As many of you know, I am a plant lover!!  Being in our Whispers of Nature Labyrinth tending to our plants is one of my favorite places to be and we love sharing our space with you all!  We grow a few herbal allies known to be helpful with sleep.  Each of these plants will grow in your own backyard, if you decide they are some of your plant  helpers or if you just want to grow them for their pleasant beauty and aromas.  If you’d like to identify them, I’m happy to show them to you at the labyrinth this spring!

Difficulty sleeping affects up to about 50-65% of our population, depending on your resources.  Sleep is a huge part of our body’s natural ability for recuperation, restoration and healing.  I am thankful to plants and other natural, non-invasive ways to help us fall asleep when we need the extra support.

Making an herbal infusion(tea), taking an herbal bath, using the essential oil, herbal pillows, or using herbal tinctures are a few of the ways these plants may be used to help you with sleep.

Each plant has its own unique characteristics, and each person seems to find his/her own affinity towards certain plants.  These plants all have similar properties and they are also each very different!  This is a short list with some general information to get you started in your sleep journey.

If you have questions or concerns about which herbs to try ask questions, do your own research and decide which is best for you!  You can also set up some time to chat with me.  I’m happy to share more with you.  We also have various ways that we process and use these plants.

Chamomile – Marticaria chamomilla or Chamaemelum nobile – contains flavonoids that have anti-anxiety and slight sedative effects helping with insomnia; also helps with digestion; works well for children; caution if you have a ragweed allergy, you may also be allergic to chamomile.  Chamomile is an annual and we’ve grown it several years at the labyrinth, will oftentimes self-seed.

Lemon Balm – Melissa officinalis:  a calming herb, reduces stress and anxiety and helps promote sleep; comforting herb, helps with spirits, in the mint family so also helps with digestion; antiviral for treatment of herpes; works well for children.  Lemon Balm is a perennial and loves to grow in the Pacific Northwest!

Oatstraw – Avena sativa/officinalis:  calms the nervous system, used for insomnia, gentle, nutritive and supportive.  Oatstraw/Oats are an annual and do fairly well in our location.

Lavender – Lavendula officinalis: nervous system tonic(helpful for insomnia, stress, depression, anxiety), calming, soothing; also antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory for wounds, minor burns, bug bites; some may have an allergic reaction to lavender.  We grow the English Lavender, Grosso and Hidcote varieties, which both do really well in our labyrinth.

Hops – Humulus lupulus: calms the mind, relaxes the nervous system, assists with insomnia, eases tension, anxiety and restlessness; also helps with digestion as it is very bitter.  Hops is a beautiful vine, which loves to grow over other vines and plants and you need to wear gloves with this skin-irritant plant.  We have a golden hops variety.

Passionflower – Passiflora incarnate – insomnia, calming nervous system, is known to work synergistically with other herbs such as St. John’s Wort, Scullcap, Hops.  Passionflower is more of a tropical plant, so the northwest conditions don’t serve this plant so well.  Luckily, another gardener on Lopez introduced me to a cold weather variety of passionflower that I’m now growing and tending to with great detail to keep her thriving.

Blue Scullcap – Scutellaria lateraflora – nervous tension, trouble sleeping, anxiety, anti-inflammatory.  Scullcap enjoys growing in our labyrinth garden and is so cute when she starts showing her lovely blue flowers.

Valerian – Valeriana officinales – nervous system nervine, sedative, eases menstrual cramps, helps with stress management.  Valerian loves growing tall and vibrantly in our growing area and is one of my favorite plants in the labyrinth during her growing and flowering season.  The hummingbirds love her as well!

May some of these plants be helpful for you and your sleep!  Sweet dreams!

~Any information shared on this website is for educational purposes only and has not been approved by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.  Please consult a physician if you have a medical condition. ~