Getting a Good Night's Sleep with Valerian

I meet many people in my booth who are struggling with sleep, especially as we approach the winter months.  Getting to sleep and staying asleep is all about how we deal with stress in our waking lives, but there are herbal solutions that can help without becoming addictive.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is the go-to herb for sleep.  It contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), one of the main neurotransmitters responsible for sleep regulation, as well as valerenic acid and valerenol which act on GABA receptors in the body.  All of that means that valerian improves the quality of sleep as well as the ability to fall asleep.

 I make Peaceful Slumbers, an oil infused with valerian root, for topical use at bedtime. It helps relax the muscles and calm the nerves in a gentle way. I make it as a roll-on because the root of the plant has a skunky odor which you don’t want to get on your hands.

 Many of my customers report good results with Peaceful Slumbers, but there are those who need a little more help getting or staying asleep. In these cases, a valerian tea, tincture, or capsule is the way to go.   The tea usually combines valerian with other herbs to make it more palatable.  A tincture can be made at home or found in an herbal shop while capsules are usually found at a vitamin store.  Valerian is not addictive, so can be used indefinitely.

 Valerian is not for everyone.  It can have the opposite effect in about five percent of the population, causing agitation rather than relaxation. It can also interact with anti-anxiety or pain medications. Alternatives include passionflower, skullcap, and California poppy.

 If you’re looking for non-drug solutions for sleep, you can look to herbs to help in soothing the nervous system, flipping the switch so that you can feel less stress and get a good night’s rest.

Snoring problems? Try this simple folk remedy

I couldn’t believe it myself when someone approached my booth several years ago and told me about a simple folk remedy for snoring: thyme essential oil on the soles of the feet at bedtime.

I decided to try it on my husband that night. His snoring was deafening, sometimes waking him up, but also making it difficult for me to sleep. He was on the verge of getting another CPAP machine. He had used one years before after a sleep study showed that he had mild apnea. He found the machine made it more difficult to sleep because he was forced to lie in the same position all night or get tangled in the tubes.

Unbelievably, it worked! I combed my herbal literature and the internet to understand why it worked. I found no explanation, so I came up with my own: thyme is a stimulant, so I believe it stimulates the throat structures enough so they don’t relax and obstruct the throat opening.

Why put it on the soles of the feet?

The soles of the feet have larger pores, allowing compounds to be absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream where they will circulate through the body in about 20 minutes.

Does it work for everyone? Since my discovery, I have been eager to share this secret with everyone I know. While traveling with a family member I gave my salve to them to try and discovered that while it didn’t eliminate their snoring, it lowered the volume to an acceptable level. My theory is that they have a snore caused by sinus congestion rather than collapsing throat structures. Thyme clears their airways somewhat, but does not completely alleviate snoring.

Snore Stop

I make Snore Stop with a 5% dilution of thyme essential oil, which is a little higher than normal because the skin on the feet is less sensitive than on other parts of our bodies.

Give it a try—it’s a lot less expensive than a CPAP machine!