VALERIAN ROOT - AN HERBAL SLEEP AID

Hola Beautiful Ones!

I believe I've found the right sleep aid. Some years ago, my brother had mentioned Valerian Root to me and how potent it was. Based on the picture he painted for me, I quickly deduced that it was something that I would not mess with. Fast forward to the present, I was desperate to give it a try. Although a bit apprehensive, after researching it, I went for it since it's totally "non-pharm". Please note: Medicinal herbs require the same amount of caution & responsible use as pharm drugs. Just without the many pharm nasties.

What exactly is Valerian root?
Valerian root is a flowering perennial plant with pink and white flowers exhibiting a sweet aroma. However, in my opinion, the dried root, which is the part of the plant used is quite stinky. Valerian root has been widely used in preventing & treating insomnia. Its quiet and soothing effects help a person sleep. Although a person can experience this effect immediately after using valerian root the first time, it is common that a person may use it for a few weeks before experiencing the full effect of the herb.


Valerian (Nervous) has been used as a sleep aid for over 1,000 years. Its ability to help relax the central nervous system, promote feelings of calm, decrease levels of anxiety and stress, and enhance sleep are known to millions the world over.


 It can and is also used to treat anxiety, fatigue, nervousness, stress, ulcers, menstrual cramps, muscle cramps, pain, spasms, and high blood pressure.


Possible Side Effects:

1.  It is a natural diuretic, meaning it causes your body to naturally lose excess water weight. So it is possible that a middle-of-the-night need to go to the bathroom may occur thus frustrating the goal to get a full nights sleep.

2.  Don't suddenly stop taking it. Due to the way it works in the body, it shouldn't be stopped suddenly. Rather, the body needs to be weaned from the valerian root. This protects the central nervous system.

3.  Drowsiness

4.  Difficulty concentrating

5.  Lack of ability to remain alert during the day

6.  Sleepiness during the day

7.  Difficulty with short-term memory

 
These side effects are to be expected in most people after they take a dose of the treatment.To avoid complications, take the valerian root about an hour before bed. Be sure you can dedicate at least six to eight hours to sleep after taking it.


Valerian root is a highly effective tool at calming the central nervous system. Therefore, use it cautiously. You should not use the herbal remedy for longer than two weeks at a time. Slowly stop taking the root after that time and avoid using it for several weeks prior to using it again.

It should not be taken if pregnant or with alcohol.
 
My experience:
I used about a teaspoon of the root and steeped it in hot water for about 15 minutes. I sweetened it with Stevia powder and was quite surprised to find the taste pleasant. It did not take long for me to begin feeling the effects of it. My gestimation would be less than 30 minutes. And I must say, I slept like a baby. A sweet, deep sleep.

And yes, I definitely noticed the diuretic nature of the root. I did get up in the middle of the night for a trip to the restroom but that didn't bother me. I was back to sleep immediately when I laid back down. I also noticed that I woke up with dry mouth. Me no likey that.

Was I groggy? Hell yes. And it took me a minute to shake it off. At the same time, I have to admit that I drank a cupful of the tea a little late. So I did not have a full 8 hours to dedicate to sleeping. Next time will be different. And I'll definitely use a little less of the root next time.

My personal conclusion:
I really was impressed with this herb. I'm pleased, aside from the morning dry-mouth. I achieved the rest & sleep that I was looking for and will continue to use it for a couple of weeks. I do think its a great natural sleep aid that certainly should be used cautiously.

Post Title → VALERIAN ROOT - AN HERBAL SLEEP AID

NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP

Hi Beautiful Ones!


I’m baa-ack. I strive to be an open book with everyone. Notice, I say “strive” as in I feel I have yet to fully attain this. Anyhoo, I mentioned in a previous post how I had been dealing with moving. Well, as a means of sucessfully surviving the jacked-up economy, I begrudgingly decided to move in with family. I’m at peace with it now but trust me, as an adult it took me many months of mulling over this before I settled on doing so.

