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Make Your Own All-Natural Sleep Aid

Make Your Own All-Natural Sleep Aid 1
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Nothing cures insomnia like the realization that it’s time to get up.
-Author Unknown

I am fairly confident that most of us, at some time in our lives, have experienced trouble sleeping.

For some of us sleeplessness can come during times of transition…like when we move into a new home or travel. This type of disturbance in our sleep pattern will usually only last for a couple of nights.

Then there’s the type of insomnia that carries on for a couple to three weeks and is usually caused by anxiety or stress. On the other hand, it’s chronic insomnia — or poor quality of sleep occurring three or more nights a week for months at a time — which can be a real cause for concern and generally requires an investigation to uncover the root cause of the problem.

Tips to Help You Sleep

Root causes for insomnia include a variety of medical, physical and lifestyle components. And if you suffer from chronic insomnia…uncovering the root cause is a must.

But in the meantime, there are several tips you can follow that may help you sleep better. For example:

  • Create a bedtime routine. Note: Pat, over at Heal Thyself, had an excellent idea when she created the 10PM Bedtime Club. 
  • Don’t nap during the day.
  • Remember…too much sleep can be just a damaging as too little.
  • Always avoid caffeine and alcohol prior to bed.
  • Get to bed as soon as you can before midnight. Note: Some research suggests that every hour of sleep prior to 12 am is equal to 2 hours after.
  • Don’t eat — or drink — late in the evening.
  • Make sure you’re getting enough Magnesium in your diet.
  • Exercise daily.
  • Create a comfortable room. (i.e. clean sheets, lighting, noise, air flow, and temperature)
  • Read a book, pray/meditate, or journal.
  • Turn your alarm clock away from your line of sight. That way you’ll be less likely to keep checking the time.
  • Learn about the different herbs and natural remedies that will help induce a restful sleep.

Herbs that Help

Throughout time and cultures there have been several all-natural remedies created based on herbs known to help induce a restorative sleep. A common remedy has always been an herbal tea blend — one designed specifically with herbs that produce a sedative effect.

Herbs such as:

  • Chamomile provide soothing relief for the nervous system.
  • Oatstraw gives us balance.
  • Valerian and Hop flowers have the power to relax and induce a deep, restful sleep.
  • Passion flower will bring a sense of calm.

An All-Natural Sleep Aid
Make Your Own All-Natural Sleep Aid

In my experience, there have been three extremely powerful natural remedies that have transformed the way I — and my family — sleep.

And those have been herbal teas, homemade herbal sleep capsules, and the most effect has been the herbal tincture.

And the secret is the Valerian.

Valerian’s ability to help one sleep is literally incredible! It works directly on the nervous system and produces a deep sleep almost instantly.

Valerian:

  • helps to quite a restless mind
  • is not habit-forming
  • does not cause a groggy feeling…in fact you should feel completely refreshed upon waking
  • is effectiveness against anxiety, stress, and headaches
  • can be taken in the middle of the night to help you fall back to sleep quickly
  • improves mental function

My favorite way to use Valerian is in a tincture form…and today I want to share my recipe with you.

Sleep Like a Rock Tincture
Make Your Own All-Natural Sleep Aid

-1 quart-sized glass mason jar
-2 oz. dried Valerian root
-0.5 oz. dried Hop flowers
-a mixture of 60% vegetable glycerin and 40% pure water to cover

Method

1. Measure out the herbs using a small kitchen scale and place them in a quart-sized mason jar.

2. Fill the jar with 60% glycerin and 40% pure water, leaving 1-2 inches of head-space.

3. Close the lid to the jar tightly and place it in a warm spot for 4-6 weeks. Shake vigorously each day.

4. Strain off the plant material using a cheese cloth and/or fine mesh strainer.

5. Place liquid in a dark glass tincture bottle.

6. Take 1 or 2 dropperfuls every night 30 minutes prior to bed.

Note

-Valerian is only recommended for short-term use. However, be encouraged — it has been my experience that once the person rediscovers a healthy sleep pattern, the use of this tincture naturally decreases. And if the problem returns…a few more nights of taking the tincture again immediately helps to reestablish sleep.

