Herbal Sleeping Medicine

[jvs]

I have a lot of problems sleeping and it seems i am always sleepy and very tired but can not fall asleep.

I have used many kinds of pills and i know they are dangerous and addictive so i only use them maybe ones a week.

What i am hoping for is to find a herbal remedy to help me sleep,can find some stuff on the net but most is in the USA or Europe.

Something like hops sounds ok to try.Is there anyone who has experience with these things and can point me in the right direction?

Strangely enough i know of some things growing in Thailand that can help you stay awake but that is not what i am looking for.

Thailand is a country with many herbs and and i hope to find something i can grow and process at home but let me say up front i do not want to grow anything illegal.

[Sandman77]

hello!

In Europe i use The medicine calleded Baldrian when i want sleep!

If i Tired on day time drink or eat ginseng !

All comes from the nature!

Don't know any herbal that have same effects!

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[Tolley]

There are lots of herbal products out there for helping with sleep. They usually have herbs like valerian, skullcap, passion flower in them.

You could also try chamomile tea before bed or things like calcium and mangnesium supplements before bed.

[tingtongtourist]

For me i cannot rely on any herbal product to help with sleep. My ex thai GF who also did have this problem,was going to get us a melatonin product they say is made in Thailand.

This one is a 1mg dose, in sort of gel form that dissolve in your mouth.they say to take 1 hour before you want to sleep.her friend claim this is 100% good but,,hmmm!

I did have a bad experience with melatonin in the past...did sleep very well but then woke up with a big headache.

This was a long time ago so maybe i will try this one..GF is gone now so chance of waking up with a big headache is a lot less

Only problem..will have a bigger headache..have to contact GF to find out where to get it

[IslandViewResortKohChang]

Consider St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), its a mild Antidepressiva and will help you finding Sleep -

unfortunately, there is a Sideeffect, what make you feel the Sun more agressiv on your Skinn

[thaipod]

Try acupuncture , seems to have good results .

[jvs]

Thank you so far for the replies,i will look into what you have advised me so far,also acupuncture i will consider.

[weary]

Melatonin works well for me.

Other things that help is to exercise during the day (but not too late at night). Meditation practice balances your systems and improves your mental health. If you ask around there's bound to be a temple in your area that offers basic meditation instruction. You can also just go to Youtube and learn meditation the secular way from, for example, Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Gotu kola (Centella Asiatica) is a herb that has a documented anxiolytic effect and although not primarily used for sleep, may be somewhat helpful.

It's called bai bua bok in Thai. You can grow it at home, and at the market you can buy bunches of it, or already prepared decoctions (nam bai bua bok) at some stalls - the decoction is dark green and tastes of clorophyll. Try to get it without added syrup (gkin dip, mai sai nam chueam).

If you decide to grow your own, it likes to be watered, or even flooded, twice per day. It tends to prefer shade but can handle partial sun. It is popular with snails and some other types of insects. To avoid snails, don't grow directly on the ground but in a pot in an elevated position. The insects are trickier, I spray with turmeric spray now and then and sometimes brush the leaves clean of spots.

[Deserted]

I always use hops in the form of beer. A few pints usually does the trick.

[dog11]

Melatonin 5mg tablets cost about 6usd for 100 tabs on iherb.com

3mg are less.

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Thaivisa Connect App

[preliminary]

I personally tried valerian roots, motherwort, hops, cassia siamea and melatonine. There're alo acai capsules but that is a bit dfferent.

Valerian roots you can buy in a lot of pharmacies, look for a drug called Valian-X. 10 capsules cost 160-180B. I consider it a bit pricy as sometimes I have to take 4-6 capsules and also in my country it costs pennies. You can order it from iherb, not only this will be cheaper but you can also try different combinations with other plants. Delivery from USA takes about 10 business days.

Motherwort and hops are popular in Russia and Ukraine, I don't even know if you can find it here. For me it works worth than valerian roots.

Cassia siamea can be found in some pharmacies, you may need to go to 3 or 4 to find it. It works very well on me but be careful and do your own research. There are studies which show that patients taking this herb experienced problems with liver. So I stopped taking it.

As for melatonine, the effect may vary depending on producer of the drug. I have never found it in Thai pharmacies but to be honest I didn't look properly. I take Melaxen in 3mg dosage produced by Unipharm, Inc. New York. My friends brought it here for me. One pill makes me fall asleep faster and I sleep very tight. I also need to sleep about one hour less (e.g. if I sleep for 6 hours I will feel as if I slept for 7-7,5). I tried melatonine made by Russian and Ukrainian companies and only one kind didn't give me headache or turned me into a jellyfish. Be careful about two things with it (no matter of what origin):

1) if you sleep less than 5 hours after taking one pill (or more if you took two) you will feel dizzy and extremely sleepy the next day. Drink a lot of warm liquids (not coffee) and it will pass faster

2) melatonine is normally produced by our body and this process may be supressed if you take too much or on regular basis. You won't be able to fall asleep without it at all.

You may also consider camomile or mint tea, warm milk with honey 15-30 minutes before going to bed. There're also hundreds of little tricks which really help if done systematically, like spraying mint oil on your pillow, making temperature in your apartment couple degrees lower 1-2 hours prior going to sleep, regular actions and rituals etc.

