The disease of our age... A herbal solution: aromatherapeutics
In aromatherapy massage, inhalation, compress, and bath applications, lavender, rose, and lemongrass essential oils and their combinations are most commonly used to make falling asleep easier and to relieve the body of stress and tension.
Because essential oils can easily evaporate at room temperature, they mix into the room air and are taken in with breathing. As the active compounds of these essential oils (citral, linalool, geraniol, etc.) pass through the nasal mucosa, they are detected by nerve endings in the olfactory bulb and reach the brain, producing a calming effect.
These essential oils can also be useful for complaints in children such as restlessness, insomnia, irritability, and depression stemming from anxiety, fear, or insecurity. Various shaped pouches sewn from non-fuzzy, lint-free textile materials can be filled with lavender flowers or lemon balm leaves to create toys that children enjoy.
To make falling asleep easier, relaxing and soothing baths can be taken during periods of nervous tension and stress. Staying for 20 minutes in a bathtub filled with warm water to which lavender, lemon balm, rose, jasmine, orange blossom, patchouli, or similar essential oils or blends have been added can be very beneficial.
Herbal medicines are tablets, capsules, and syrups produced from standardized extracts prepared from the appropriate parts of plants such as Valeriana officinalis (valerian root), Humulus lupulus (hops), Passiflora incarnata (passionflower), and Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), available at pharmacies. Herbal medicines should preferably be made from medicinal plants grown organically using good agricultural practices, from standardized extracts prepared using good laboratory practices, and manufactured under good manufacturing practices (GMP).
Herbal medicines should be obtained from pharmacies and used under the supervision of a physician and pharmacist. It should not be forgotten that the phytochemicals produced by plants can interact with medications a person is taking, and that herbal products obtained from the internet or similar sources, without the supervision of a physician or pharmacist, in an attempt to find a solution for insomnia, can cause other health problems.