3 Essential Herbs to Help You Sleep During Menopause
When you�re suffering from night sweats, chronic fatigue and mood swings, getting a good night�s rest can be hard. To find relief from sleep disturbances many women are turning to natural remedies. Finding which herb is right to combat your symptoms can be a challenge, but it doesn�t have to be.
Go back to counting sheep and read on to find 3 essential herbal remedies to help you sleep during menopause.
Black Cohosh
Widely used to help combat menopausal symptoms, black cohosh (actaea racemosa), is a phytoestrogenic plant native to North America. Exactly how the herb works is unknown, but it�s thought to produce its own type of plant hormone, cimicfugin, which has properties related to estrogen. During perimenopause and menopause, as a women�s estrogen levels decrease, black cohosh may be used to supplement women�s declining levels.
Black cohosh helps to combat irregular sleeping patterns during menopause by helping to increase energy levels and relieve night sweats and anxiety.
Because many studies done on women taking the herb end before 6 months, long-term use is not encouraged. Interactions with the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen have been reported. Despite this, the herb has been shown to be safe to use and there have been no known interactions between black cohosh and medications. Mild side effects include headaches and gastrointestinal problems.
Red Clover
Originating from Asia and regions of Northern Africa, red clover is a perennial clover easily identified by its vibrant shades of light red and pink. Also known as beebread, cow clover or meadow clover, this herb works by mimicking estrogen, due to its high levels of isoflavones.
Widely used as a tonic, red clover�s relaxing effects can help to relieve the stress and anxiety of menopausal symptoms which can help to curb irregular sleeping patterns.
Although red clover helps relieve many symptoms of menopause, it has been criticized because it can interfere with breast cancer treatments.
Ginkgo Biloba
A popular herbal remedy, ginkgo biloba is renowned for its ability to support cognitive function, boost concentration and help combat memory loss. Commonly used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, numerous studies have shown ginkgo�s estrogenic activity can help increase estrogen levels in menopausal women.
Menopausal women often suffer from anxiety and forgetfulness which can disturb sleeping patterns. Because of its ability to relieve anxiety, ginkgo can help correct sleep disturbances.
Amidst its beneficial effects, ginkgo does have side effects and people who suffer from epileptic episodes or have a history of seizures should avoid taking ginkgo. In addition, certain medications can interfere including medication for blood disorder, anticoagulants (i.e. ibuprofen, vitamin E) and blood thinning medication such as warfarin (Coumadin).
In addition to consuming herbal remedies, it is also helpful to create an environment that is conducive to sleep � free from distractions such as light and noise. Click here to find more information about menopause.
