Humans have been struggling to sleep for centuries—and long before synthetic sleep aids were developed in labs, people looked to the garden for help.
There’s a long history behind certain herbs for their ability to help us calm down and enjoy longer, more restful sleep. And Mr. Moxey’s has tapped into these natural remedies to come up with a recipe primed to send you to Dreamland with a refreshing taste in your mouth.
CBD
Cannabidiol—the scientific name for CBD—may be one of the newer entrants on the list of herbal sleep aids, but a number of studies have already showcased its powerful potential to encourage some shut eye.
The natural plant compound works to promote sleep by working at the root of so many causes of sleeplessness.
Most notably, CBD helps us tackle anxiety, in a number of ways. The chemical interacts with our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is in charge of helping us maintain an internal homeostasis. Cannabidiol can make this system more responsive, which helps our bodies nail that inner balance, and generally leads to us feeling more relaxed.
But CBD also increases our capacity to feel relaxation at all, by opening certain receptors across the body that receive the feel-good chemical serotonin.
The substance has also been linked to anti-inflammatory properties that work to reduce pain, another classic symptom that keeps us tossing and turning.
And still other studies have connected cannabidiol to a more stable sleep/waking cycle, with the compound showing signs of improving the quality of both our rest and our wakefulness.
Talk about the full package!
Valerian Root
Whereas CBD’s use to catch more z’s is relatively new, Valerian root has been used in traditional medicine to help promote sleep for thousands of years. And, like so many herbal medicines, science has come to prove what many ancient cultures have intuited about the plant.
First, the root is a potent source of something called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, which helps regulate the electrical impulses of our nervous system, leading to an overall calmer and quieter interior switchboard.
Aside from adding its own dose of GABA to the body, Valerian also prevents the breakdown of similar chemicals in the brain, which leads to a prolonged feeling of calmness and serenity. (The technique is so useful, modern-day anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Valium have been designed to mimic it.)The magical root is also home to several sleepy antioxidants, hesperidin and linarin, which have been found to not just bring about sleep but increase its quality. And other compounds found within the plant work to calm the parts of our brain that process fear and other strong emotions that may keep us up at night.
Passionflower
Despite the fire found in its name, Passionflower is actually a traditional bringer of peace.
Native to the Americas, the plant has long been used as an antidote for ailments like anxiety and insomnia. That’s thanks, in no small part, to the same type of GABA-inducing compounds found in Valerian root.
When the nervous system is settled down, it leads to an overall calming effect that helps us feel serene from the inside out. And that may be why Passionflower has also shown in several studies to not only bring about sleep more quickly, but bring about a higher-quality sleep, with participants in some studies experiencing more REM sleep when using the supplement.
Lavender
As it turns out, it’s not just the color and smell of lavender that’s soothing. The plant itself has long been linked to a calming effect resulting in more relaxation and more shut-eye.
A number of studies have been conducted over the years linking lavender to better sleep and better-quality sleep—that is, more or longer REM cycles. And scientists have found that the chemical make-up of the plant is practically custom-designed to help us relax.
Compounds in the plant called linalyl acetate and linalool play a big role in lavender’s sleepy reputation. The chemicals have been known to balance our neurotransmitters in such a way to help reduce pain and create a mild sedative effect. (The impact isn’t enough to knock us out, but it certainly helps to chill us out.)
Lavender has also been found to help lower our heart rates, which not only sends the signal to our brain that it’s time to start winding down, but can help combat anxiety—itself a notorious obstacle in finding sleep.
Taken together, these plant-based ingredients can help create a naturally relaxed state of mind that’s truly dreamy.
Try our Dream Mints today and see how much more sleep awaits you.
REFERENCES:
https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-insomnia
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/valerian-root
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/calming-effects-of-passionflower
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-does-the-smell-of-lavender-help-you-sleep
