More Herbal Remedies for Insomnia: Turn Off Your Mind, Relax,
and Float to Sleep

Herbal remedies for insomnia are being used by millions of Americans (as well as by millions of people around the world).

How do we know this about Americans? Surveys.

A 2002 National Health Interview Survey asked people about their use of alternative medicines for insomnia. About 1.6 million U.S. adults who bothered to participate in the survey said they were using either herbal remedies for insomnia, or melatonin and related dietary supplements.

Woman sleeping soundly after using one of the herbal remedies for insomnia.

Most of those people said they found that insomnia herbal remedies and other natural therapies were helpful.

It's not surprising.

Because even though it's difficult to find many really good studies on herbal remedies for insomnia, there is enough information that shows herbal remedies just might help with your sleep deprivation.

Take lemon balm as an example

Lemon balm, also known as sweet mary, melissa, balm, or by it's scientific name, melissa officinalis, is a member of the mint family. The leaves have a mild lemon taste and fragrance.

Melissa officinalis has been used as a medicinal herb since the Middle Ages. Here's what centuries of use, as well as the scientific studies, show in terms of the effects lemon balm has as a remedy for insomnia:

It works as a mild sedative that promotes sleep
It's used as a stomach soother to relieve indigestion. Eases the discomfort of gas and bloating (those two can sure keep a person up at night, as in, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing.")
Produces calmness to counteract jittery nerves, stress, and anxiety. Reducing stress and anxiety can help fight hypertension (high blood pressure).
Is excellent for boosting mood
Has a relaxing effect on the mind. Turning off your mind makes falling asleep easier
Improves both quality and quantity of sleep for not only good sleepers but for poor sleepers too
And lemon balm can be taken with other herbal remedies for insomnia such as valerian root extract, passionflower, and lavender.
It's also interesting to note that lemon balm has been shown to improve memory performance in healthy individuals.
And because of its mild sedative effect, it has been shown to have a beneficial effect for the agitation that accompanies severe dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Dr. David Kennedy has even stated that lemon balm may have a future role as a treatment for dementia.

Lemon balm is a powerful, remarkable, wonderful herb.

Is melissa a safe sedative herb?

Yes. Lemon balm is considered GRAS by the U.S. FDA, meaning Generally Recognized As Safe.

In Germany, lemon balm is endorsed as a sedative by Commission E. Commission E is a committee of experts that reports on the safety and effectiveness of herbs and herbal combinations.

Melissa can even be used up to four months without problem. But if you're using melissa or other herbal remedies for insomnia...and nothing is working after a month or two...you've got deeper issues you need to be discussing with your health care provider.

How to take lemon balm to help you fall asleep

As a remedy for insomnia, you might want to first try this balm by drinking it in tea. It has a pleasant taste. Sip on it after dinner or maybe an hour or so before going to bed.

Use anywhere from 1/4 to three teaspoons of the dried lemon balm leaves for each cup of boiling water. You could start with a lower amount first and see how it effects you. Steep for 5 minutes, or longer if you prefer. You can drink the tea up to 4 times daily.

Of course, too much liquid before bedtime can lead to a situation where you have to get up and pee in the middle of the night. Sort of defeats the purpose of herbal tea to help treat insomnia.

So if that's the case with you, here's...

The best way to take lemon balm

Lemon balm is one of the excellent herbal remedies for insomnia.

Perhaps the best way to use it as one of the more effective herbal remedies for insomnia is to take it in capsules or tinctures that also contain other herbs for sleep. These herbs in formula combinations may help you get a longer and deeper sleep.

Always follow the dosage recommendation from the manufacturer. One excellent tincture I have found is Pure Calm. (Link opens a new window.)

Pure Calm, developed by a Clinical Psychologist, contains lemon balm, passionflower, and lavender. (Click the bottle image to the right to see this excellent supplement.) It:

Has an excellent 94% rating from people who use it
Is used by children and adults
Promotes a calming mood
Soothes nerves
Eases emotions when you're feeling pressured
Quiets the symptoms of stress
Supports the normal functioning of your brain and nervous system
And it's easy to take and is fast acting. Just follow the directions and put the drops in your mouth

Simply click here, Pure Calm to see what other satisfied Pure Calm users are saying. (Link opens a new window.)

You could also take capsules that contain only lemon balm to see if that works for you, although it may be less effective by itself. However, there was one small study that showed that a 600 mg dose of lemon balm by itself did increase calmness.

Essential oil of melissa officinalis can also be inhaled to counteract restlessness and produce a calming effect.

And here's something else that's interesting about lemon balm if you suffer from cold sores, as I sometimes do. Researchers have discovered that lemon balm has antiviral properties and can be used as an ointment to speed up the healing of cold sores.

Next in this series on natural sleep aids and herbal remedies for insomnia, we'll look at hops (see part 3 below). Yes, it's the stuff in beer, but no, having a nightcap before sleeping is a bad idea. It can lead to sleep maintenance insomnia.

Here are more articles you will find helpful

Part 1 Herbal Sleep Aids: Valerian Root

Part 3 Herbs for Sleep: Hops

Part 4 Sleep Aid Herbs: Secrets to Sleeping Well Using Passionflower

Part 5: An Herbal Sleep Remedy for Egyptian Mummies?

Part 6 of Herbal Sleep Remedies: Chamomile

Return from More Herbal Remedies for Insomnia to Sleep Disorders Home Page

References for Herbal Remedies for Insomnia

Modulation of Mood and Cognitive Performance Following Acute Administration of Single Doses of Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm) with Human CNS Nicotinic and Muscarinic Receptor-Binding Properties. Neuropsychopharmacology (2003) 28, 1871–1881, David O. Kennedy, et al
Attenuation of Laboratory-Induced Stress in Humans After Acute Administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosomatic Medicine 66:607–613 (2004)
Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Med J Nutrition Metab. 2011 December; 4(3): 211–218.
Lemon balm. University of Maryland Medical Center.