Cowslip - sleep part 7
Should we re-name this pretty flower ‘Cowsleep’?
These bright yellow flowers literally litter the grassy banks of the A41. Until recently, they were protected as they had been wild harvested until near extinction - hard to believe when you see the swathes of them between the M25 turning onto the A41 and the Hemel Hempstead turning!
Like so many herbs, all parts of the plant are useful medicines but, it's the yellow corolla - the flower part of the flowering heads - which are sedative.
It has a light taste which I have read described as aniseed-y but I don't agree. Or, certainly not as a tincture. I can just about taste it as that but if you don't like aniseed, don't be put off as it's really not strongly so!
I have recently begun using the flower as my main herb for sleep mixes. When creating prescriptions, I always combine several herbs. This way I address the multiple aspects of sleeplessness that the person I prescribe for is experiencing.
As with all sedatives, the ideal is that they wouldn't be taken over a long period of time. It is that they be used for a short burst during a temporary sleep disturbance. If your sleep continues to be poor quality, slow in coming, short in duration, disturbed and more, it's a really good idea to begin the journey to address why that is.
That's what we do together.
There's loads of research about sleep and what happens to our bodies when we don't get enough. We still don't fully understand why we sleep or what really happens when we do. But, I have only heard it said in one place that in order to sleep and sleep well and gain good replenishment from it, we need to have plenty of energy. In chronic sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue states, we become so depleted that we don't have enough energy to sleep!
The daytime is as important as the night! Nourishing yourself with good foods, avoiding depleting stimulants, and getting really goot relaxation are all key to replenishing the stores for better sleep.
Cautions: This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant women, patients who are sensitive to aspirin, or those taking anti-coagulant drugs such as warfarin. Long-term use may also be inadvisable if taking hypotensive medications - PFAF
Wild harvesting: Please don't pick these flowers yourself as we don't want to get into the situation where they are near extinction again. It's fine to pick a small handful to try out as a tea but if you want a plentiful supply, I suggest buying them from a sustainable source. I stock them as both a dried flower and tincture.