While sleep is vital for health and well-being, getting restful sleep is not always easy. Rapid eye movement, REM, is a necessary phase of the sleep cycle in which dreaming occurs. Ensuring what's commonly termed "a good night's sleep" requires, in part, regularly entering the REM sleep phase. Certain herbs may assist but none have yet received Food and Drug Administration, FDA, approval. Thus, speak with your doctor before using these or any herbs to improve your sleep.
REM Sleep
REM is one of the two main phases of sleep; the other is non-rapid eye movement --- non-REM or NREM. REM follows NREM and according to the "Harvard Men's Watch," recurs every 45 to 60 minutes, during which the eyes, while still closed, move quickly in all directions. This is the phase when dreaming occurs and usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes each time before returning to NREM. Typically, you may experience four to six of these cycles throughout each night.
Valerian & Passionflower
Valerian, Valeriana officinalis, is a relaxant commonly used to reduce sleep latency, the length of time it takes to fall asleep. Shortening sleep latency time creates more time to complete NREM-REM cycles. Valerian is often taken in combination with passionflower for what are said to be magnified results. Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, is also commonly used for insomnia, particularly when resulting from "Chattering Mind Syndrome." David Hoffman, in his book "The New Holistic Herbal," names passionflower as the herb of choice for what he calls "intransigent insomnia." The herb leaves no narcotic-type hangover symptoms the following morning.
Lemon Balm & California Poppy
Lemon balm, or Melissa officinalis, normalizes the functioning of most of the body's systems, including respiration and circulation. Taken together with California poppy, lemon balm helps normalize the NREM-REM sleep pattern and facilitates sleep depth. California poppy, or Eschscholzia californica, is particularly effective in restoring sleep patterns in people who awaken frequently throughout the night or wake up earlier in the morning than necessary.
Red Spider Lily & Daffodil
Galanthamine is the active chemical constituent derived from the herbal extracts of red spider lily and common daffodil bulbs. Spider lily, or Lycoris radiata. is a Chinese herb native to China and Japan used to promote the REM dream-state and even enhance dream vividness. According to a 2004 trial published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association", galanthamine --- in this report spelled "galantamine" --- shortens REM latency, the period of NREM sleep between two REM cycles, and increases REM-state density.
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