Passion Flower brings balance to my sleepless December
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If you read my last article you may have noted that I can have a hard time falling asleep. I don’t have insomnia but when there are a lot of things going on—like getting ready for Santa, family visiting, work, school, church, etc.—my thoughts start racing as soon as the room goes dark.
And unfortunately, December seems to provide the perfect conditions for this. But when my wife mentioned she was experiencing the same thing, I decided to do something about it.
For the most part my wife and I had already tried our other tricks for falling asleep, things like reading a non-engaging book with the lights turned down, avoiding “big conversations just before bed,” and turning off all screens and outlawing them from bed.
But after trying all these things I was still struggling to get the rest I needed.
So after another sleep deprived night, I decided when I went to work the next day, I would make an herbal formula for myself. Unfortunately the day flew by and I didn’t have time to mix anything and had to settle for just a simple (a single herb instead of a combination of herbs). Turns out that simple works just fine. Last night I fell asleep as if I were on vacation in the middle of June.
The solution I used was Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnate) and I love this herb!
I plan on using this wonderful herb to help calm me before bed for maybe a week or so until my sleeping rhythm is back in balance and then I’ll stop taking it. That’s what herbs do, they help gently restore balance to the body, mind, and spirit.
And in this case, Passion Flower has helped bring balance back my December.
A Note on Safety: An adult taking Passion Flower properly is not expected to experience negative side effects, but The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has noted that it can cause dizziness and confusion and excessive drowsiness if used with a sedative. So I wouldn’t use it before driving, or try it for the first time the night before you have to wake up early. Also, unless you are working with a trained herbalist or physician familiar with herbs, Passion Flower should not be used during pregnancy as it may induce contractions. Check with your doctor or herbalist or take the time to do your homework if you have any questions prior to using this or any herb you are unfamiliar with.