Herbal medicine has been used by mankind throughout the ages and all over the world, and is growing in popularity today in response to concern about drugs, and the desire for more natural forms of medication. Herbalists, like any other natural practitioners, feel that relying on herbs simply as tranquillizers is much the same as relying on medical drugs unless you also deal with the causes of your insomnia. The herbalist’s aim is not merely to treat symptoms, but to prescribe medicines that will improve general vitality clear the system of toxins, and restore balance and harmony; good sleep then comes about naturally.

Many modern drugs are based on plants: aspirin is extracted from willow, and digitalis from the foxglove, for instance. What modern science has done is to isolate from these plants, the ‘active ingredient’ that provides relief or cure. What it has overlooked in this process is that each herb contains a balance of ingredients which counteract any side effects from the active ingredient taken in isolation. They also contain health-promoting vitamins and trace elements. Herbalism is therefore generally very safe and properly prescribed medicines have no side-effects. It is true, of course, that some herbs are harmful, and you should go to someone who has been properly trained.

Herbalists treat much the same range of problems as GPs, and their diagnostic techniques resemble those of medical doctors, using the same equipment for testing blood pressure and so on. As well as assessing symptoms, practitioners evaluate the overall balance of the body’s various systems to ascertain underlying disharmonies, and they prescribe on the basis of the whole person rather than symptoms alone. Therefore, as with homoeopathy and other natural medicines, prescriptions for the same disease will vary for individual patients. Different herbs would be appropriate, for instance, for sleeplessness caused by anxiety, digestive problems, hormonal imbalance, and so on.

For insomnia, the herbalist would want to find out what is contributing to lack of sleep. Practitioners look into the patient’s lifestyle, including exercise and nutrition, and will recommend a healthy, wholefood diet; treatment is regarded as a co-operative effort in which patients play their part by making any changes that are indicated.

Medicines are usually dispensed in liquid form as tinctures. Herbal medicine can act quite fast, particularly when patients pay attention to a good diet. In chronic cases, however, it can take time to restore health as the medicines work gently and thoroughly, both detoxifying the patient’s system and building up his or her strength.

Self-help

Herbal medicines can be useful to try out at home for minor health problems in adults and children, and you can learn to use them from a number of books including those listed below. If you take a herbal remedy for a chronic condition, you can expect some improvement within two or three days, but it may take two or more weeks to get the full effect. So take any remedy for a month to give it a fair trial, and when you do improve, taper off gradually. Herbs are not truly addictive, but since they act upon the central nervous system they should not be taken regularly for weeks on end.

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Anti-Depressants/Sleeping Aid