The numbers of people who suffer from insomnia (the inability to sleep through a complete night or to get to sleep when desired) has more than tripled in the past ten years. With this explosion of exhausted people more and more remedies are introduced to the general public. Most of these are drugs that are man-made, tough on the system and addictive. In contrast, those who have embraced natural remedies, such as using herbs for treating insomnia tend to have much better results. So what exactly can you take if you are just tired of counting all those sheep?
The one herb that almost everyone has heard of, and has been popularized through tea brands is Chamomile. Many people do not understand the benefits of this herb. In fact, it is more than a fad; it truly can allow you to sleep better. Chamomile is a type of sedative herb and can be used by anyone with little to no impact to them from a safety perspective. Not only can you add it to tea, but you can also add it to baths. It is recommended that you drink or bath in it about a half hour prior to when you want to go to sleep.
Next is hops. Yes, the same hops that are in beer (maybe now it makes sense why you get sleepy if you drink a beer or two!). It is also a type of sedative that is good for insomnia, stress, nerves and restlessness. You can get hops pillows to sleep on. You can also add it to tea.
From a bathing perspective, the herb of choice is lavender. It has been favored by many for centuries. It is added to bath water and is very calming when bathed in. You can also used lavender in tea or in a compress that you would put on your head. In addition, you can light lavender oil and just breathe it in. Different people respond to lavender differently. Some find that the tea works; others find that the bath works so you will need to try both to decide which one works best for you.
Another herb which many find beneficial is passion flower. For those that tend to fret endlessly, passion flower is an herby for treating insomnia that many recommend. Used especially for those that just think too much, worry too much or work too hard it is a sedative with no negative side effects. It is usually used in tea, again.
If you are just restless, you might think about Valerian. It is known to shorten the time it takes to get to sleep, a common problem for many of us. It is a sedative like all the herbs used to treat insomnia and has no side effects. This is one of those herbs that can be combined with others to assure that the desired effect is met such as passion flower which was discussed earlier.
One last herb to consider is catnip. It is not as widely used today as it use to be but it is considered a strong insomnia fighter. You can grow catnip as well as some of the other herbs mentioned above fairly easily. Catnip can be put into tea and combined together into a brew that can truly help you sleep better at night. Others to consider in your quest for the right combination are rosemary, poppy seeds, orange flower and lettuce.
There are many others also that you can try, but these are pretty popular insomnia fighting herbs to try out. Each of them is a sedative and there are no known side effects to using them to help you get to sleep. You might have to try a few to find the one that works for you, but the chances are there will be one that will do the job.