Insomnia: Wake up to Ten Simple Solutions

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8. It is believed that the alkaloids and flavonoids of passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) significantly tranquilize the central nervous system. I find that it gives one a feeling of well-being while reducing spasms and anxiety and aiding sleep.

Dose: Passionflower tinctures and extracts are generally available in health-food stores. For occasional insomnia, I recommend drinking a cup of tea made by pouring a cup of boiling water over 1/2 teaspoon of the dried herb (your local natural food store may carry dried herbs in bulk); steep, then sip before going to bed. Passionflower contains alkaloids that can reduce the effects of a class of antidepressants known as monoamine oxidase inhibitors; the German government allows passionflower preparations to contain no more than 0.01 percent of these alkaloids.

9. The leaves of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are often used as a tea, especially with chamomile, to relax the body and induce sleep. Lemon balm also has antiviral, antibacterial, antispasmodic, and antihistaminic properties. Besides taking it as a tea, I use this herb as an ingredient in a sedative formula (see the last paragraph).

Dose: Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of the herb in a cup of hot water. There are no noted side effects.

10. Kava-kava, or kava (Piper methysticum), will probably become one of the most popular healing herbs in the next few years. Compounds called kavalactones give kava its strong relaxing action without affecting mental clarity. This makes kava very useful for highly active people who need to stay calm and mentally awake during periods of stress.

Dose: The daily dosage used in clinical studies is 100 mg of kava extract standardized to 70 percent kavalactones divided into three portions. People who are pregnant, nursing infants, or going through bouts of depression should avoid it, and it shouldn’t be taken when driving or operating machinery. (For more about kava-kava, see the article on page 42.)

An herbal route to sleep

Here’s a typical herbal regime that I use for insomnia when other methods fail. Dosages depend on the individual.

I start with a capsulized reishi extract. Then, for particularly rough times, I might add a combination formula that includes valerian, kava, hops, skullcap, passionflower, and/or lemon balm. If a person is experiencing tight, contracted muscles or is suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, I would prescribe the reishi and kava root extracts.

Worth a try

While sleeping straight through for seven or eight hours may be the ideal, it’s not necessarily the best sleep pattern for everyone. Some of my patients have had great success on only four hours of straight sleep, supplemented with a fifteen-minute break after every subsequent four-hour period of wakefulness. The break can consist of a catnap, meditation, light exercise, or sipping a cup of tea—it’s their choice. After the sixth of these work/break cycles, instead of the fifteen-minute break, they go to sleep again for four hours.

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