-While Valerian is extremely useful for the majority of folks, there are those to which it has the reverse effect…making them restless. However, I will say that it is most definitely worth a try!

-Be warned…Valerian stinks. Everyone in my house knows when I’m straining the Valerian tincture! Although it stinks, it really has no taste. I love to administer this tincture in just a couple ounces of water.

Where to Buy this Stuff?

I purchase dried, organic Valerian root and hop flowers from a local herb shop…however, I also find great quality dried herbs online from Amazon.com and/or Mountain Rose Herbs.

But, you could always try your hand at growing it! In fact, Valerian is a beautiful plant and can easily be cultivated in most gardens. I love buying medicinal herb seeds from Horizon Herbs.

Vegetable glycerin I recommend purchasing here.

These tincture bottles are perfect!

Now it’s your turn! What natural remedies have worked for you and your family in the area of sleep? Please share them with us.

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Comments

  1. I loved reading about herbal tinctures! I am planning on making one out of lemon balm. Our family has used Valerian for years (over 10) for sleep/rest. I also use it before getting an adjustment from the chiropractor since it does help to loosen muscles and relax me all over. I have seen a huge difference in my spinal adjustment when I don’t use it prior to my appt.
    I have been using chamomile lately to help me to relax before bedtime. It’s just not easy to drink in hot weather or right before bed. Have you heard of a chamomile tincture? I wonder if that would work? Thanks for your article…very informative!

    • I often use a homemade chamomile and lavender tincture to wind down at night. Only I steep mine in vodka.

      • Anything with lavender is very soothing to sleep, taking a shower with lavender soap, or soaking in a warm bath with lavender oil is very relaxing. The mixture of the warm water and soothing smell and feeling on your skin is heavenly, and you can use it for your children also just a little lavender lotion on their skin after their evening bath usually helps them to unwind to sleep.

    • I made this tincture with all the ingredients but our health food store did not have hops. Is the hops just for fermentation or does it have medicinal purposes as well? I also added camomile (.5 oz) and passion flower(.5 oz). Most employees at health food stores can help with ingredients to make it a nice tincture. This was for my husband who has horrible sleep deprivation due to restlessness, being a light sleeper, on-call work, etc. He took it last night for the first time, very skeptical, and is still sleeping (like a baby, I might add!)
      Thanks for the great advise and reciipe!

  2. This is wonderful, Andrea. I am doing adrenal work that involved metal detox and insomnia hits me hard sometimes. Like now. Thank you!!

  4. HI – I’m wondering if the sleep aide tincture is safe for children? My 8 year old daughter has a very hard time settling down in the evening and falling asleep (she is a natural night owl). When school is near, I give her liquid melatonin drops (approved by her pediatrician) to help ease her into an earlier bedtime, but sometimes it doesn’t work and sometimes when she wakes the next day, she’s irritable. Are there side effects to the tincture? Thank you for all your wonderful information!! I love your site!
    Lori

    • Hi Lori! This is a great question! I would most definitely discuss this — or any herbal remedy use — with your child’s doctor. But I will say that I do, on occassion, give both my 6 and 10 year old daughters this tincture.

    • If the melatonin makes your daughter irritable, definitely try something else/new. As someone with diagonosed delayed sleep phase disorder, i.e my sleep/wake cycle is 4a-12p, I have tried multiple remedies and melatonin makes me feel hungover the next day. It just does not mix with some people’s chemistry. try anything to do with valerian, chamomile, lavendar essential oil spritz on the sheets or a lavendar diffuser by the bed, or practice light and/or visual therapies.

    • HI Ashley,
      using melatonin to young can stop our natural production of it. You might just want to be careful of this.

