Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden

Help Yourself to Sweet Sleep

Have you ever had "one of those nights," when you just can't sleep? Everyone experiences this unpleasant and frustrating situation once in awhile, I'm sure. If you need an occasional helper in the sleep department, this month's column is for you, with many mahalos to reader Laurel Circle, who provided the idea and much of the information.

Sleeplessness can be caused by many factors. Sometimes we just have too much on our minds: I have conversations with myself, like "...and then I have to go to the store and buy such and such, and then I have to call so-and-so, and then I have to cook dinner, and then I have to..." The talk is endless! At other times, perhaps the late afternoon coffee you drank is still running through your bloodstream. What about the scary movie you just watched before bedtime? Our inability to drift off to a restful sleep also can be caused by physical ailments, such as the hot flashes of menopause. Please note that if you have chronic, frequent sleepless nights you should visit your health care provider.

Laurel's Regimen

1. Exercise and stretch every day, even just a little bit. In his book Herbal Remedies for Dummies, Christopher Hobbs advocates, "massage therapy, meditation and regular exercise are often helpful when dealing with sleep problems."
2. Limit your caffeine and sugar intake.
3. Take B-complex vitamins for reducing stress.
4. Take calcium supplements to help soothe your nerves (and of course they're good for your bones as well). Christopher Hobbs recommends that if you take supplements with 800 mg of calcium and 600 mg of magnesium, your sleep quality can be improved.
5. Drink only soothing teas, such as chamomile or valerian, in the evening. Celestial Seasonings makes a delicious and easy-to-make tea called "Sleepytime," which contains chamomile and peppermint. And try to eat dinner early in the evening so you don't go to bed with a bloated stomach.
6. Set a regular schedule for yourself by getting up and going to bed at approximately the same times every day.
7. If needed, you can take sedative herbs to help yourself relax and sleep. Kava kava (`awa) is often helpful, and the classic sleep-promoting herb is valerian root. Kava is considered the premium herb for reducing feelings of anxiety. However, it can cause "epic" Technicolor dreams, so be sure to follow dosage instructions and don't take too much. When I first heard this and took it, I thought, "Gone With the Wind" but what I had instead was a Stephen King nightmare!
8. Some people are helped by melatonin, a safe natural hormone that's available over the counter.
9. White willow bark is natural aspirin and can help promote sleep when you are in pain. It's available at natural foods stores in bulk or capsule form. If you make tea of it, you can brew up a quart or so, then keep the leftovers in the refrigerator for another sleepless night.

If you need help getting back to sleep in the middle of the night, you can repeat steps 7, 8, or 9 one time. You'll learn what works best for yourself.

Sleep-Promoting Recipe

I call this tincture "Hilo Dreams," and use it often.

Use a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, such as a canning jar. You can use a pint or quart-sized jar, depending on how much tincture you want to make. Tinctures typically last indefinitely when you store them in a cool, dark place, so don't worry about making too much. It's an important part of my personal sustainability to keep herbal medicines in my cupboard, just as I do aspirin and bandages.

Fill your jar about 1/3 full with these herbs (for one quart):

1/4 cup fresh or dried valerian root (if you are able to find fresh root -- it does grow here -- chop it up into small pieces: it is stronger than the dried variety and is preferred by herbalists).
1/4 cup lemon balm
1/4 cup chamomile flowers: fresh is always best.
1/4 cup kava kava (`awa) root, cut and sifted if dry or minced if fresh.

Valerian and kava don't taste very good, so add fresh fruit if you want it to taste better: liliko`i, mango, or guava make wonderful additions to tinctures that contain "stinky" herbs like valerian. A broken-up cinnamon stick, a few cloves, some rose hips or other ingredients help to make a better-tasting tincture.

Fill your jar with vodka or brandy, or you can use apple cider vinegar or glycerin if you don't want the small amount of alcohol that the tincture will provide. Let it sit in a shady spot in your kitchen for four weeks and shake it up every day. Then strain it and bottle it, making sure to put a label on the jar(s) telling what's inside. If you want, you can sweeten your finished tincture with molasses or honey at the end. Add 1/4 cup of either sweetener and then shake the jar well. Store it in a cool, dark place, like under the sink. When you need it, take three to four full droppers of it, or about 1 tablespoon. You don't need to take it under your tongue: that practice comes from homeopathy and is not necessary for this type of herbalism. If it seems more palatable, or if you're giving half an adult dosage to a child (which is safe), you can add it to a glass of orange or other juice.

Caution: as with any herbal remedy, be cautious about using large quantities of kava and valerian over a period of time, especially if you're taking highly concentrated tinctures. Valerian has the potential of causing headaches and grogginess. Use common sense and use remedies like this only when you need them. And if you're pregnant or nursing, always check with your health care provider before taking any herb or medicine.

ON THE WEB:
Christopher Hobbs: www.christopherhobbs.com.

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Barbara Fahs is the owner and creator of Hi`iaka's Healing Herb Garden, LLC and author of the book Super Simple Guide to Creating Hawaiian Gardens. Contact her at 966-6126 or www.hiiakas.com.