You can only imagine having to combine 2 full households together but it is being done b/c ..it is what it is. And it’s all good. Now during this process, I have been sleeping on the floor until my bed gets here. I know. It sounds rough but after doing so for a couple of days, I’m not too sure that I want to go back to a bed. I know this may sound difficult to believe but I have been getting the best rest, the best sleep on the floor. I sleep through the night, dreaming and all, while on the floor. And guess what? I feel great when I wake up!

I recall reading a section of Victoria Boutenko’s 12 Steps to Raw Foods in which she talks about her and her family sleeping on a hard surface. It reads as follows:

…I used to like to sleep on a soft mattress. Then I read an article describing how healthy it is to sleep on a hard surface. I tried sleeping on the floor but had such an achy back the next morning that I immediately quit. Many years later, I went hiking in the Cascade Mountains and slept on the ground every night for one month. During the first week, I had an achy back. Then my sleep became so sweet, as never before in all my life. Since then I have slept on a hard surface. In addition, soft beds now make my back achy.

I certainly can attest to experiencing a “sweet” sleep.

She also wrote on her site, Raw Family Green Smoothie Blog, regarding this:

3. Sleep on a hard surface: Our body needs to stretch at night. All the bones and joints can only stretch out when we lay on a hard surface. The most important is the spine. During the day our spine is so improperly positioned (driving, sitting in front of the computer and watching TV) that some spinal joints don’t get adequate spinal fluid and blood enriched with oxygen. Kundalini is the life energy that can only flow freely when the spine is stretched. My entire family prefers to sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. You should see us sleeping on the floor around the king sized bed in hotels when we travel. Sometimes when we are forced by circumstances to sleep on soft beds, we wake up with headaches, feeling achy and not rested.

In skimming the web on this topic, I’ve read about people investing in a Japanese bed, as a similar way of sleeping. As a matter of fact, I actually found a website where someone (Patrick Clark) wrote an article entitled “The Ergonomics of Sleep”. In this article he talks about his search for the perfect sleep for many years. You can read the full article here. He included an excerpt from the Nishi website (which I was unable to successfully navigate) based on Katsuzo Nishi’s studies, a Japanese health pioneer, about the benefit of sleeping on a hard surface. Here’s what the excerpt says:

His theories are characterized by the idea that, in spite of the fact that the human bone structure and positioning of the internal organs are basically the same as those evolved for the mammalian species that ambulate on four legs, human beings have adopted a basically upright two-legged life style that places certain structural strains on the human bone structure, resulting in problems like obstruction of the flow of food through the intestines (constipation) due to the unnatural (vertical) positioning of the organs. As methods to compensate for these structural defects, Nishi conceived and encouraged the use of treatment through exercises such as the goldfish (movement) style spinal column rectification exercise and the Nishi-shiki health fortifying technique( (lateral vibration exercise know as the “Haifuku Undo”).



Furthermore, based on the structure of the human network of arteries and veins, Nishi refuted the heart-driven blood circulation theory of William Harvey, proposing instead a theory that the capillaries provided the true driving force of the circulatory system. And, in order to compensate for the obstruction of circulation in the four limbs resulting from the human species’ vertical posture, he proposed the Capillary Action- Inducing exercise (Mokan Undo), which involves lying on the back, raising the arms and legs and applying a slight vibrating motion.


Besides these exercises, Nishi also recommended methods making use of implements like a hard, half –cylinder pillow, design to keep the cerebral vertebrae in the ideal position from a structural standpoint and a flat sleeping platform (flat board) designed to do the same for the vertebrae of the spinal column. (2)

Hmmm…something to consider.



Now I’ve also come across people who are unable to sleep on hard surfaces due to chronic back pain. So I suppose this may be another case of doing what works best for and with your body.

What are your thoughts on this?....



*First pic is a Harry Peronius photo of Indiaphoto.org
**Second pic is a Raku Tatami Japanese bed from HaikuDesigns.com

Post Title → NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP