5 Effective Herbs For Insomnia

Over 15 percent of adult population in the US suffers from insomnia. Insomnia refers to a condition where you face great difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep at night. If you are unable to sleep even when you are feeling badly tired or if you keep waking up every now and then during sleep, you are suffering from insomnia.

An adult individual must sleep for around eight hours daily, preferably during night. Insomnia leads to several health disorders, such as anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue. Following are some of the most popular herbs that are used to treat this sleeping disorder.

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Effective Herbs For Insomnia

Ginseng Roots

Ginseng roots are very popular for their natural ability to improve the quality of sleep for insomniac patients. The herb is widely available in most health food stores in the form of extract, tincture and tea.

You can take it in any form; they all carry similar effects. However, those who are nursing or are pregnant or are taking some blood-thinning medications are advised not to use this herb because it can lead to adverse complications.

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Valerian Root

Lots of medical studies have been conducted on valerian root and most of them have found that this herb can be very effective in improving the sleep efficiency in insomniac patients. Valerian root carries sedative features but without any side effects that over-the-counter sedative medications generally have.

The European Journal of Medical Research recently conducted a clinical study and found that just two weeks of treatment with valerian roots (two tablets daily) brought significantly positive result in nine out of ten insomniac patients who participated in this study.

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Catnip

Catnip is probably the safest and most effective herb to treat insomnia. Both adults and children can use this herb. Tannins, the most active natural chemical in catnip, have sedative effects. It is usually taken in the form of tea. You can brew a catnip tea by steeping an entire plant of this herb in water for 15-20 minutes.

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Chamomile

The University of Maryland Medical Center has conducted lots of research work on chamomile and have found that it can be used very effectively for the treatment of not only insomnia but also anxiety and depression.

You can prepare a chamomile tea by steeping some chamomile flowers in boiling water for half an hour. Drink this tea an hour before your bed time. It will help you sleep peacefully for adequate hours.

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Sweet Woodruff

Medically termed as gallium Odoratum, sweet woodruff is a very effective natural tranquilizer and can be very beneficial in treating sleeping disorders like insomnia. You can take it in the form of supplements (usually in the pill form). Alternatively, just like you can do with catnip and chamomile, you can brew a herbal tea using sweet woodruff also. The supplements, however, are considered as more effective because they often contain only the most potent extracts of the herb.

Last, but not the least, you are advised not to use any herbal remedies for insomnia without consulting your doctor. Since these herbs have sedative features, they can cause some complications, particularly if you are suffering from other health disorders also.