Authored by Jeremy Siek in Diseases
Published on 12-20-2008
Many more people are finding it hard to get good sleep in today’s stressful times. The companies making more sleeping pills available to the average consumer. Many people are reporting serious side effects with these sleep aids, including binge eating as well as driving at night without any memory of it the next day. Not only can you be in danger of gaining weight but you can also be in danger of hurting yourself or someone else. There are many choices of over the counter sleep aids that aren’t sleeping pills. In fact some herbal remedies that are as effective as prescription pills, which gently help to fall asleep without the various side effects of prescriptions.
The diphenhydramine which is found in many over the counter sleep aids can leave you are on the for up to 12 hours. This is not as helpful for those who have to work or go to school and it is specially dangerous for people who need to stay alert so as not to put themselves or others in danger.
Depending on which herb you use you can just relax or you can get a very deep sleep.
Celestial Seasonings Sleepy time Herbal Tea is a very mild and soothing tea. It has a slightly meant taste because it is made up of various herbs that are known sleep inducers. You will also find tilia (linden) flowers and chamomile. There are other herbs in the tea but they are for flavor they are not for inducing sleep. This is a great night time snack for the children that would go to sleep if you can get them to just sit down and relax a bit. Serve some of this tea with a little bit a honey and some animal crackers and you will find that they’re going to sleep in no time.
Linden Flowers make a grassy flavored tea. They will usually blend this with a mint to help mask the flavor. This is used to soothe babies who cry and will go to sleep. You will have better luck finding this tea in your Hispanic markets. Look for it under the name “Tila.” This tea can really lower your stress levels but if you drink too much of it it will make you constipated. It is a good tea in very effective you’ll just want to keep this in mind.
Valerian Root is a great way to get some sleep when you have sore muscles. It is an actual sedative and muscle relaxant. The problem with this this tea is it stinks. Some Health Food Stores may have this as a tea but you’re most likely going to find it as a capsule. Valerian root is not connected with the drug Valium so you may hear a rumor about that but it’s not true.
Kava kava is starting to get popular in the United States. Be warned that long term use could cause liver damage. Kava kava can make you feel calm. It is also often recommended for chronic fatigue.
Passion flower has a calming, sleep inducing effect. It is gentle and non habit-forming. This tea can be used with both adults and children. Harmine, its active ingredient, and other compounds help inhibit the breakdown of serotonin.
Most of these sleep aids you will be able to find in your grocery or drug store. If you are afraid of the side effects or are currently experiencing the side effects of current sleeping medications, you may want to try these herbal remedies.
