What science says about natural sleep remedies – 04/26/2023 – Balance

Sleep is seldom more desired than when we cannot sleep.

And there are a wide variety of home remedies that promise to help us fall asleep without resorting to pharmaceuticals.

Licorice or valerian root; chamomile, oat or linden flowers; tulsi, lettuce or parsley leaves; apple peel or lavender scent…

Just listing these plants, which remind us of bucolic gardens and cups of tea, already brings to mind a feeling of comfort.

But is there scientific evidence that its compounds will actually help us sleep?

To be honest, many of these products don’t make specific promises.

On their packaging, they say things like “it’s nature’s perfect way to restful nights” or “traditionally used for its sedative action to relieve insomnia”.

However, there is also academic work that claims that many of these and other ingredients affect a chemical in the brain, the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, better known as GABA.

On one of the GABA receptors it can “have an inhibitory effect, and there will be sedation in parts of the central nervous system”, explained to the BBC James Coulson, professor of clinical pharmacology, therapeutics and toxicology at the University of Cardiff, in Wales.

So if the ingredients in these sleeping pills could do that, they would be the magic wand that would help you fall asleep.

But will they succeed?

Chamomile

Let’s start with the infusions, which usually contain aromatic herbs, honey, exotic barks and delicate flowers, such as the popular chamomile.

What does the evidence say about its effect on GABA receptors?

“In all these ingredients that we can identify in teas, there are hundreds of different chemicals produced by the plant,” Coulson replied.

“But you almost never know for sure which is the most relevant active chemical or group of chemicals.”

“We really don’t know if they interact with GABA receptors or not.”

“There have been some studies, but the main problem is that their methodologies are very different in terms of the doses they use, the population they expose the drug to, and the outcomes they measure.”

“If you look at all the research done, it’s hard to find convincing evidence that they have a reproducible effect or to understand, even if they are having an effect, what dose to use to achieve them.”

Valerian

One of the most popular herbal extracts is valerian root, a plant native to Europe and Asia that can grow up to 5 feet tall in summer with sweetly scented pink or white flowers.

You find it in the form of tea, syrup and pill.

Some of the products even state recommended dosages, often saying they soothe or ease restlessness to help you sleep.

Again, notes Coulson, “If you look at the essential oil extracts made from the root, it’s a cocktail of over 150 different chemicals.”

“And there is still no consensus on which (or which) is really the active ingredient.”

“There are some indications that at least one may act on the GABA receptor, or on serotonin receptors as well.”

But how solid is the evidence… or enough to conclude that valerian root extract might be helpful?

“No, I don’t think we’re there yet.”

“Furthermore, we don’t have human data to show that it’s actually having an effect on GABA receptors.”

So would he recommend valerian root extract to someone who is having trouble falling asleep?

“There is not enough evidence for me as a physician to recommend it at this time.”

Lavender

Next on the list is lavender oil, the aroma of which is considered relaxing. But is there any concrete evidence of this?

Unfortunately, neither.

Coulson explains that because the manufacturers of these natural remedies describe them as food, they are only following regulations regarding the sale of food products.

“If they claimed they were drugs, they would be treated like any other pharmaceutical product, which is probably why we don’t have high-quality scientific data on most herbal preparations.”

The fact is that “there is still no evidence to recommend its clinical use”.

This does not stop us from continuing to use them, as has been done for centuries.

In addition, there are precedents for drugs that were developed from home remedies, such as aspirin, which is a synthetic version of the active ingredient that was in willow bark.

“In fact, most of our key compounds in the pharmaceutical industry come from natural products, but there’s a lot of optimization work going on to turn them into drugs,” notes Coulson.

“That said, I like the scent of lavender myself and find it very relaxing, so I can understand why people would want to spray lavender.”

Finally then a plus point for plants without much processing?

“Anything that can make you feel more relaxed and comfortable is more likely to help you sleep.”

Stephanie Romiszewski, a sleep physiologist, agrees:

“If you feel good drinking caffeine-free tea, great.”

“It’s good for relaxation and helping your body initiate sleep.”

However, warns Romiszewski, if you really have a problem, no amount of relaxation will help you sleep.

This does not mean that you necessarily have to resort to pharmaceuticals.

And now?

“I think if you have good associations with, say, a lavender spray, that it makes you feel good, and your expectation is that it just makes you feel good and not that it makes you sleep, then I don’t see any harm in that. “, says the expert.

“But if these drugs become a crutch and you believe that if you don’t take them you’ll sleep worse, that’s really bad because it perpetuates real chronic insomnia and makes you naturally feel like something is wrong.”

What would she advise then for anyone who has difficulty falling asleep or wakes up shortly after falling asleep and stays up all night?

“If you have trouble sleeping for a short period of time, my best advice would be to do nothing.”

“Don’t worry, let your body settle in and don’t change your behavior significantly. It’ll be fine.”

“If we’re talking about people who have a chronic sleep problem, that is, for more than three months, I would recommend the most evidence-based practice: cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).”

The expert explains that this treatment aims to break harmful sleep patterns and create a new one.

“It’s good to see insomnia not as a problem but as a pattern, understanding that we are human, not robots. Consistency is key, not perfection.”

She is so convinced that we can handle these standards that she even issued a challenge.

“I’ll bet any amount of money that if you start waking up at the same time every day, you’ll start to feel better. Not only will your sleep-wake cycles improve, but so will your mood, temperature and appetite regulation. “

Do you accept the challenge?

This article is based on the episode “Herbal Sleep Aids” from the BBC Radio 4 series “Sliced ​​Bread”. Listen to the full program here (in English).

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