SLEEP | ISSUES

Problems with sleep are quite common and can be caused by many factors: age, stress, improper daily habits. A strange virus that disrupts our lives and livelihoods is naturally a cause for stress. All of these things can contribute to us staring at the ceiling at 3 am.

Rest assured (no pun intended) many people suffer from insomnia and related sleep problems. Stress can disrupt the regular circadian secretion of cortisol and can be a major cause of sleep problems. Cortisol normally obeys the body’s inner clock and responds to light and dark, morning and night. Cortisol levels are highest in the early morning., lower in the afternoon, and lower at night. Cortisol helps to synchronize activity, patterns of eating, and patterns of sleeping.

But there are herbs available to us that can assist in calming the nervous system down and promoting a more restful sleep experience.  

ADAPTOGENS |  for improved sleep regulates the production of cortisol, reducing stress. A relaxed less stressful body allows for a better and more rejuvenating sleep. 

The following adaptogens aid the body in improving sleep.

American Ginseng | helps people with insomnia that is associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Ashwagandha | is a calming adaptogen and traditionally used for insomnia and nervous conditions. 

Eleuthero | improves sleep quality and prevents nighttime waking.

Jiaogulan | is a calming adaptogen and is appropriate for anxious or agitated people with unstable hypertension, stress headaches, and anxiety-induced insomnia. 

Rhodiola | is used to regulate sleep disorders and improve sleep quality. 

Schisandra | is reported to relieve insomnia and dream disrupted sleep. 

Suggested use for ease I generally recommend tinctures they are easy to use and effective.  Let’s face it we are busy and using herbs can be really simple with tinctures. One dropperful at bedtime with one ounce of H2O. No need for all of them just pick the two or three that resonate with you.

Use for 6 weeks a wait for improvements in your ability to handle stress. This is what adaptogens are scientifically proven to do, they allow the body and mind to adapt to stress with less negative impacts on the body. The reason we create too much cortisol, to begin with, is connected to stress reactions, certain herbs have the ability to allow for us to store vital cellular information so when needed they can assist us in adaptive stress response. Meaning we bounce back quicker and prevent the body from creating too much cortisol. 

Stay safe everyone and now is a time to use our allies to assist us in these difficult times. But just know this too shall pass, it always does my friends. 

Peace,

Kristi