    • I HAVE AN OIL BLEND I HAVE FOR CHILDREN CALLED PEACEFUL CHILD. HAS HELPED IN SCHOOL WITH CHILDREN HAVING A HARD TIME SETTING & YOUNGER CHILDREN ANGRY OUT OF CONTROL. i HAVE USED ON MY GRANDSON WHEN HIS LEGS HURT AND HE HAS A HARD TIME FALLING ASLEEP. WE APPLY OIL AND READ HIM A BOOK AND WE CAN TELL AS HE BEGINS TO RELAX. MY TWIN GRANDDAUGHTERS ALSO HAD SOME ISSUES AND WE USED THIS ON THEM TO HELP THEM RELAX AND SLEEP. ANYONE CAN EMAIL IF THEY WISH I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE IF YOU SO DESIRE. PEPPER [email protected]

  5. This is good stuff for me to be reading about. My boyfriend is a firefighter, working 24 hour shifts, and having to be alert enough while sleeping to get up out of bed and go out on any number of calls past midnight really negatively effects his sleep outside of work as well. I definitely plan to make him this tincture. My only concern is that his situation (for the next twenty years until he retires) is never going to change. I wouldn’t want him using this 2 out of every three nights indefinitely. I guess we’ll have to work on figuring out how to relax and calm him before bed in other ways as well. But I do have a question – why do you use vegetable glycerin for this tincture? Is it better for extracting the medicine from valerian and hops, or is it because of the effect of alcohol on sleep? Do you think it would significantly reduce the effectiveness to use alcohol instead? Thanks so much. I love your site… (Just made myself some probiotic deodorant, dish soap, and antiseptic salve modeled after your recipes!)

    • You might want to omit hops if you preparing for your boyfriend. Hops are anti-androgenic – lowers the production of male hormones, such as Testosterone.

      Valerian alone would work great. Unless he is one of those 10% of people who get wired from Valerian

  6. I was wondering how young you could use this too. My eldest rarely has trouble getting to sleep but the younger two occasionally complain they’re still awake late in the evening and the youngest (8, the same as Lori’s daughter) often says she’s woken up over night and taken a while to get back to sleep.

    Nancy, what would you use Lemon Balm tincture for, if you don’t mind me asking?

  7. I suffered from insomnia for over a year and tried (almost) all of the above. In the end it turned out to be a food intolerance!

    While it is true that one shouldn’t eat late at night, sleep maintenance insomnia (where people have no trouble going to sleep, but then wake up in the early hours and stay awake) can be caused by blood sugar dropping and causing the release of epinephrine. It may be worth trying to have a small snack of complex carbohydrates before bed.

  8. Any tea with lavender puts me right out…..but when I cannot sleep I don’t want to get up and boil water. I am always amazed how much noise is involved with boiling water. I never notice until the rest of the house (or usually the camp) is sound asleep. So Thanks! (But why glycerin?)

  9. I am one of those for whom Valerian has the opposite effect. I took Valerian tincture right before bed once and was startled awake 15 minutes later. I’d love to understand why that happens. Benadryl didn’t make me sleepy either, nor my children. I have read that people with ADD have opposite reactions.; maybe that’s it. Valerian is still terrific for pain relief though, so I do take some occasionally, combined with linden and lemon balm to give that relaxation factor. Linden tea before bed knocks me out.

  10. Yes, is the vegetable glycerin necessary? I read about using it in a DIY toothpaste, then read about it’s ability to coat the teeth and eventually cause enamel loss that is irrepairable. Can I make the tincture in brandy like other tinctures as long as I use it for adults?

    • Hi Karlie! You could absolutely make this — or any other herbal tincture — by using brandy or vodka. Alcohol is the best menstruum. Great question 🙂

    • It’s controversial. Some MW say it’s ok and others say it’s not. There really haven’;t been enough studies to say yes or no… So, talk to your Doc or MW before taking this. 🙂

  13. Valerian does not work for me. I go to a natural healthcare practitioner who does essential oils testing and she recommended blue yarrow essential oil for me. I don’t actually put it on me as we have found that just having the bottle on my bed stand makes me sleep because of it’s frequency. If I am having trouble settling down at night I just hold the bottle in my hand for 5-10 minutes and it will put me right out. I know this sounds crazy but everything has a frequency that it puts out for 3 feet in any direction and will have an effect on the human body.

