How Some of the Most Powerful Herb Mixtures Can Help You to Sleep Better
I was raised in a family where there was a kitchen cure for every Illness out there. My mom would stick garlic cloves in our pockets to keep illness and bugs away. If we brunt our self out came the aloe plant and lavender. Even when it came to sleeping, she had ways to help you fall asleep fast and sleep all night long.
So anytime I start to think of ways to sleep better, my mind always does to my mom standing in the doorway with her herbs.
Naturally, my first love is herbs; you can not walk into my house without smelling lavender and mint. My kids sleep every night with their teas and scent socks, and every bedroom has its sleep pillow.
I want to share my tips for using herbs to aid sleep.
Everyone knows that drinking herbal tea can help with sleep. The two most popular are Mint and Chamomile. Tea is a great way to prepare your mind and body for sleep. And can be easily added to your nighttime routine.
Best Herbs For Tea
Chamomile.- This safe and yummy herb helps calm nerves, acts as a mild painkiller, and aids digestion. Chamomile has been used for centuries as a cure for insomnia. It is safe enough that you can even give it to children. Be careful if you are allergic to ragweed, as it might cause a reaction.
For tea, 3 tsp of dried herb in 1 cup of warm to hot water for tea before bed. Add a tsp of honey if needed
Lavender- Lavender can help with anxiety, stomach problem, mood swings, and pain and helps to calm nerves and promote sleep.
We all know the smell of lavender can aid in sleep. That is why you can but everything from pillows to face masks with the sent, but most have never tried it in tea. It also works well mixed with other herbs such as chamomile or even lemon.
For Tea, 1 tsp dried herb in 1 cup warm to hot water. Add lemon, other herbs, or honey if needed.
Lemon Balm – Helps with nervousness, depression, insomnia, and headaches. It has a nice mild flavor and mixes well with other herbs to make them taste better.
For Tea, mix 2 tsp of herb with 1 cup of warm to hot water. Add honey or other spices as needed
Valerian – is one of the most potent but safe sleep aids as far as herbs go. It helps with anxiety, nervous tension, and insomnia. Valerian can have a mild sedative effect in some people. But be warned, it does have a smell of its own.
For Tea, mix ½ tsp to 1 c warm to hot water. Add honey or other herbs if needed
Sleep and or Dream Pillows
I love my sleep pillow, and my kids even take theirs to sleepovers. They provide a lovely smell when you are trying to sleep, along with helping to relax and calm you.
Here I will list good herbs and herb mixes to use in the making of your sleep pillow, along with a simple how-to on making your own.
Lavender- one of the most popular herbs for sleep pillows, can be bought in some form of a pad almost anywhere.
Sweet Marjoram, Spearmint, Lavender, Red Roses, and Lemon Grass- make a wonderful smelling sleep pillow.
Eucalyptus- Make an excellent sleep pillow when you have a cold or feel under the weather.
Mint, thyme, lemon grass, and lemon verbena – Is a bright-smelling sleep pillow
Hops, Valerian, passion flower, skullcap, sweet marjoram, rosemary, catnip, lemon balm, lavender chamomile, roses – Smells terrific and will aid in falling asleep fast.
How To Make Your Sleep Pillow
Step 1 Select your herbs or mix of herbs. Mix any spices you have selected
For my pillow, I used 1 part lavender, 1 part Red roses, 1 part chamomile, and 1 part Valerian
Step 2 Cut a 5″ by 5″ piece of muslin.
Step 3 fold in half, and by hand or with the machine, stitch up all sides of the Muslin, leaving a small gap on any side. Insert a funnel into the hole and add herbs to the pillow hand stitch the opening closed.
You can also add rice at the same time as the herbs if you want to keep the pillow small.
Step 4 at this point, you can add the dream pillow you just made to your pillowcase or a larger buffer to put it in for sleeping on.
If you choose to make a pillow, pick colors of fabric you enjoy. Try to stay away from material that gets hot or sticky. I like jersey cloth myself because of how soft it is
Follow the step above using a large fabric size, leaving a gap big enough for you to hand stuff with your filler. Add the sleep pillow and hand stitch close.
For bays, put a sleep pillow under the crib mattress or under the crib itself to prevent choking and or allergy.
Herb Sent Your Socks
I'm sure any mom can tell you that if you use vapor rub on your baby, it goes on the feet. The same goes here. The smell of any herb-scented oil can be placed in or on your socks to aid you in sleep without being overpowering
Best oils to choose from
Eucalyptus oil
lavender oil
Vetiver Essential Oil
Chamomile oil
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Marjoram Oil
Valerian oil
You can pick one or a mix of these and add 4-6 drops to your socks for a good night of sleep.
I hope you find these valuable and helpful, and I hope they work as well for you as they have for my family and me.
© 2013 Brenda