Passionflower, an herb that promotes relaxation and sleep, grown and dried at Oma Herbals farm
We have been living through a time of heightened stress and uncertainty in 2020, which is causing many people to experience higher levels of anxiety and sleeplessness. Trouble concentrating, feeling restless or nervous, excessive worry, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep are all common symptoms of unchecked stress and anxiety.
It’s important to find ways to deal with stress in your life because over the long term, it can cause a range of problems that affect body and mind. Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, can lead to long-term sleep deprivation, which is linked to a range of health issues because the body and mind need rest to recover. Without restful sleep, you can’t function effectively, your immune system grows weak, and you may feel stressed more easily.
To manage stress and anxiety, a multi-faceted approach is best, including things like regular exercise, healthy eating, yoga, meditation, and, of course, herbs. While often overlooked, herbs can work wonders when it comes to helping reduce your reactions to stress by relaxing the nervous system gently and naturally. If you are looking for a natural solution to help you deal with stress, herbal remedies can be a great option, and when used in combination with other relaxation techniques and lifestyle adjustments, herbs can be highly effective.
Here are some of the best herbs for dealing with anxiety and insomnia that you may want to consider to get back on track and feel better.
Herbs for Stress and Anxiety
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a balancing adaptogen, which is an herb that works to bring hormones, including stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, into balance and minimize the impact of environmental and emotional stressors. Ashwagandha can help to restore adrenal gland function (the glands that regulate the body’s response to stress), balance the thyroid, and reduce inflammation in the body.
Holy Basil
Holy basil is a calming adaptogen that can mitigate the effects of cortisol, a stress hormone that makes you alert in situations of high stress when you enter fight or flight mode but can make it tough to wind down if produced in excess. Holy basil can help the liver detoxify and use glucose more efficiently, which aids in smoothing out blood sugars when you are stressed.
Motherwort
Motherwort is a bitter herb that can help to rebalance an overactive thyroid, which can be a cause of stress and anxiety. The ancient Greeks used motherwort to help women experiencing anxiety during childbirth, and traditional uses include helping to lower heart rate increases caused by anxiety and regulating female menstrual cycles. It is a relaxing sedative that gives a feeling of calmness without causing drowsiness.
Herbs for Insomnia and Relaxation
Skullcap
Skullcap is a plant native to North America that has been used for a long time in this part of the world to treat anxiety and stress as it is a sedative and antispasmodic herb. It can enhance gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on the mind. A compound in skullcap called baicalin may help with insomnia as well.
Passionflower
Passionflower is a relaxing nervine that is safe for children and works well for many different body types and conditions. Passionflower may help promote restful sleep (essential to combating stress and restoring adrenal function) and may be useful for cases of insomnia because it also stimulates GABA production to reduce the hyperactivity of the mind, which is often a culprit of sleep troubles. When taken in combination with skullcap, passionflower can also be helpful for panic attacks.
Valerian Root
Valerian root is considered a stronger herbal sedative that some call “nature’s Valium” because of its properties that promote relaxation and help people to sleep. Valerian root can be very helpful in slowing down an overactive nervous system. It has the antioxidants linarin and herperidin that have sleep-inducing and sedative effects in the body and reduce activity in the amygdala, a region of the brain that regulates stress-response emotions like fear and anxiety. Sleep studies done on adults struggling with insomnia have found that valerian root helped them to fall into deep sleep faster and stay in deep sleep longer.
How to consume these herbs?
All of these herbs should be taken regularly to feel the greatest effect except for valerian root, which herbalists recommend for short-term use only. These plants can be consumed as an herbal tea or a tincture, which is a concentrated extract of the herb that can be taken orally. We drink teas and take tinctures daily in our household, and valerian root was actually one of the herbs that drew me into the world of herbalism and plant-based wellness to begin with. If you are struggling with anxiety or insomnia, consider trying one of these herbs, or a combination of them, to help deal with the symptoms of stress!