Everyone has experienced the ill effects of a bad night’s rest – whether it is having less patience with the occurrences of the following day, experiencing an inability to focus, or having less motivation to make healthier choices for yourself. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep on a regular basis and/or waking in the night can lead to negative health consequences that effect the entire body [1]. Sleep is a time for your body to heal and restore chemical balance and is as important as breathing or drinking water.
In 2016, the Sleep Health Foundation reported that in Australia, 33-45% of adults experience inadequate sleep, of either duration or quality, and suffer the daytime consequences [2]. By adjusting your bedtime routine and utilising the support of calming herbs, you can enjoy a deeper and more restful sleep.
Passionflower has been used in herbalism for centuries and has been scientifically proven to assist in calming anxiety and in reducing the time it takes to get to sleep [3]. Another herb that has been studied to balance the brain chemicals responsible for a restorative night’s sleep is Ziziphus [4]. See our Naturopath’s top picks below of herbal and nutritional supplements that will have you sleeping soundly tonight that contain these natural sleep promoting herbs.
Tips To Help You Sleep Better
- Utilise herbal medicines that calm the nervous system, increase sleep onset time and that reduce night-time waking
- Aim to have at least 7 hours of sleep each night
- Go to bed at least 2 hours before midnight to balance out stress hormones
- Avoid screens at least 1 hour before bedtime [5]
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4688585/
[2] https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/surveys/SleepHealthFoundation-Survey.pdf
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5699852/