    Another thing that I used to use is Hyland’s Rescue Sleep. It will calm the mind when you cannot turn it off at night. Using this made me get up sleepy as it lasted too long for me but many who use it love it. It is safe for anyone of any age.

    • Lana, know just what you mean. I was holding an unknown bottle of tincture and started coughing uncontrollably…… It was Coltsfoot….cough remedy!

  14. I too have nights where I wake up, and can’t go back to sleep. My cure is pure Lavender oil, and Myrrh. Lavender is calming and soothing, and Myrrh is a sedative! It works great. Chemical free, completely natural, with absolutely no hangover!

    I love essential oils! They are powerful medicine!

      • Hi Suzie! The oils I use are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade, so they are completely safe to use aromatically, topically, and internally.

        For trying to sleep, I put the Lavender on my temples, back of neck, bottom of feet, and sometimes my forearms. The Myrrh just goes on my forearms. You can learn more at my website. http://www.jontioils.com.

  16. Sometimes Valarian with chamomile, white willow bark, and melatonin works well to help me sleep.

    • I give my glycerin tinctures about a 2 year shelf life. Be sure to keep them stored in a dark glass bottle in a cool, dark place…a kitchen cabinet or the pantry is perfect.

  18. Andrea,

    I’m used to reading tincture recipes in parts by volume and so in order to translate to the ‘by weight’ recipes, how do you do your measuring? Do you use a scale, and if so, which one?

    Thanks.

    • Hi Gail! I do use a small kitchen scale. Any digital scale should serve you well for these purposes 🙂

  19. I was reading through the coments of using alcohol instead of glycerin to make the tincture and wondered how much of you would use to make the recipe.
    thank you

    • You would use the same amount of alcohol that you would of the glycerin/water combo… use !00 proof. It does a better job of extracting the nutrients then 80 proof.

    • As with any tincture making…one can use a 60/40 vegetable glycerin/water mixture, 100 proof vodka (or 80 proof if that’s all that is available to you), brandy, or even apple cider vinegar. All of these are considered menstruums and are good ways for extracting the medicinal properties of herbs. If you were to use alcohol (i.e. 100 proof vodka), cover the dried herbs entirely with it. No need to add water…100 proof vodka is already 50% water 50% alcohol.

      • Hi, Andrea, just a quick question do you mix the ACV with water or does it work on it’s own. I love this site, I made my own toothpaste, suncream and deoderant based on your recipes, It’s very liberating, cheers

  20. I have chronic insomnia and I am willing to try just about anything!!Thanks so much for the post!!!

  22. When I am pregnant I become an insomniac, this time around seems extra bed since I have all the other kiddies to take care of. Do you think your valerian tincture would be safe while pregnant?

    • I have read that Valerian is not safe while pregnant, but then again, they say that about all herbs and medicines, pretty much. Still, I have avoided Valerian and reached for things like passionflower or chamomile instead.

      • Doc warned me against Valerian. Can’t take it,myself. Many adverse side affects. Also, must be cautious about all natural herbs, as they can and often do interfere with “other” supplements, especially prescriptions.

  23. You are NOT kidding about the stink! We think it smells like horse poop, LOL!!! But it works, so…

  24. first time i smelled valerian i was like ..hmm…
    but now i love it! i honestly really like the smell of valerian 🙂
    i take some tincture before bed and it works lovely. i also use a balm i made with essential oils of valerian, marjoram and sandalwood.

  26. Sleeping herbs work differently on different people. Melatonin works like a charm on me, but not for the hubs. On the flip side valerian root does not work for me, but works well for him (IF I give him a stronger dose).

    Keep up the good work – Love your ambition. 🙂

  27. This is a great idea for a tincture. My mother makes up herbal brews like this and she says they are always much stronger than the store bought products. Looks like this would last for a long time too.

