Image courtesy of MD Bio Wellness.
Sleep is something that can be hard to come by, and that is especially true for anyone with an ailment that contributes to lack of sleep. Twisting and turning all night constantly is a rough way to spend your nights, and there are thankfully ways to get around that, that involve using natural remedies. If you haven’t yet tried valerian root or ashwagandha, you might be surprised at the results you get. Both of these are plants that come straight from the ground that you can find condensed in supplements.
If you want to improve your sleep at night, any one of these plants as a supplement can provide you some great benefits. You can use them separately or use them together depending on what works best for you. And if you want to know if one or a combination of these herbs will help you improve your sleepless nights, keep reading for more information!
What is Valerian Root?
Valerian root is an herb that is used as a sedative. It is a tall, flowering plant that can be found in the grasslands of Europe and in parts of Asia. It has a strong scent and can grow to be up to six feet tall, and was used as a remedy all the way back in ancient Greece and Rome. It was used as a remedy for sleep disorders, and for treating stress and anxiety. And while there isn’t the strongest scientific evidence backing some of valerian root’s uses, there is a long history of people using it for these purposes, and finding it to have helpful results.
Valerian root is a supplement that is primarily taken by mouth. It is good when used in the short term, and not necessarily recommended for long term use. It can be used daily for up to 6 weeks, and is typically pretty well tolerated for that duration. What valerian root does to the body is slows down the central nervous system. The slowing of the nervous system is what causes it to bring about a better sleep, and what can cause it to be dangerous with long term use. It has similar effects to anesthesia, although not as extreme.
Valerian root can also improve things other than sleep quality. One thing it can do is increase the serotonin activity levels in the body, and that is something that can improve your overall mood. Serotonin is a chemical that sends signals between your nerve cells, carrying messages between the cells in the brain and the nerve cells in the rest of the body. It helps to regulate many functions in the brain and body, some of which are mood, sleep, and gut health. The levels of serotonin in your system can control how much you sleep, how content you feel, and even how comfortable your gut feels. The gut can affect your mood and vice versa, making serotonin central to the function of both.
Valerian Root Side Effects
Valerian root is a natural supplement that is considered to be safe in the short term, but can still bring about some side effects in the meantime. And with valerian root, the side effects also tend to get more severe with time, which is one reason it tends to be best for short term use. Some of the side effects that can come with short term valerian root use include drowsiness, dizziness, stomach pains, headaches, mental dullness, and even vivid dreams.
Valerian root is also known to interact with certain medications, so when you’re using it, you really have to keep track of what you’re combining with it to prevent any serious issues. For one, since valerian root functions as a sedative, it is a bad idea to combine it with other sedative medication. Combining one medication that slows down the nervous system with others that do the same can cause too serious an impact on your body. It is an effect that can wind up being very dangerous in the short term and in the long term.
Some of the nervous system calming drugs to avoid when you take valerian root are anesthesia and other sedative drugs. Mixing valerian root with something like anesthesia can make the strong sedative effects even stronger and lead to a bad reaction. That reaction can be dangerous depending on the amount of each substance in your system, and is best avoided entirely.
What Is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is a herb that is known to help with stress and anxiety. It grows in Asia and Africa in places like the Middle East, Nepal, and more. It is an evergreen shrub that is commonly used for stress. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and can help a person sleep if stress and anxiety was getting in the way of that. It contains different bioactive compounds that cause its effects, and those compounds include a group known as withanolides. Withanolides are compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Antioxidants are substances that help stop the damage caused by free radicals. It is important for the proper function of many organs in the body aside from the gut, especially since free radical damage is involved in artery clogging, vision loss, and several other chronic conditions. Anti inflammatory properties help the body fight off infections, as chronic inflammation in the body can lead to severe illnesses like cancer, arthritis, and heart disease. So on top of helping out significantly with stress, ashwagandha can benefit your body in other great ways. It is also known to help with male infertility and athletic performance. It can also help improve thyroid function, and even help to manage blood sugar levels.
Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen, and that means it is something that helps the body maintain its balance and adapt to stress. It can also help regulate the cortisol levels in the body, and cortisol is a stress hormone that can bring about different health issues when elevated for too long. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands as a response to stress, and some of the harmful effects it can cause include weight gain, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and mood disorders.
Ashwagandha Side Effects
Ashwagandha is considered to be very safe, but can still manage to cause a few side effects that you should look out for. It is also primarily known to be safe in the short term but not in the long term. But that is only because further testing needs to be done in that area. Though as of now, some of the common side effects of ashwagandha are known to be upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, and even diarrhea. It should also be avoided by anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
This plant also comes with a list of other side effects that are somewhat more unusual and rare. One rare thing that ashwagandha brings about is an increase in testosterone. And because of that, it is recommended that anyone with hormone sensitive prostate cancer avoid this supplement. There is also an incredibly rare risk of liver problems present with this supplement, so that is something you will need to keep in mind when you use it as well. It is also not recommended for anyone who has an autoimmune disorder, or a thyroid disorder. It can also have a negative effect when combined with immunosuppressant medications.
Dr. Emil’s EZ Doze
Dr Emil’s Easy Doze is a supplement that works as a sleep aid, and contains valerian root along with melatonin. These two substances combined can significantly help anyone who suffers from sleep disturbances as each gives more strength to the other as sleep aids. This supplement offers valerian root along with additional substances for more benefit. It contains an extra strength dose of 5HTP, valerian root, melatonin, St. John’s Wort, passion flower extract, and other natural substances. This supplement is the right one for you if you don’t want to purely focus on valerian root for your benefits.
A valerian root inclusive supplement that can help you sleep and burn fat while you do it is Dr. Emil’s Bedtime Burn. It is a non-stimulant metabolism booster that will help you sleep and burn calories while you do it. It helps suppress the appetite and works as a sleep aid to do double duty. So take some of this and let yourself sleep peacefully while you also head towards your weight goals.
Ashwagandha and valerian root are both plants that are used to calm nerves and improve sleep, and when you use them right, you can improve your nights and your overall quality of life.
