Passionflower - a natural remedy for insomnia?
Many people today suffer from restlessness, anxiety and sleep disorders. These health problems should be taken seriously and not underestimated. It is not necessary to resort directly to psychotropic drugs; there are also various herbal alternatives that do not have any disturbing side effects.
Passionflower - a natural remedy for insomnia?
One of these is passionflower, which is particularly suitable due to its calming and antispasmodic properties, as it supports those affected in the fight against difficulty falling asleep, sleep problems, anxiety and nervousness as well as states of tension.
Passion flowers (Passiflora) originally come from South America and Central to North America. However, there are now also around 25 different species in Asia, Australia and Madagascar. The fruits of the passion flower Passiflora edulis are known in our part of the world as “passion fruit”.
Passion flower for a healthy sleep
Passionflower is often available in pharmacies as Passiflora incarnata in drop or capsule form. It contains flavonoids, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid and various essential oils, which have a calming effect on the body and mind.
Passionflower has antispasmodic and antihypertensive effects. It is therefore an effective remedy in the fight against various sleep problems and sleep disorders.
A study by the Australian School of Psychology and Psychiatry at Monash University in Victoria confirms this statement. The study examined 41 test subjects who drank a tea – consisting of 2 grams of dried passion flowers – every day before going to bed.
Tip: Passionflower in spray form is particularly effective. Direct absorption via the mouth (= mucous membrane) results in a much faster effect than when taken in capsule form.
The result of the “Passion Flower Tea” study is impressive:
- The quality of sleep of the test subjects improved
- The tea helped the participants to relax better in the evening
- The passionflower alleviated anxiety.
In combination with valerian, lemon balm and hops, passiflora has an even better effect and achieves a synergistic effect.
The following recipe is a good tip against sleep disorders that make everyday life difficult for those affected:
Sleep tea
Ingredients:
- 40 g valerian roots
- 20 g hop cones
- 20 g lemon balm leaves
- 20 g passionflower herb
Have it mixed in the pharmacy.
Preparation:
Pour ¼ litre of hot water over a teaspoon, cover and leave to infuse for around ten minutes. Ideally, the tea should be drunk about an hour before going to bed. It helps you to fall asleep, but also to sleep through the night and therefore helps with various sleep disorders and sleep problems.
How does passion flower work?
Passion flower extracts influence receptors on nerve cells.
Among other things, the benzodiazepine receptor is stimulated, which in turn triggers a calming effect.
Benzodiazepines have a calming effect on the central nervous system. These synthetic active ingredients are prescribed to patients for anxiety and sleep disorders and as tranquillisers, as they have an anxiolytic, calming, muscle-relaxing and sleep-promoting effect.
In contrast to psychotropic drugs, those affected need not fear physical dependence with passion flower extracts.
Passionflower against anxiety
There are various causes that trigger or favour a feeling of anxiety or even panic in people. On the one hand, anxiety can be situational (e.g. fear of exams or flying) and on the other hand, it can occur as a generalised anxiety or panic disorder.
Passionflower lowers blood pressure and therefore helps against nervousness, restlessness and irritability.
The flavonoid vitexin contained in passionflower helps to relax.
Our body contains the calming neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Passionflower ensures that this is retained for longer and in higher concentrations.
Natural remedy for stomach ache
As passionflower has an antispasmodic effect on the body, it can also be used to treat stomach cramps. Passion flower extract is particularly helpful for nervous people who are prone to stress-related stomach and intestinal pain and can truly work wonders.
The active ingredients in passionflower relax the muscles.
This is why it is also used as a natural remedy for menstrual pain and tension in the back muscles.
If you want to support your sleep with valuable nutrients and vital substances, there are now great herbal alternatives to pharmaceutical products on the market. You should consider the following aspects when buying:
Sleep aids in spray form have a faster effect than in capsule form
Choose a combination that contains melatonin and passion flower:
The added melatonin (sleep hormone) compensates for the body’s own low melatonin production. The two ingredients passion flower and melatonin not only calm you down, but also make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Our tip: Finally fall asleep and stay asleep with SLEEP DIREKT Spray METANORM®. For a peaceful, restful night.
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