Phytotherapy for insomnia
The turn toward natural living and natural products has increased the trend toward green-natural pharmacies, and the production of phytotherapeutics has grown by leaps and bounds. However, claims circulating on social media and in print and visual media that products are "natural and harmless, contain no chemicals" have begun to pose a threat to public health.
For this reason, it is essential that all healthcare professional groups responsible for protecting and improving public health inform themselves about phytotherapeutics and their use. People should be protected from harm caused by misinformation, improper use, and incorrect production methods.
The encouraging thing at this point is the growing number of informed physicians, and the beginning of joint meetings, joint clinical research and applications. This is both very useful and necessary for the proper use of herbal medicines as well as their proper production. Because, along with the growing elderly population, herbal products that are protective against menopause, prostate issues, dementia, insomnia, and liver, heart and vascular diseases, that are supportive in musculoskeletal diseases that cause difficulty moving, and that delay skin aging, are in great demand.
The use of pharmacy-grade herbal products, produced under healthy conditions, in the correct dose and manner as protective and supportive agents, increases patients' quality of life and lifespan.
Herbal products that can be beneficial for insomnia problems
As is well known, the first medicines available to humans were the leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, bark or roots of plants growing in their immediate surroundings. Today too, pharmacy-grade herbal products yield very beneficial results when used under the supervision of a physician and pharmacist for maintaining well-being, preventing illness, and treating certain health issues.
Certain herbal products are also known to be beneficial for sleep problems, in cases of difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep quality. Certain medicinal teas, aromatherapeutics (essential oils) and certain herbal medicines available at the pharmacy are beneficial in resolving difficulty sleeping and frequent waking caused by daily stress, fatigue and tension. For example, clinical studies have shown that massages performed with lavender essential oil (containing linalool), or inhaling it by dripping it onto a pillow or pajama collar, make it easier to fall asleep.
Medicinal Teas
Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), Lippia citriodora (lemon verbena)
The leaves of these plants carry the compound citral in their essential oils, which has a sedative effect on the central nervous system. If 2-2.5 g of dried leaves are placed in a porcelain or glass cup half an hour before bedtime, hot water (150 ml) that has been left to sit for 1-2 minutes after boiling is added, the cup is covered with a glass or porcelain saucer and left to steep for 5-10 minutes, and then drunk warm in small sips, falling asleep becomes easier.
The warm tea can be sweetened with honey. Lavender flowers, and the petals and buds of the Isparta rose, can also be prepared and drunk as medicinal tea.
If a few fresh jasmine flowers (white jasmine) are added to a cup of warm-to-hot water and left to steep, the resulting warm, pleasantly scented tea can also make it easier to fall asleep. Growing lemon balm or jasmine in a pot at home is effective not only for occasionally preparing medicinal tea from the leaves and flowers, but also for freshening the air in the home and creating a calming atmosphere. The following medicinal tea formula, which can easily be used especially by children and the elderly, can be prepared by your pharmacist.