  28. After buying your valerian tincture, and finding that it helped, I decided to make my own. I’m wondering how much I should expect to get from a quart jar?? I can hardly wait to get my azure order (for the glycerin) so I can start another batch going. THANK you so much for this info!

  29. Add some skullcap, especially if you are trying to stop taking an rx sleep aid. I stupidly let my Dr rx Ambien, at first it was wonderful. After a few months, I got to where i could only sleep a few hrs anf had to take more, and could not fall asleep on my own. After several tries of just detoxing off of it, the withdrawal symptoms were terrifying. I failed each time, lasting 1-2 nights before giving in. A combo of valerian and skullcap/hops/passionflower saved my butt big time, eliminated the most severe symptoms and got me through the worst of it.

    • Ambien was prescribed for me with a limit of no more than 3-4 times a week to prevent dependence. I never used that much because I just HATED the “loss of control” feeling of being put to sleep. Since then, I had several HORRIBLE events involving aberrant behavior — nearly burned my house down once — from Ambien. Will NEVER take it again..

      • There are some of us out there for whom Ambien IS the only thing which works and there is no sleep walking, memory loss or other problems.

  30. Becca, that is good to know! I’m glad to find this. I’ve been trying a long time to find something to help my 10 year old daughter. She will go days without sleeping, then sleep about 2 hrs, and go a couple days more without sleep. She has since she was 2, and nothing helped (not melatonin, calms forté, benadryl, chamomile… nothing.) Doctors put her on Clonidine (Catapres,) which she has been on for 5 years, now… I want her off of it so badly, but nothing else helps her. When I try new things, she just begs fir her meds back so she can sleep. I hope this helps… idk, for the long term. I keep hoping she’ll outgrow it : /

    • Sarah, i think your daughter’s problem is neurological. That may sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be a real big deal. First thing I would do is take her to an experienced Pediatric Chriopractor. Be open to this. If you’ve tried it and it didn’t work , let me tell you that each Dr is not the same. Over many years, I have found only 1 Acupuncturist I recommend. He really gets results! BUT, I won’t let him adjust me, because I think he is too harsh in that. On the other hand, I have an adjuster who is beyond amazing, but he does not (for ma at least ) get any result from his acupuncture. These things are not an exact science, so be patient and find a good one for each of these things. I believe she will need both. I have seen babies that screamed from birth (Drs say you just have a “screamer” and that there is nothing wrong with the baby, be in the hand of a pediatric Chiropractor for less than a minute and it was all cured. Amazing stuff!!! Personally, My sciatic was so bad I eventually ended up in a wheel chair at the age of 49. Couldn’t walk 10 steps. I had resisted my husband’s advice for acupuncture until he said “Enough!” and took me in. 30 minutes later I put down my can and wheelchair and never used them again. I did have to go back for several repeated sessions but am down to less than once a year now, 8 years later. Sorry to drag this out, but I know how I resisted such science in the beginning. I have studied to be an Herbal Practitioner ever since. Hope you daughter get well. Shalom!

      • Try a Cranial-Sacral Therapist too (a good one)…be open-minded if you have never been!! My 18 yr old son suffered an injury (broken clavicle) a year ago from football. From an ortho viewpoint…he was healed but his clavicle stuck out! …creepy to say the least. My 12 pack abs physically fit muscled son became increasingly in pain each day and physically unable to move his head, neck and shoulder as he used to. Doctors answer…vicoden! He didn’t want that as I didn’t. I qas determined to help my son be whe again. His body had healed to the injury and my son really wanted to be “norma” again. He wanted to sleep again too without being in pain and no meds!! After 1 session with the Therapist…he was much better. After three sessions he is practically perfect and even better than before!!! Hooray for alternative medicine and for those practicing it – a huge thank you!! Also during his 1st session I saw the energy the body has and I saw Reiki in action with my son too (incredible to say the least)!! I know there is no tincture related to this blog…but no meds were used either. Just serious manipulations of muscles and tendons and body adjustments! Thank you

  31. Research has shown that pink noise often works better than white noise in lulling a person to sleep. I’d like to add, http://www.rainymood.com is a great place to get “pink noise”.

