaction it is always a good idea to do a spot test before administering a full application.

Also note that not all varieties of lavender are tranquilizing - some, like Spanish lavender, could have just the opposite effect.