Better Sleep: Part 2
Your sleep, both the quality and quantity, help create the foundation for your health. From a holistic health perspective, there are four pillars that every person’s health rests on. These pillars are nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and meaningful connections in life. Without these pillars, attempting to optimize or restore any other aspect of health can be very difficult.
Sleep hygiene creates the foundation for quality sleep, but sometimes we need a little extra help. Beyond the many sleep hygiene habits and routines you should try out (see ‘Better Sleep Part 1’), there are many natural and herbal products that can help improve sleep quality and quantity.
Botanical Nervines and Sedatives
From a botanical medicine perspective, there are many incredible plants that have been used as sleep aids for centuries. Botanicals used for sleep can be broken down into two categories, nervines and sedatives. Nervines calm and clear the mind, helping to ease an active and racing mind. They don’t directly increase sleepiness, but their calming effect on the body and mind can significantly help improve the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. They act via the central nervous system or the systemic vasculature in the body. As they are not specifically sleep-inducing, they are best used when restless energy blocks sleeping. Examples of botanical nervines are chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm. In contrast, sedative herbs produce sleep-inducing effects and are used to depress the nervous system. These directly increase your feelings of sleepiness and will help a person fall asleep (think of that ‘knocked out’ sleepiness). The best herbal sedative that is helpful for sleep is valerian root, followed by passionflower. Some botanical sedatives aren’t as good for sleep and are used more for pain relief (Jamaican dogwood, California poppy, Yanhuso (carydalis)). Overall, both nervine and sedative herbs will help relax you. Generally they improve sleep quality as they are less sedative than prescription sleep medications. These medications often put you into a more unconscious sleep state, whereas botanicals help you get into a subconscious state. It is important to note that since valerian root is a potent botanical sedative, the more you use the more you’ll have a ‘drugged’ sleep. Dosing and starting low is very crucial. It is recommended to start with just nervines to calm the mind. This will help you get a better quality of sleep without any sedatives.
Now you know all about nervine and sedative herbs for sleep, but how do you consume these to get their benefits? The best methods for consuming these herbs are teas (made as an infusion or decoction), tincture, or capsules/pills. An infusion is created like a typical cup of tea, but the steeping time is 20-30 minutes covered. This ensures the active medical constituents of the plant are extracted by the hot water. Simply place your tea bag or herbs in a metal strainer in your mug or teapot, fill with boiling water, and leave covered to steep. A decoction is also a water-based preparation. It is made by boiling the plant matter over a period of time. Boiling time is usually 45-60 minutes on high, 3-4 hours on low, 15-30 minutes in a pressure cooker, or overnight in a slow cooker. Infusions work best with water-soluble constituents, leafy, aerial parts, and flowers. Decoctions work best with water-soluble constituents, roots, barks, berries, rhizomes, or other non-leafy parts.
A benefit of making your own infusion or decoction is the ability to mix multiple botanicals together, achieving optimal effect. My favorite sleep infusion: lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, valerian, and rose. The routine of making and drinking this cup of tea about an hour before bed is also an important part of my sleep hygiene routine.
Tinctures are an alcohol based extraction method. The alcohol in a tincture will often yield a higher extraction of constituents compared to infusions, while simultaneously preserving your preparation. The shelf life of tinctures is 10+ years. Tinctures work best with water-soluble constituents, and are acceptable for all parts of the plant. Prepared tinctures of common botanicals are often available at health food and supplement stores. Valerian and lavender tinctures are some of my favorites for sleep!
It is important to note: be cautious of any juice or beverage that promotes sleep. These beverages are often full of sugars and calories that are not ideal to be consumed prior to going to bed.
Other Natural Sleep Aids
Beyond botanical products, there are many other natural products and supplements that can be extremely effective for sleep. There are so many incredible ones so we can only begin to scratch the surface here. Two very common and well researched natural sleep aids are melatonin and L-theanine.
Did you know there is a gland in your brain that produces melatonin? It is called the pineal gland and it produces melatonin especially at night, since its secretion is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. Research has shown that melatonin decreases the time it takes to fall asleep, increases the feeling of “sleepiness,” and may increase the duration of sleep. Melatonin binds to receptors in the brain (in the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus) that may have a direct action to influence circadian (sleep) rhythms. Disruptions in or decreases of our natural melatonin production, often from excess blue light exposure from electronics in the evening, can make people more prone to circadian rhythm disorders. This makes it more difficult to maintain a healthy wake and sleep schedule.
L-Theanine is an amino acid that is found naturally in green tea leaves. Its neurochemical characteristics of L-Theanine suggest that it may influence psychological and physiological states of stress. L-theanine is structurally similar to our excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, thus possibly blocking glutamate receptors in the central nervous system. Studies have also suggested that L-theanine exerts its relaxing effects by enhancing GABA levels, thereby increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin expressed in the brain. Additionally, L-theanine has a neuroprotective role as it acts as a glutamate receptor antagonist, upregulates GABA receptors and increases antioxidant enzyme expression. Results from many clinical studies suggest that the oral intake of L-theanine could cause anti-stress effects through the inhibition of cortical neuron excitation. Similar to botanical nervines, L-theanine can help calm the racing or anxious mind, making falling asleep and staying asleep more effective. Our bodies are often tired but our mind is racing. Using a natural product that helps soothe the mind can help allow us to enter a state of full mind-body relaxation which leads to quality sleep.
Some favorite products of mine: NFH liquid melatonin SAP is a great option as its spray bottle allows easy dosing adjustments. Dosing for melatonin is very individualized so liquids that can have their dose adjusted are always superior to capsules. Cytomatrix Liposomal GABA & L-Theanine is another great option as it combines two amazing constituents that complement each other’s actions.
If you constantly struggle with sleep despite following good sleep hygiene practices, it may be best to consult a healthcare professional. They can help provide you with further guidance while addressing any underlying root causes of your issues and give you individualized prescriptions for natural sleep aids. Remember that everyone's sleep needs and health status vary slightly, so it's important to listen to your body and adjust these recommendations to suit your individual requirements. Ensure you prioritize getting enough quality sleep to support your dance training and overall well being.
*This is not medical advice and is only intended for educational purposes only. Please always consult your medical doctor, naturopathic doctor, chiropractor, or preferred health care practitioner prior to beginning any treatment*
Resources
Ferracioli-Oda, E., Qawasmi, A., & Bloch, M. H. (2013). Meta-analysis: Melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS ONE, 8(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0063773
Hidese, S., Ogawa, S., Ota, M., Ishida, I., Yasukawa, Z., Ozeki, M., & Kunugi, H. (2019). Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients, 11(10), 2362. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102362
Kimura, K., Ozeki, M., Juneja, L. R., & Ohira, H. (2007). L-theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biological Psychology, 74(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.006
Pickrell C. Advanced Botanical Prescribing. CCNM Press; 2016.
Razavi, P., Devore, E. E., Bajaj, A., Lockley, S. W., Figueiro, M. G., Ricchiuti, V., Gauderman, W. J., Hankinson, S. E., Willett, W. C., & Schernhammer, E. S. (2019). Shift work, chronotype, and melatonin rhythm in nurses. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 28(7), 1177–1186. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-18-1018
Wei, T., Li, C., Heng, Y., Gao, X., Zhang, G., Wang, H., Zhao, X., Meng, Z., Zhang, Y., & Hou, H. (2020). Association between night-shift work and level of melatonin: Systematic Review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine, 75, 502–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.09.018