    Research has also shown that taking a super hot bath an hour BEFORE BED will mimic our body’s natural cooling off cycle. When we start to sleep, our bodies cool down. Getting super heated with a hot bath and maybe sip some chamomile tea to heat up the inside as well, will make the cool down process more pronounced.

    Regardless of what time you fall asleep, when trying to break a bad sleeping habit, get up when the alarm goes off and stay up the rest of the day. It helps to reset the internal clock.

    If you have a spouse (or significant other), getting a massage will help the relaxing process too. I recommend it following the super hot bath and use lavender oil to aid in the sleepy effect.

    As a counselor-in-training, I’ve had to deal with sleep disturbances and these are just a few of my recommendations. Nighty-nite. 🙂

  32. Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article!
    It’s the little changes that will make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!

  33. Excellent blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the
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  34. You have made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for more information about
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  35. Back in the 80s & 90s I’d try to use valarian to help me.. it might work a few times but after that it just did the opposite of what it intended.. so Im not a good candidate for its use..

    However, I’ve always been an insomniac and my mom had me make a teasane from regular kitchen rosemary with a little honey in the tea to make it palatable and it works really well. I also take melatonin occasionally with the teasane and I get the absolute best sleep ever. You might want to try this and see if it helps.. its a lot safer than valarian.

  36. Great tips.. these seem to sum up the main issues for a lack of sleep.. I think I suffer from most of them :/

  37. Why not just take a melatonin or Valerian tablet at bed instead of going thru all the stuff to make that?

  38. I am one of those people for whom valerian has the opposite effect. Just a heads up for others like me: California Poppy extract has the same effect. I am proof of that as I sit typing this at 2:30 in the morning.

  39. A DO recommended 10 mg. of melatonin at bedtime that *maybe* helped, but my current neurologist suggested 20 mg. in my case. I am sleeping better than in decades! I may try one of these some time, but several serious medical conditions have me on multiple meds that could cause interactions. Please do let your healthcare provider know about your use. Some can cause problems if taken in week(s) before surgery or in interactions.

  40. this is new. I have been trying to stay away with some sleep aid…I didn’t know you can have one using the natural way. Thank you for posting this.

  41. Can one use an alcohol mixture instead of the glycerin? In what way would that change this?

    • As per Andrea on August 10, 2012 on an earlier reply:

      “As with any tincture making…one can use a 60/40 vegetable glycerin/water mixture, 100 proof vodka (or 80 proof if that’s all that is available to you), brandy, or even apple cider vinegar. All of these are considered menstruums and are good ways for extracting the medicinal properties of herbs. If you were to use alcohol (i.e. 100 proof vodka), cover the dried herbs entirely with it. No need to add water…100 proof vodka is already 50% water 50% alcohol.”

  42. Valerian gives me HUGE anxiety/panic attacks – apparently a small percentage of people react the wrong way and I’m also one of them 🙁

    • Me, too, Cannot take Valerian. Camomile in small doses, but have to be careful, as camomile not recommended for people w/autoimmune diseases, such as MS. Just watch it!

  43. I found your recipe more valid because you mentioned how stinky valerian is. My boyfriend used to tell me it smelled like a gym locker. But my cats love it! Go figure. It does work, or at least help. I’d worry more about using the hops in too large a dose. They are the same hops they make beer with, and are good in small doses/teas. I use either diphenhydramine or melatonin on alternate nights if I’m sleepless – BEFORE going to bed. Taken too late will leave you w/a hangover. And there are homeopathic solutions that work for nervous energy. Have a good night 😉

  44. You might make mention in your article that Valerian is considered a no-no while pregnant. Or at least that it’s safety has not yet been established.
    It’s annoying that just about everything herbal and medicinal is not recommended or a “unknown” for pregnant women. Grr…

  45. Is it possible to make this tincture using alcohol instead of vegetable glycerin? If so, is it the same proportions of alcohol and water?

