Insomnia.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: Herbs for insomnia?
From: George_Washington.cherry_tree.virginia.com
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 14:54:22 GMT

>I REALLY need some herbs to take for insomnia. My doctor says I am in excellent health, and I am not depressed, but insomnia has been a terrible problem for me since I was a child. Can anyone recommend some herbs to me that either taste good-ok (not valarian--it smells so bad to me : ( ) OR tell me how to make a herbal sleep pillow?

I have the same problem, so can sympathize w/ you % }

Nothing I have tried seemed to help w/ my insomnia, and I almost gave up until my fiance bought an already-made tea for me to try. I was a bit hesitant to try it b/c I don't like flavored teas, but this one tasted good and worked excellently! =)

The brand name of the tea is "Traditional Medicinals". The tea is Easy Now

The tea does contain valerian, but I can't taste it.
The major ingredient is Chamomile Flower which is a moderate sedative. It does contain other ingredients, but the above is the most important.

You should be able to find the teas at your local grocery store if they have a natural food section - that is where I get mine. If you can't find it there, you can try herbal stores in your area.

I hope you give the tea a taste, it works for me and I thought there was no hope for me. Good luck in your sleep (and in your awake)

From: carl.mork.nwcs.org (Carl Mork)

> Can anyone recommend some herbs to me that either taste good-ok (not valarian--it smells so bad to me : ( ) OR tell me how to make a herbal sleep pillow?

The various mints are good in tea for making you relax. I make a nice mix of peppermint, cat mint and apple mint to brew up the tea.

A pillow is simple to make. Use the same mints plus lavender. There are other herbs that are used for sleep, but those are the ones I know from practical experience.

The mix for tea and pillows should be to your taste. Oh and I suggest honey in the tea.

From: mark.adams.adamscom.com (Mark Adams)

very simple use valerian or a strong tea of chamomile! knock you out!

From: trowan.ivory.trentu.ca (I Kan't)

>very simple use valerian or a strong tea of chamomile! knock you out!

or, if you don't want to take something by mouth.......the valerian pills I took were very strong and of course uncoated and were nasty to swallow....I had insomnia for a bit and I rubbed Lavender oil just under my nose (across my upper lip) and it worked well. You breathe it in as you are laying down and it relaxes you and pretty soon.......dreamland : )

(Don't do this. You can't get rid of the bloody smell once the EO is on your upper lip. It's far better to put a drop on a bit of tissue and put that under your pillow. Really, truly, honestly: believe me. -Henriette)

From: jet.cinenet.net (Jet Silverman)

Kava kava. Make a tea, or chew the root. Gives you wonderful dreams, too.

From: scottm.primenet.com (Scott)

Two that I have found to be effective in dealing with stress are ginseng and especially, skullcap. Ginseng is good for stress but probably not for anxiety, since it is also an energy booster!

From: burleigh.tcg.anl.gov (darin)

>I REALLY need some herbs to take for insomnia. My doctor says I am in

organic chemistry textbooks. it was a surefile thing in college.

From: dsm2.ix.netcom.com (sherree moore)

>I REALLY need some herbs to take for insomnia.

Okay, I've been lurking around reading the herbal newsgroup and I JUST have to give my remedy for insomnia. When I can't sleep I make a tea from camomile(of course), valerian, hops, and a smidge of passion flower. Works every time. Of course, this combination might become a bit too much every single night! Therefore, a hops pillow might help. Make a small pillow and fill it with hops. Really doesn't smell bad at all. Oh yes, the tea is an aquired taste, but honey helps.

Subject: catnip tea
From: charon.nando.net (charon)
Date: 19 Aug 1995 20:25:00 -0400

I was hoping someone here might be able to tell me the effects/uses of catnip, particularly as a tea. I've heard that it helps you to sleep, as well as giving you pleasant dreams.

From: clayton2.ix.netcom.com (Barb)

> I was hoping someone here might be able to tell me the effects/uses of catnip

I have read that it gives you a deep, DREAMLESS sleep.

From: XVR.prodigy.com (Kim Carrier)

I have found a tea made of Catnip, Chamomille and Spearmint to be an excellent bedtime drink. Being an insomniac, this tea has really helped me to drop off to sleep fairly quickly, with no groggy feeling in the morning. From everything I have ever read, it is also very safe to use.

Sweet dreams!