THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP
Did you know that sleep remains, to this day, a biological mystery? According to some researchers like Terese Hammond, director of the USC Sleep Disorders Center, sleep is "one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science."
There are plenty of theories about why slumber exists, of course, but the truth is that science has never come to a common consensus. Until recently, it was hardly studied at all.
Historically, a lot of philosophies thought of sleep as a temporary death, or the state between wakefulness and death — sleep as the ultimate limbo. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "Those who are awake have a single and common world, but in sleep each person turns away from this and enters their own world" — sleep as our own little movie house.
In the realm of Darwinian thought, the reason people began questioning the biological validity of sleep was for the simple reason that it renders one unconscious and prone to attack for so many hours at a time, thus threatening the survival of the species. However, sleep obviously has its biological benefits, as we now know, being vital for the strength of our immune systems, the clarity of our thinking, and functioning of many other arenas of the body.
The Achuar people of the Amazon rainforest believe sleep is a conduit for important messages and warnings, and they begin each day with dream-sharing. The realm of sleeping and dreaming is so important to their culture that it blends with the realm of waking life with much less distinction than in a lot of other cultures.
Why it is we need so much sleep while dolphins, intellectually compared to us, can stay awake for days on end with half their brain asleep, but fruit flies sleep about as much as we do, is one of sleep's many mysteries. Then there is the famous story of Thái Ngọc, the Vietnamese farmer who claims to have inexplicably stopped sleeping one night in 1976 and remained perpetually awake for over 30 years. As National Geographic reported, researchers and physicians confirmed that he indeed was not sleeping, was still in good health, but had "grown to crave dreaming" and felt like a "plant without water." I can imagine living without dreams would feel like something was missing.
But in order to dream, first we must sleep. And this can pose its own unique challenge to many of us.
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, 1 in 3 Americans experience at least mild insomnia, and according to NPR, about 60 million Americans are affected by chronic sleeplessness each year. Sleeplessness, for those of us who have experienced it, is a silent killer of spirit. And unless we're like Thái Ngọc, it can also wear down our immunity, making us more prone to illness.
HERBS FOR SLEEP
NIGHT 🌙
My personal go-tos for sleep aid are skullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia) and kava kava (Piper methysticum).
Skullcap (alternatively spelled scullcap) can temporarily quiet the racing brain, having effects similar to beta blockers. According to Green (2000), skullcap is a mild nervine sedative appropriate for relieving nervous irritability, tension, and restlessness.
Kava kava heavies the head and eyes and helps lead to sleep. According to Balick (2014), kava kava contains kavalactones, phytochemicals known to relax muscles, and is traditionally used for treating nervousness, anxiety, stress, and restlessness. Balick also cites clinical trials that show kava kava to be highly effective for relieving anxiety and significantly relaxing muscles.
Method: When I experience sleeplessness, I keep skullcap tincture by the bedside and take a dropperful before bed. I find this has a noticeably drowsying effect for about 10-20 minutes. I've also had success brewing strong cups of kava kava tea just before bedtime, keeping them to 4-6 ounces so I'm not woken for a midnight bathroom trip. I like to keep a bit of the tea and/or the skullcap tincture at the bedside, as another dose of tea or half a dropperful of the tincture can help ease the body back into a sleep state if I find myself awake again.
MORNING ☀️
If you're experiencing chronic sleeplessness and still need to get through the day, I like to begin the morning with stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Nettle is a tonic herb with impressive nutritive and energizing value, even more densely nutrient-packed than blue-green algae, containing high levels of iron and vitamins A, B, C, and K, among other phytochemical content including amino acids, fatty acids, carotenoids, nutrients, and phenolic compounds. One quart of nettle infusion contains more than 1,000 mg of calcium, 15,000 IU of vitamin A, 760 milligrams of vitamin K, 10% of your RDA of protein, and a rich amount of B vitamins. For micronutrients, it contains selenium, sulphur, zinc, chromium, and boron (Balick, 2014; Rutto, 2013; Weed, 2008).
According to Susun Weed, dried nettle “makes a nourishing herbal infusion that packs more energy per cup than any stimulant, and without the downside of caffeine or stimulating herbs like cayenne and ginger. Tired teenagers, sleep-deprived new moms, stressed executives, wakeful menopausal gals, and wise women of all ages depend on stinging nettle to restore mood, replenish energy, and guarantee sound sleep” (Weed, 2008). The main thing to be careful with when using nettle is that it’s also a natural diuretic, so it's good to stick to morning nettles, as ingesting them later in the day could lead to that unwanted midnight pee.
Method: Here’s how I prefer nettles, as taught by a good friend years ago: brew a strong batch of nettle infusion at night with dried nettle leaves (the fresher the better) for about 20 minutes. Pour into a quart sized jar (with leaves included), fill with water to the top, and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, pour into a cup using a strainer with a teaspoon or two of maple syrup for taste — the result is a delicious iced tea/infusion.
AFTERNOON ⛅
Lastly, when I'm slumping in the afternoon and need to get through something important like a work meeting, I've had really good luck with Asian ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), also known as Chinese or Korean red ginseng. According to Balick (2014), ginseng is an adaptogenic root that contains ginsenosides, stimulating phytochemicals that both improve the body’s response to stress and offer energizing effects for those with struggling with fatigue. It is commonly used to treat both physical and mental exhaustion and, according to Balick, is believed by some herbalists to be particularly beneficial for people who are “overstressed and overworked.” As wild Asian ginseng is currently endangered, I advise using only commercially cultivated roots.
Method: I personally keep a small stash of ginseng root on my desk, which I chew 1 to 2 nickel-sized pieces of when needed. (The front desk manager at work now knows my little secret and gives me a knowing wink when I duck out of particularly slow meetings to grab ginseng from my mini desk apothecary.😌) Alternatively, Asian ginseng is available in capsule form or can be brewed as a tea, prepared by steeping 1 tsp of dried root for 10+ minutes. It's advised not to exceed 2000 mg in a day.
Next up will be herbs for dreaming!
