What if the cure to your insomnia could be a more natural solution than you’d think? Adaptogens for sleep could be an organic and safe way to give you a better slumber, without the side effects.
As doctors and researchers continue to reveal the problems with sleeping pills and similar products, adaptogens could be an excellent alternative.
Adaptogens are special herbs, plants, and other natural substances, which help the body to adapt to various types of stress. These products are named for their ability to “adapt” to what our body needs at any given time.
An adaptogen could help you manage your fatigue when you need to focus, deal with emotional stress, or even get a better night’s rest.
Adaptogens for sleep aim to improve our sleep quality by affecting the body’s response to the stress hormone cortisol.
Let’s take a closer look at Ashwagandha, Schisandra, and other adaptogens for sleep.
What is adaptogenic herbs for sleep?
Adaptogens for sleep belong to the family of “natural” remedies for rest. Herbal solutions have been a common part of sleep condition treatments for decades.
The right substances can promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and pave the way for more restful nights.
Adaptogens work by affecting the stress response in the human body. They essentially help you to adapt to feelings of mental and physical stress. Because they can affect the stress reaction, they can assist with a lot of common problems, including insomnia.
Notably, stress is a common problem for people with sleep conditions.
If you can reduce your stress levels, you can often improve your quality of sleep.
So, how do adaptogens for sleep handle stress?
Usually, when we face typical stressors caused by work, injury, personal life, and more, this triggers a response called General Adaptation Syndrome. This response consists of:
- The “alarm” stage: where the body releases cortisol and adrenaline
- The “resistance” stage: identified by a normalization in blood pressure and heart rate
- The “exhaustion” stage: in which we feel the repercussions of the stress.
When you reach the exhaustion stage, the body hasn’t been able to regulate cortisol production properly, often leading to side effects like adrenal fatigue, depression, burnout, and anxiety.
Adaptogens prevent the body moving from the “resistance” stage of General Adaptation Syndrome, to the exhaustion state, so we don’t “crash” from stress.
Which adaptogen is best for sleep?
By inhibiting the mental and physical impact of stress, adaptogens ensure we can improve our overall health and wellbeing. These products also have an impact on our ability to sleep.
So, which adaptogen is best for sleep?
Ashwagandha for sleep
Ashwagandha for sleep is a common treatment option for people interested in adaptogen-based sleep therapies. This product is known as Withania somnifera in Latin, with the word “somnifera” meaning “sleep inducing”.
It is a herb, comes in powder and capsule form, and is also known as Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry or winter cherry.
Ashwagandha is a natural solution for sleep which can help in a variety of ways.
For instance, studies frequently show Ashwagandha’s ability to improve resistance to stress, lower blood sugar levels, and even stimulate brain function.
This substance doesn’t just reduce the stress experiences that would potentially stop you from getting a good night’s sleep. Ashwagandha supplements could help you fall asleep more quickly, achieve a better quality of sleep, and wake with less feelings of stress and anxiety.
What’s more, while many pharmaceutical solutions for insomnia have serious side effects, Ashwagandha for sleep has virtually no risk to it.
If you’re wondering when to take Ashwagandha for sleep, try taking a supplement a couple of hours before you go to bed, or have a drink of delicious moon milk, with milk, ashwagandha and nutmeg.
To make moon milk, simply mix a cup of milk with a half teaspoon of ground ashwagandha powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg, a teaspoon of honey, and a teaspoon of coconut oil. You can use whole, almond, coconut, or any other milk you choose.
Rhodiola for sleep
Another common product among adaptogens for sleep, Rhodiola rose appears to be effective at significantly reducing stress and improving sleep quality.
Experts say the Vikings themselves used to use this product for strength and endurance. Russians even used it to fight off the plague.
In one study, taking Rhodiola extract consistently for a just 3 days reduced feelings of fatigue, anxiety, and stress in participants. The product has also been found to reduce and improve symptoms of burnout, associated with high levels of stress.
Using Rhodiola for sleep helps people to regain their natural emotional balance, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression, and tackling insomnia at the same time.
As a powerful adaptogen, Rhodiola is proven to even alleviate fatigue in people who commonly deal with poor sleep. In one study, 100 people with chronic fatigue symptoms took 400mg of Rhodiola per day.
After a week of supplementation with the Rhodiola extract, the participants showed significant improvements in fatigue, mood, concentration, stress, and quality of life.
Eleuthero root for sleep
Eleuthero sleep for sleep isn’t as well-known compared to some of the other adaptogens we’ve mentioned so far. However, this powerful herb is quite frequent among Chinese treatments. You might have heard of it being called “Siberian ginseng” before.
Like most adaptogens for sleep, Eleuthero root has a wide variety of benefits to offer, including significant improvements to sleep quality.
You can make this product into a tea if you’re looking for a relaxing night-time routine or take it as a liquid extract or capsule.
Research shows Eleuthero root is excellent for tackling anxiety, stress, and depression. One study found the herb could boost physical performance, cardiovascular health and energy levels.
This product can also improve the functioning of the nervous system and fight back against fatigue after you’ve had a bad night of rest.
Though eleuthero benefits are significant, and varied, this product won’t be suitable for everyone with insomnia.
Taking too much can cause sleeping problems and irritability. It’s also not a great idea to take eleuthero root with high blood pressure, according to some studies.
Schisandra berry for sleep
Another brilliant example of adaptogens for sleep taken from Chinese medicine, Schisandra berry has been around for thousands of years.
This traditional treatment option is sweet and sour in flavor, but you can always take a capsule or tablet if you’d rather not taste it. It often comes in a capsule mixed in with other adaptogens.
One thing which makes schisandra berry benefits so appealing, is they don’t have any of the side effects like grogginess associated with other natural sleeping treatments.
Another benefit of Schisandra is it’s astringent, which means it’s better suited to people who tend to wake often to go to the bathroom.
Studies have found the berry can exhibit both sedative and hypnotic abilities, calming physical activity and reducing the amount of time it takes for subjects to fall asleep.
All you need to do is take a small dose each day before bed, and Schisandra should help you drop off to dreamland faster, without making you feel anxious or groggy the next day.
Like other adaptogens, the berry can also assist with various kinds of anxiety and stress reduction. Do keep in mind, like some other natural sleeping aids, Schisandra berry can also cause some side effects for those who don’t respond well to it.
Side effects can be indigestion or stomach pains. Speak to your doctor before you begin taking this substance, just in case.
Are adaptogens for sleep a good idea?
Adaptogens for sleep can be a powerful way to improve your nightly habits, and get the rest you need, without the unnecessary side effects.
Adaptogens have a ton of benefits they can offer aside from better sleep quality too. The more you can control and manage your stress responses, the better you’re going to feel.
Whether you opt for Ashwagandha, Schisandra berry, or anything else on this list, you could find something as simple as a natural supplement each day, is all it takes to get you feeling amazing.
Of course, as with any treatment, natural or otherwise for sleep issues, it’s important to get insight from your doctor before you take anything new.
Even natural treatment options can react poorly to medications or solutions you’re already using. Speaking to your doctor will allow you to plan the right strategy, when it comes to using adaptogens for sleep.
Siestio. Sleep Matters.
Medical disclaimer
You must not rely on the information provided on our website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other healthcare professionals. For more information read our full disclaimer here.