Did you look for the problem which is causing your insomnia? This may be just ruined biological rhythm, or some psychological issues, or an underlying medical condition (which you probably don't have but it won't hurt to check). What about your diet? Do you drink coffee or tea after 4 p.m.? Do you have a big dinner late at night? There may be a pile of tiny things which prevent you from having long restful sleep.

As for me, i got rid of my insomnia after my life changed a little bit (I moved to a different place and became less nervous about bunch of little things). Couple months ago I started taking acai capsules (again, do your own research on this) in the morning. I couldn't find it in Bangkok and ordered from USA. After the first week I noticed that I wake up much more easily, I don't feel like a zombie the first half of every day and I fall asleep faster. I don't take it regularly anymore but still feel the effect.

[JDGRUEN]

Melatonin is a good sleep remedy. But you have to take it at the right time... Take at least 3 mg. about 1/2 hour before your bed time. And bed time should be around 22:30 to 23:30 or a bit earlier (that is if you expect to be up early - say 06:00 to 07:30. If you take Melatonin at midnight or later - you will be groggy all mornng if you set your alarm to wake up about 6:00 or in that range. Melatonin is a natural brain chemical that controls our biolgical clock and the amount of melatonin in our brain diminishes with aging. Don't take melatonin in the daytime or early in the evening - unless you want to try out for a movie role as a Zombie.

If a person is over weight - sleep apena can wake up 50 to 100 times a night and thus deprive you of sleep - this can be a dangerous situation.

I also suggest using an antihistime that is noted for making people sleepy such as Benadryl - diphenhydrimine 25 mg. At worst you may get a bit of dry mouth and a mild antihistamine hangover. Take benadryl before 'bedtime' as described above.

Then there is always the old reliable - a couple glasses of wine before bedtime ... non in combination with the above...

Edited January 4, 2013 by JDGRUEN

[wpcoe]

Interesting variation in melatonin after-effects: When I used to take it, I could sleep for a short period, even as short as one hour, and be alert and wide-awake after getting up. I would have to set an alarm clock, as I would not wake up after that short of a nap without external stimulation. It was the main benefit over all the other remedies I tried -- everything else would leave me groggy or slightly "off," whereas melatonin would never do that.

The best pills were a combination of valerian and melatonin, but after about a year, the company that produced them vanished.

Now that I'm retired, I sleep when I'm tired and stay up when I'm not sleepy, so no needs for any more sleep remedies. (I'm single, too.)

[JDGRUEN]

A note about Melatonin use... While I strongly advise taking melatonin for inducing sleep - resetting your biological clock, it is known for inducing vivid sexual dreams. Not always - but quite often, Just thought you'd like to know...

[JDGRUEN]

Other sleep aides... If you are suffering with mild anxiety or mild depression (often at the same time) ... this can cause sleep disturbances. Of course this is directly caused by imbalance or low production of several brain chemicals (primarily serotonin, nonepinephrine and dopamine) - often brought on by a psychological insult (i.e. divorce, romantic breakup, death in the family, loss of a job, separation from family and loved ones, finding out you have a serious disease, etc.) Many people are not very susceptible to slipping into depression and anxiety - many people are. It all seems to depend upon your luck of the draw in the genetic lottery - your gene makeup. If you have a serious sleep disorder - then read up - use search engines - google, etc. Find good articles on the subjects and remedies mentioned on this discussion thread. Another remedy for sleep disorders and depression is regular exercise (as vigorous as your body will allow - ease into it) and non prescription medications - Over The Counter drugs Several OTC's are St.John's Wart, DHEA supplement, and one I like 'SAMe' (S-adenosylmethionine). SAMe is a very highly prescribed drug in Europe for mild depression - along with accompanying anxiety and melancholy. In the U.S. SAMe is available OTC - at Wall-Greens, CVS, Walmart Drugs and from many sites on the Internet. The drug has few side effects - if any - and is well tolerated. Search and read up on it. Get your body and brain in better shape and sleep comes easier. I am not a doctor - but I have significant education and experience in the Health and Medical Fields... Sleep Well - Joe

Edited January 5, 2013 by JDGRUEN

[uptheos]

While I strongly advise taking melatonin for inducing sleep - resetting your biological clock, it is known for inducing vivid sexual dreams.

Well, if you can't sleep a vivid sexual dream is second best, I guess.

[JDGRUEN]

While I strongly advise taking melatonin for inducing sleep - resetting your biological clock, it is known for inducing vivid sexual dreams.

Well, if you can't sleep a vivid sexual dream is second best, I guess.

Second Best? Actually - I thought it was top choice...

[Choonpon]

There are lots of herbal products out there for helping with sleep. They usually have herbs like valerian, skullcap, passion flower in them.

You could also try chamomile tea before bed or things like calcium and mangnesium supplements before bed.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect App

Some people can have insommia if taken calcium in the evening. Camomile tea, hot milk helps to relax.

[Choonpon]

Try not to rely on drugs to sleep, especially sleeping pills. Can get addicted. What did u consume after 6pm? Maybe you should recap. I played sound of rain with thunder but no music (downloaded from internet, burned onto a cd) if i can't sleep.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect App