There are many reason why people cannot sleep. Sleep disturbances could be caused by stress, adrenal fatigue, digestive upsets, nutritional deficiencies (such as magnesium) and hormonal imbalances – just to name a few. The truth is, insomnia can actually be a symptom of an underlying problem, and it’s not until the underlying problem is addressed that people can truly have their sleep problems disappear.

There are many lifestyle problems that can be disrupting your sleep and a naturopath can address all these factors with you. Things like diet are important, as well as stress management and healthy sleeping habits like establishing a bedtime routine, making sure you have a high protein snack several hours before bed and avoiding eating right before you sleep, especially high grain or sugar foods. You can find out more about healthy sleeping habits here.

Herbs are an important aspect of natural sleep treatments and there are many herbs we use to effectively improve sleep conditions. The herbs we use are soporific, meaning they help you relax and balance the nervous system, and unlike sleeping medication, they don’t whack you out and leave you feeling groggy afterwards. They also work to correct underlying imbalances and are taken over time, instead of a one-off hit, and as such, they are non-addictive.

Common herbs we use to aid sleep are valerian, californian poppy, passionflower, hops, lavender and kava. Timing of taking the herbs, frequency and dose are all very important in their effectiveness and needs to be decided and modified for the individual person as needed. Other nutrients are crucial to healthy sleep, especially magnesium, and this is also recommended in any sleep treatment. As always, we never recommend self-prescribing; herbs must always be taken under the guide of a trained professional for safety and effectiveness.

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, wake up too often, or feel inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from adding herbs to your treatment strategy. Call us on 3369 0045 to book a session with our naturopath and have a herbal mixture designed specifically for you.