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ref1ect1ons

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So i want to make some sort of before bed sleeping aid for insomnia.

I am thinking turkestan mint and zornia will serve as effective core ingredients and relaxants.

I am considering brugmansia, skullcap or brunfelsia to add as well, so which is the better. Also does anyone have any other effective mix recipes, I am new and I have searched 'insomnia' without a great result.

I am hoping for some sort of sum effect since the effects -may- be weak on themselves...any help is greatly appreciated :)

edit: i just realized, are there any effective natives?

Edited by ref1ect1ons

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i have found magnetite powder to be quite effective, as with the following herbs, poria fungas, amber, zyziphus, small amount of pearl powder too can be useful in a mix, dragons bone too can be good as well. zizyphus is great though IME. and in addition to the minerals i mentioned, cinnabar is very good at relaxing the body and perfect for insomnia, stress, and relaxation however, it is toxic so use should be rarely, extreme cases only, and only in small dosages,

these herbs and minerals i am talking abotu are chinese medicinals, how they blend with other herbs i cant comment on.

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Valerian- I've found home grown stuff is way more potent than store bought capsules too. I've found the store bought capsules to be stimulating once the initial sedation wears off too, idk why. Plus its pretty easy to grow.

After rereading your post i noticed that you are considering brugmansia in your mix. PLaying around with brug when you're new is probably to be avoided. Potency of brug is incredibly varied, even between leaves on a tree, and overdose is easy. Also some people never come back from a brug trip. The safest way to ingest brugmansia is via smoking but even that can be dangerous.

Edited by Smiling Cloud

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Western herbals for insomnia that spring to mind

Valerian- for when you can't get to sleep. Passionflower (leaf) when you wake up. Zizyphus for when you are stressed and nervous. And Chamomile for zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Chamomile is an oldy but a real goodie. If you really need to use the supermarket stuff you need to use a good 4+bags in your cup. Try boiling 5 bags with milk and sitting with the TV off in your favourite chill chair. Have a shower or bath after that and slip right into a comfortable bed.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

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Ok this is awesome. I will not touch brug, thanx.

Second where can you buy dragon bone and ziziphus?, amber poria magnetite seemed elusive aswell... pretty much all your stuff velvet :)

I found a good site for valerian and mugwort if anyone needs it. skullcap is at hebalistics

http://www.cornucopiaseeds.com.au

Withania somnifera also looks good.

http://www.herbreference.com/zizyphus_seeds.html they don't sell but.

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a chinese herbalist should be able to help with those chinese herbs i mentioned

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Calea Zacatechichi and Mugwort usually work for me.

dream herbs usually keep me awake!

what is the nature of the insomnia,eg trouble getting to sleep,difficulty staying asleep or other?

different treatment for different probs!

t s t .

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I'll third the Valerian, the tea is fine - store bought tea IMHO is better than the home grown I have grown, it's a bastard to try and get all the dirt off the roots! Also the home grown I used was only two years old... the store bought stuff I purchase comes in a purple box and is sections of very thick roots. I have never bothered with stuff that comes in tea bags... just the loose stuff that I put in a coffee plunger.

Further I use the Cenovis easy sleep 2000 capsules. Taking three of these before bed will pretty much ensure I sleep right through till morning. However it doesn't seem to help me 'fall' asleep - just keeps me asleep once I am there. I do not get drowsy from the valerian, but then I do take benzo's ATM so they will pretty much be fucking around with what I feel anyhow.

Relaxation techniques help. One really easy one, (if you are a bush walker...) is when you are lying down in bed to visualize yourself going on a bush walk / walk which is familiar to you. Get involved with the details of the walk i.e. putting on your shoes + whatever clothes you walk in, walking out the front door, noticing yourself closing the door... just looking at the detail of the walk, trees, rocks etc. You may need to keep coming back to the visualization as your mind drifts to anxious thoughts or thoughts about other things but for me this does work. I hardly ever get very far on my walk before I'm asleep.

Natural sleep is obviously the best option - in the past I've got really annoyed at GP's and psych's saying that too me but it is true. Don't go down the road of benzo's or related pharmaceuticals if you can help it.

I think bedtime routine is important too. Trying to stick to a regular pattern of going to sleep helps the body know when it's time to rest. If you wake several times in the night it is also important not to get up out of bed, (unless you need to take a piss) as getting used to waking up in the night becomes habit as well.

For me it's about programming yourself to sleep. The herbs will help but ultimately it's about being able to sleep without them, so perhaps the go is to use them as an aid in getting a regular sleeping pattern not as a long term solution.

There are also a couple of supplements that can be prescribed by a naturopath or similar - one is called S.A.D powder, (i can't remember whats in it - but it helps with serotonin levels or something like that), another is 'RestoraCalm' which contains extracts of Phellodendron amurense and magnolia officinalis, (it's for the relief of mild anxiety and helps with sleep), magnesium powder is also a great calmer, (ultra muscle ease is one product available from health food shops) and finally schuessler tissue salts 'nerve nutrient' and there is another one specifically for sleep that i can't remember the name of but they both work really well.

hope this helps.

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This is an old thread, but thought I would report a recent positive experience with sleeping aids. I have found that a combination of ZMA (Zinc monomethionine aspartate and Magnesium Aspartate), magnolia officinalis extract, L-theanine, melatonin and GABA to be very effective at inducing sleep. Quantities are about 300mg:50mg:100mg:2mg:50mg, respectively. I drop this combo 1 hr before sleep, then 30mg GABA and 0.5mg melatonin when I book my book down and hit the pillow. Alcohol and stimulants do reduce the effectiveness of this combination. Also there seems to be a 'window of opportunity' with melatonin, and if you miss it then sleep is difficult and dosing more just won't work. So meditation, reading, general relaxation before sleep is also important.

Hope this helps someone!

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I've been vapourizing lavendar stems since i stopped smoking 1/2ounce of ganja a week... helps considerably.

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how about really, really great sex?

you know the kind where you both collapse in an exhausted, tired heap?

i mean, i wouldn't know... but i see it on movies, and they fall asleep straight away man....

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