Herbal Sleep Aids
Herbal sleep aids have been around since before recorded history, but we have seen a rise in their popularity in recent decades since our human societies have become so complicated and laced with an overload of stress.
Early humans used sleep aids as a part of their daily diet. In fact, they probably didn't even think of them as agents to cure the ailments of continued restless nights, rather, they took them regularly, resulting in a pattern of restful sleep, so they most likely, they didn't even have problems with insomnia like we know today.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, societies began to advance quickly and technology brought about philosophical questions that plagued the human mind. By the mid 19th century people recognized problems in their sleep patterns and turned to herbal sleep aids.
Pharmaceutical advancements in the last hundred years or so have brought many synthetic drugs to the market to cure sleeplessness. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, communication was still fairly primitive, so even though there were new drugs available to address problems with sleep, many people still used home remedies. It has just been in the last 50 years or so that we have taken to the variety of synthetic drugs. However, as many people found that they are often more troublesome than the effects of insomnia, a return to nature is enjoying heightened popularity.
Today people from all walks of life are seeking herbal sleep aids. Herbal sleep aids are often the first choice for people who suffer the occasional bouts of insomnia. They are also the top choice for people who have tried pharmaceutical drugs and become disillusioned by the terrible side effects. But many people who suffer from serious chronic insomnia are also finding that herbal sleep aids are the answer they so desperately need.
The most common herbal sleep aids include chamomile, kava kava, lemon balm and St. John's Wort.
St. John's Wort is also commonly used to treat depression. This makes perfect sense because depression is a major cause of insomnia, and insomnia breeds more depression. By using an herbal sleep aid that not only serves to induce peaceful, restorative sleep, but has the added benefit of warding off depression as well, the patient has an ever better chance at full recovery. St. John's Wort is popular the world over as an herbal sleep aid and in most countries, it can be bought over the counter. St. John's Wort is most commonly found in a capsule form or in tea bags. The taste of the tea is not bad, but because it tends to be bitter, many people prefer the capsules.
Chamomile and lemon balm are usually taken in the form of tea as the taste is less bitter than St. John's Wort. These herbs work to produce a calming effect over the nervous system. As the central nervous system transitions into a state of relaxed calm, it sends the signal to the rest of the body, including the mind, to let go of tensions and worries. The very act of drinking warm tea is in itself a calming behavior. While we tend to drink iced tea, sodas and even coffee on the go, we are more likely to sit down and sip a cup of hot tea, especially if prepared and enjoyed at home as a part of the pre-sleep routine.
Herbal sleep aids have been around d for centuries. They were the beginning ingredients in the creation of synthetic sleep aids that enjoyed wide use in the 1960s, 70, and 80s. With the discovery by researches, doctors and patients of some terrible side effects of synthetic drugs however, herbal sleep aids are now making a huge come-back on the global market. Herbal sleep aids are safe, effective and natural. They are not dangerous and do not cause complications or worsen a person's condition at all. Herbal sleep aids are by far the best solution to problems associated with insomnia.