Tossing and turning in bed without being able to fall asleep. Or waking up after a few hours of restless sleep and not being able to fall back asleep. It can happen, but if insomnia becomes an unpleasant habit you need to take action.
How? With the properties of medicinal herbs that are friends of good rest: valerian, passionflower and hawthorn are a useful aid against insomnia.
Insomnia: the virtues of valerian
The relaxing and sedative properties of valerian have been known since ancient times. Active ingredients are extracted from the root of this plant that gently accompany you towards a restful, peaceful and quiet sleep. The anxiolytic properties of valerian are scientifically recognized by recent studies and depend on the ability of its active ingredients, valerenic acid and valerenal, to act on the central nervous system without leaving any sense of numbness upon awakening.
Insomnia: the virtues of passionflower
The use of valerian is often accompanied by that of passion flower , also known as the passion fruit plant . Unlike other native medicinal plants, passion flower was introduced to Europe only in the 17th century, by an Augustinian missionary, Father Emmanuel de Villegas, who was returning from Mexico.
Thanks to the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and phytosterols, passion flower has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a calming and relaxing action on the central nervous system . A curiosity: perhaps not everyone knows that the "passion" to which the name refers is not, as one might think, "a fatal and irresistible attraction", but the "Passion" of our Lord for the Christian tradition. The name was in fact attributed by the religious people who introduced it to Europe because inside the flower they saw the symbols of passion: the tendrils reminded them of the whip of flogging, the ray of the corolla of the crown of thorns, the three styles three nails of the crucifixion. The flower, enchanting despite the description, is a beautiful lilac with blue shades. Its anxiolytic and antispasmodic properties seem to have already been known to the Aztecs.
Insomnia: the virtues of hawthorn
The third essence that is a friend of a restful sleep is hawthorn , a plant of the Rosaceae family that is widespread throughout Europe and in the temperate zone of North Africa, Asia and North America. Known since ancient times, it grows spontaneously in mountain areas. It has always been considered a cardiotonic and an anxiolytic . Among its properties is the ability to rebalance blood pressure and thanks to the presence of vitexin it is a natural sedative and anxiolytic .
The use of herbal remedies against insomnia
The use of herbal remedies against insomnia , in the correct dosage, is extremely effective and allows you to recover the physiological rhythm of sleep and wakefulness . Insomnia is in fact an alteration of sleep in quantity and quality, and is characterized not only by frequent awakenings, long pauses of wakefulness, but also by restless sleep, frequently interrupted, not at all restful. The causes can be different, among the main ones is stress. The consequences of insomnia during the day can have a considerable impact, from bad mood to irritability from drowsiness, up to concentration and cognitive difficulties. Almost 30% of the population suffers from it and it has a higher incidence among women.
The use of phytotherapeutic remedies against insomnia is extremely effective and allows you to recover the physiological rhythm of sleep and wakefulness: valerian, passion flower and hawthorn for a truly good night in the arms of Morpheus
To combat insomnia, some simple tips can also be useful, such as avoiding stimulants in the evening, eating frugal dinners, trying to maintain regular sleep and wake hours, avoiding daytime naps and trying not to expose yourself to light sources such as PCs or TVs in the evening, creating a predisposing and comfortable environment for rest with dark rooms at an adequate temperature.
However, when sleep is late or we feel the need for help to relax and promote a good restful sleep, it is possible to resort to the medicinal plants that we have indicated. No day will seem too long or demanding if we face it after a night of rest in which we have allowed our body to recharge and our mind to free itself from anxieties, thoughts and worries.