  46. I ordered your Valerian root-glycerin hops tincture. Wanted to get away from sleeping pills. Took it last night and for the first time in weeks, I slept until 8:30. So happy. Will be ordering again soon.

  47. I just had facial reconstructive surgery following a car crash and am having trouble sleeping. I’m still on prescribed pain meds for a bit but really don’t want to depend on this too much longer. Right now I need a lot of rest but can’t sleep longer than 2 hours any given time! I am sitting with my valerian chamomile tea as I write this in hope of sleep!! I plan to get some valerian supplements tomorrow and give them a try but also like the sound of the lavender and lemon balm – how best can I incorporate these together? I have a 3 year old son who knows how to wind me up right now and with the meds I can be very shaky and irate which I don’t like especially towards him – help!! Also I live in a hot climate so the heat is a bit of an issue too!!

  48. I just had facial reconstructive surgery following a car crash and am having trouble sleeping. I’m still on prescribed pain meds for a bit but really don’t want to depend on this too much longer. Right now I need a lot of re
    st but can’t sleep longer than 2 hours any given time! I am sitting with my valerian chamomile tea as I write this in hope of sleep!! I plan to get some valerian supplements tomorrow and give them a try but also like the sound of the lavender and lemon balm – how best can I incorporate these together? I have a 3 year old son who knows how to wind me up right now and with the meds I can be very shaky and irate which I don’t like especially towards him – help!! Also I live in a hot climate so the heat is a bit of an issue too!!

  49. My husband has used Valerian Root for years to get a good night sleep. It has the opposite effect on me, though, and about 1/2 hr after taking it, I am WIDE AWAKE.

  50. I suffer from insomnia for several years and I try everything in the market, I finally give up and live with it, about 3 months ago more or less I offer to foster a little chihuahua for a few days and believe it or not cuddling with her helped ne to sleep like a baby! Needless to say I end up adopting her!

  51. I’m trying to find something that will calm my dog down. He’s a 1yr old mastif and he is extremely excitable when I take him for a bath or anywhere there are others around. He is 130+ lbs and its really hard to keep him under control with baths or well, EVERYTHING! He’s still a baby at heart but there are times when I just need him to settle down and not get so over excited. Bottom line, is Valerian safe to use every so often to help me with my “little” man?

  54. which passion flower do you use for this tincture (like the lavendar May pop kind?) and what part do you use…from FL

  56. I ran across this off Pinterest ,and it’s a very informative needless to say I have bookmarked several addresses I look forward to reading more. Thanks Again. Sharon

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  61. I have been diagnosed with restless leg syndrome. Is there anything you have made that will help? When I lay down at night, I have the irresistible urge to to move my legs; it goes on & on until I finally get up & can’t get to sleep for 1 1/2 – 2 hours later.

    • Restless leg syndrome is from a lack of Magnesium. I can recommend 2 options. The BEST Magnesium to take is from INNATE RESPONSE. We take 2 am and 2 pm daily along with their GTF Chromium. Between the 2, they cure almost anything…lol The other option which (since I suffered with the same thing years ago when I was being treated for cancer) was a product called CALM. It is a magnesium powder you make a drink out of just before bedtime. WARNING! It WILL loosen you bowels. If you are suffering from diarrhea, avoid CALM. These are available at Health Food Stores. If they say, “We carry something that is like it”, be forewarned, I recommend these only. They can have the same amounts of something in them, but the form is different and isn’t absorbed and utilized the same. Just becomes expensive urine… Hope this helps. Shalom!

  62. My dauthter has Eidetic memory and has a terrible time sleeping, her mind just doesn’t dump or unload all the visual and sensory stimulus she received. She is an adult now and still has trouble sleeping through the night, she is a nurse and it is hard with the shifts she works, do you think this is an alternative to drugs, she is gluten intolerant also,, so is the tincture out for her?

