Insomnia

[pagangoddesschild]

I have incredible insomnia and have had it for yrs now. I dont want to be taking sleeping pills (whether addicting or not) for the rest of my life.
Does anyone know of any herbs or herbal teas or whatever that may help me out? I have tried Valerian Root tea before and that's okay but doesnt always work, plus i get a bit of a "hangover" in the morning afterwards. Maybe i'm making it too strong?

[Amethyst Rose]

Hey there! I'm in Vancouver, B.C. too!! What a small world :)

Anyway, try chamomile tea. Just simmer some chamomile flowers in hot water..... I personally think chamomile is better than valerian.
Of course, there's always warm milk.... works really well with Irish Cream in it :)
I've never had to deal with persistant insomnia, so I'm not sure how well these will work for you, all I know is they work for me.
Good luck :)

[pagangoddesschild]

Wow! Great to see another Canuck here! And from Van. too!
Yep, i've tried chamomile mixed in with the valerian cuz valerian smells and tastes kinda yucky lol. But i've never tried chamomile just on it's own. Thanks, i'll give it a shot tonite and let you know how it works out. Hmm warm milk w/ irish cream.. i'll try that one too.

[belladonna23]

Kava Kava works great- I use it from time to time, and haven't noticed any "hangover". I use it in capsule form, so I couldn't even tell you if it's available any other way.
Warm milk with brandy also does the trick.
Or you could try a little exercise before bed...if you know what I mean. ;)

[pagangoddesschild]

I have Kava Kava capsules but dont you have to take them like three times a day for a while before they start to work? I have a friend who said that her mom took Kava Kava in powder form i think it was and she mixed it in some tea or something but i havent been able to find anything like that.
I could start taking the capsules but i can never seem to remember to take the proper amount (always forgetting to take the last one it seems)
Milk and brandy i also have so i could give that a shot.
As for the excersise :-) well, i've tried that too and so far that seems to be the best way lol One prblm with that though is that i'm not with him every nite :-( And it's just not the same by yourself LOL

[Yvonne Belisle]

Yes but there is always chocolate! :bigredgri :eek:

[belladonna23]

As for the excersise :-) well, i've tried that too and so far that seems to be the best way lol One prblm with that though is that i'm not with him every nite :-( And it's just not the same by yourself LOL [/B][/QUOTE]

No, it sure isn't!! :D I have the same problem there :(

I have been using the Kava Kava every day, that is true. I don't remember how long it took to start really working, but I only take it once a day.
If you don't mind buying herb tea, Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra has Kava Kava added to it. I'll see if I can find anything else for you.

[Celestite]

Hops and Passiflora are good sedatives, also lavender essential oil is supposed to be good if you can stand the smell!!

However Neroli (which is dead expensive) or Petitgrain essential oil (dead cheap) are both excellent.

A hot bath, a walk with the dog, some milk (which is sophoric) or and this isn't very witchy at all - 2 paracetamol!!

Sleep well

Blessings

Celestite

[Armitage]

I've had good relaxation effects with jasmine tea.
Also, if it's been going on for a while, then it may be a chemical imbalance and you may want to try taking melatonin. It's the chem. that tells your brain to sleep. Start with half a pill, and go up to one if that doesn't work. You might want to do some more reading up on the effects of this though, since it's a chemical your body produces.

[Semele]

This may be the worst place for your insomnia... or on the other hand maybe the answer. I think we have all become just a little sleep deprived since this community started!!! But its a good kind!!

Semele

[KyGreenWitch]

I was going to suggest the Valarian root, but then when I finished reading your post . . . well, it is a rather strong herb. You may want to try something light like a Kava Kava tea. Chamomile is supposed to be gentle as well, but I don't like the taste as well as Kava Kava. Do you like to diffuse oils? Lavendar is lovely and soothing. Of course you could try Chamomile Roman either in a tea or diffuse the oil. If you use oils, you can also put a small amount on several pulse points. Great for the nervous system. Let me know how you do.

Just a personal note - I oftentimes will fall asleep to some good magikal music as well. Try a couple things together. I don't believe that you should stick with just one thing. You must gather from resources - moderation of course.