From MSNBC report:
Valerian
Valerian is an herb with sedative properties. You can take it in capsule or extract form, soak the dried root in hot water for a tea or shred it into a pot of boiling water so you can inhale the steam. (But note: It's stinky, and the efficacy of breathing its steam hasn't been proven.)
Try it for...
Mild to moderate insomnia
The proof
Studies show women taking valerian extract fall asleep more quickly and wake up fewer times in the night. It's believed to raise production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that slows and calms sensory processing. One study found that the herb worked as well as the prescription sleep-aid oxazepam, and it seems to come without the next day "hangover" associated with many Rx sleep meds.
What to watch for
Valerian can be weaker than prescription sleep meds, and capsule and tea forms may not work as quickly as an extract. It can take a week to determine if it's working for you; a practitioner familiar with herbal meds can recommend a reliable brand. Taking valerian with alcohol or other medications that cause drowsiness can make even insomniacs too sleepy.
Valerian- natural sleep...
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Valerian- natural sleep...
...not all who wander are lost... (tolkein)
I am the daughter of Earth and Water
and the nursling of the sky-
I pass through the pores of the oceans and shores
I change, but I never die.
-shelley-
I am the daughter of Earth and Water
and the nursling of the sky-
I pass through the pores of the oceans and shores
I change, but I never die.
-shelley-
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