    • I suspect her problem is Neurologic. She would benefit greatly from an experienced Chiropractor / Acupuncturist. It is not an exact science. Don’t assume if it doesn’t work once it is not going to work. Find a really EXPERIENCED one… One you hear folks says get results. She should also avoid wearing constrictive things like watches etc. Even if they are lose the interfere…

  66. Hello: There is a products available at my local health food store called Moon Drops. Its main ingredients are chamomile and valerian. I use a couple before bedtime and usually get a good 6 ours of sleep without waking up as is usual every two hours. It didn’t leave me groggy in the morning, although it did bother my brother. We like some of the sleep teas too.
    This looks interesting and may work better than the moon drops. I like how tinctures work.

  67. I purchased your Valerian & Hops Herbal Glycerite and I would like some clarification. It says to take 1-2 droperfuls before bedtime. I believe you said you take yours in water. How much water? If you don’t take it with water, do you just put the dropper over your mouth & swallow the 1-2 dropperfuls?

  68. Hi thanks, I wanted to try it but it takes 4-6 weeks before actually having the tincture ready. Is there something similar in the health store ?

  69. This is NOT a tincture! It is a glycerite. Tinctures are made with high proof alcohol and glycerites are made with glycerine…

  70. kindly put the scientific names of all herbs you have suggested.thanks.all may not know local names.

  71. I was wondering what the shelf life of this would be? I made some for Christmas gifts and I wanted to label them with dosage and shelf life. BTW I love all of this I’ve made quite a lot with this site!

  72. Should the same tinctures for sleeping work for us who are now suffering from insomnia (more like waking up every couple of hours) now that we are perimenopausal?? I go to bed at a decent time…but I do have to get up early by 4am or so and I don’t want to not be able to wake up!

  74. Smoking a joint before bed puts me to sleep and I don’t dream anymore, which for me is great as my dreams are full of anxiety and stress.

  75. Valerian root can cause serious nightmares though…
    It’s better not to use it if we’re anxious to start with

  76. I cannot use Valerian as it irritates my stomach and upsets it. I too like Passionflower and I mix it with Melissa.

    BTW there is no such thing as pure or therapeutic grade essential oils – this is marketing spiel that brands use.

  78. Hi. I saw a few comments about safety for children, but those didn’t say which of the tinctures them used. Is the one made with alcohol safe for children?

  79. I only use Young Living Essential Oils. I diffuse Valerian and
    put one drop on the bottom of my feet.
    Then I put one drop of Lavender in my palms and rub it over
    my pillowcase.
    I’m finally getting used to the smell of Valerian. My cats love
    it and are all over the diffuser.

  80. I buy a 5ml bottle of Valerian from Young Living Essential oils and diffuse it at night and rub it under my feet.

  81. I used to have a hard time falling to sleep – I tried varous over the counter sleep-aids, plain melatonin etc. I found a tiny company that makes a three-ingredient sleeping pill (Dragon Fruit, Goji Berries, and Tart Cherries) called Berry Sleepy that works like a charm! http://amzn.to/2a7zyOs

  82. While valerian is wonderful, you have to be very careful taking it based on any other medications you might be on. If you take anti-depressants such as Cymbalta (for fibro or otherwise), Lyrica for anything neurological, Ambien or other over the counter/Rx sleep aids, cold meds, etc., you could do harm to your body. This goes with catnip and lemon balm as well. I had to do a ton of research into this because I have fibro, depression, bipolar, and a few other things that require me to be on medication. Valerian that mizes with some of my meds can cause me to stop breathing, cause my liver to stop working, plus a whole host of other issues. Please do yourself a favor, and do research from reputable sites, talk to your pharmacist(s), and talk your doctors. Find docs that are willing to do holistic healing; they’re out there, easy to find, if you look.

  83. Hi,

    I’m seeing melatonin sprays advertised for sleep aids. Do you have any suggestions of how to make your own? Thanks!