We all know lettuce (Lactuca sativa) as a leaf vegetable used in salads and sandwiches, however other than being a culinary plant, lettuce also has religious and medicinal significance. Lettuce has mild narcotic properties, and was even known as “sleepwort.” The Yazidi people of northern Iraq even are prohibited from eating the plant. Lettuce illegal?! […]
Category Archives: Sleep
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) – a Sleep & Dreams Remedy
Scutellaria lateriflora (mad-dog skullcap) is a plant of the mint family native to North America. It was used for its healing properties by Native American tribes, and later adopted by Europoean settlers. As a nervine tonic, skullcap has traditionally been used as a remedy for mental disorders. In this article, I will focus on skullcap’s […]
17 non-herbs from Chinese medicine for Sleep and Dream Problems
In this article I list non-herbs (animal products and minerals) from the traditional Chinese pharmacopoeia that can help alleviate sleep and dream problems, such as insomnia, excessive dreaming, nightmares and bad dreams, and so on. They are listed below along with their indications (specific conditions for which the remedy is used) and contraindications (conditions in […]
18 Chinese Herbs for Dream Problems
In this article I list the major herbs from the traditional Chinese pharmacopoeia that can help alleviate dream problems, such as excessive dreaming, nightmares and bad dreams, and so on. They are listed below along with their indications (specific conditions for which the herb is used) and contraindications (conditions in which the herb should not […]
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – Dreams, Nightmares, Insomnia
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), previously known as “war neurosis,” is a psychiatric condition which develops in approximately 10% of persons who are exposed to severely threatening trauma (a single event or repeated episodes). The trauma is usually an event that is Life-threatening to the physical integrity of self or others, such as a violent attack […]
15 Chinese Herbs for Insomnia
There are quite a few herbs used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners in order to treat sleeplessness (insomnia). Below are some examples along with their indications (specific conditions for which the herb is used) and contraindications (conditions in which the herb should not be used). If you’re interested in purchasing a personalized remedy for any […]
Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is a part of the brain made of different nuclei that serve a variety of functions, such as to control fatigue, sleep, and circadian rhythms. The hypothalamus regulates sleep by a homeostatic mechanism, wherein pressure is built up during waking hours in the form of adenosine accumulation, which is relieved at sleep onset […]
Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS)
There is a structure in our brainstem known as the reticular formation. It includes ascending pathways which lead to the higher brain and descending pathways which lead to the spinal cord. Its functions include sleep and consciousness. The ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) in particular is involved in behavioral arousal and consciousness as well as […]
Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder
Do you have trouble falling asleep at a time society at large would consider “normal”? Do you stay up till past midnight before you even consider giving the old shuteye a chance? If so, you may have delayed sleep phase disorder, a condition which is as annoying as it is incurable. While most of the […]
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a sleep-related condition defined as a long-lasting neurological issue, which leads to the inability of the sufferer to properly regulate his/her sleep/wake cycle. The most common symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness, which may strike at any time through the day and which may last from a few seconds to a few […]