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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lao Tzu on April 19, 2010, at 9:19:25
I read somewhere online that lemon balm is a very effective sedative herb for insomnia. I'm interested to know if it works well. I've tried Valerian, and it didn't help with my insomnia. And I'm tired of trying herbs which can act as a stimulant and a sedative. I want something that is just sedating, like chamomile. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to chamomile slightly, and it is too mild for me. Has anyone out there tried lemon balm extracts or tea for their insomnia? Is it effective or too mild? In my mind, it is probably too mild for chronic insomnia. I've read of supplements that contain both Valerian and lemon balm for insomnia, so it sounds as if lemon balm might be like chamomile, kind of mild. Has anyone had experience with this herb? Thanks.
Posted by sigismund on April 21, 2010, at 19:34:25
In reply to Lemon Balm for insomnia, posted by Lao Tzu on April 19, 2010, at 9:19:25
I made a tea out of the leaf.
It seemed pretty mild.
Sometimes lemon balm is combined with zizyphus (which I like).
Long term benzo use probably makes these herbs less effective.
Posted by bleauberry on April 22, 2010, at 17:18:20
In reply to Lemon Balm for insomnia, posted by Lao Tzu on April 19, 2010, at 9:19:25
I've used lemon balm. Never a large dose though, so I can't really say whether it is real strong or not. But even a low dose was calming and helped with sleep. I found it was best to combine passionflower and lemon balm, better than either alone. But still, I don't think either of these are as potent for sleep as a pharmaceutical big guns med would be.
Of the herbs, the one with the biggest knockout punch for sleep I've ever tried is Skullcap.
Posted by Lao Tzu on April 26, 2010, at 12:56:31
In reply to Re: Lemon Balm for insomnia » Lao Tzu, posted by sigismund on April 21, 2010, at 19:34:25
Thank you for the information. Skullcap seems interesting. Honestly, I really don't think herbs are absolutely necessary for me to sleep. I seem to do okay taking enough magnesium/calcium as long as the forms are highly absorbable. No magnesium oxide or calcium carbonate for me, thanks. I tend to do well with amino acid chelates and magnesium citrate. Added to this at bedtime are vitamin E , selenium, and melatonin and eventually I drift off. It is nice to know that there are some herbs out there that help with relaxation. But I don't want to be groggy the next morning. I've tried Passionflower and Chamomile tea, but they are pretty weak for my condition. The vitamins and minerals seem to work better and they are better than nothing at all. My biggest problem is falling asleep rather than staying asleep. Once I drift off, I usually get a full night's sleep. Maybe it's all psychological with me, you know worrying when I finally will fall asleep. One thing I don't do is stare at any clock. That just makes it worse. Someone said the best thing to do is just lie there, do whatever to make yourself relax, and just wait patiently. No pressure. Just wait for your body to do its thing and just accept it. However, people with mental illness do need help relaxing, whether it be with herbs, vitamins, or medicine. Otherwise, they'd be up all night. Before I was put on medicine, I could stay up all night smoking cigarettes, feeding my delusions, and I'd still have energy to function the next day. It was a surreal time for me. I was really psychotic then. It was almost like I didn't care whether I slept or not. I was only interested in entertaining myself with delusion. Of course, I did finally sleep at times, just because my body would get worn out, but I was really a mess before the medication. I was literally out of my mind. The medicine saved me, thank God!
This is the end of the thread.
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