The holiday season can be a hectic time of year, with so much to do and so little time. With all the gifts to buy, cards to write, shopping to do, food to prepare, let alone enjoying the festivities, it can all get a bit overwhelming!

The central nervous system bears a heavy load both physically and emotionally when pressures are building. On a physical level, this may result in headaches, muscle tension, impaired digestion and fatigue. Emotionally, you may feel jumpy or irritable and be subject to mood swings and sleep disturbances.

For many, one hand feeds the other, stress causes insomnia and insomnia causes stress, creating a vicious circle that’s hard to break.

The good news is there are natural herbs to help you sleep better.

 Valerian & Hops

Research shows that freshly harvested herbs contain a more complete spectrum of active ingredients when compared to equivalent amounts of dried herbs. 

That’s why A.Vogel’s Deep Sleep is made from fresh, organic valerian and hops plants.  This combination has been clinically proven to increase the quality and time spent in deep sleep (REM) by 25%.

Did you know tablets require more time in the digestive system before active ingredients are released? This explains why A.Vogel’s Deep Sleep comes in a tincture form and provides fast-acting results. Active ingredients enter the bloodstream within 20 minutes.

A controlled clinical trial demonstrated that an herbal formula containing hops and valerian, such as A.Vogel Deep Sleep,  was just as effective as a benzodiazepine (a class of minor tranquilizers that includes Valium and Xanax) for patients suffering from non-chronic and non-psychiatric sleep disorders. Plus, the natural remedy did not cause dependency nor drowsiness the next day. Patients woke up feeling refreshed.

The only downside of this remedy is its taste. We won’t lie, it is god awful but it really works! Try mixing your tincture in an orange juice shot followed by a glass of water or spoonful of honey to cut down on the unpleasantness.

What else can be done

Here are additional recommendations to help you catch those much needed ZZZs:

• Relaxation techniques – there are many applications available that can help with audio stimulation or bedtime meditation to ease you into sleep
• Practice good sleep hygiene—absolute darkness, and no television, telephone, or any other distractions before bed—and no stimulants (e.g. coffee or tea) past noon
• Exercise regularly
• Stay hydrated during the day – palpitations caused by dehydration can waken you at night
• Do not forget to take your A.Vogel Deep Sleep before bed.

Sweet dreams!

A.Vogel® Deep Sleep:

• Clinically proven to improve sound sleep up to 25%
• It helps to decrease sleep onset time and improves quality of sleep
• Effective sleep aid for adults
• Non-addictive product
• Fast-acting tincture, absorbed as soon as you take it
• Sugar-, gluten- and lactose-free
• NPN 80027352

References:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important#section9

https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-sleeping-remedies#use-bed-for-sleeping-only

https://www.healthline.com/health/can-hops-get-me-to-sleep#sleep

Koetter U, Schrader E, Käufeler R, Brattström A. “A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, prospective clinical study to demonstrate clinical efficacy of a fixed valerian hops extract combination (Ze 91019) in patients suffering from non-organic sleep disorder.” Phytother Res. 2007 Sep;21(9):847-51. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17486686 accessed 11Oct18

https://www.avogel.ca/en/health/sleep/clinical-study.php

Salter, Shanah; Brownie, Sonya. “Treating Primary Insomnia: The Efficacy of Valerian and Hops” Australian Family Physician Volume 39 Issue 6 (June 2010). conducted more recently have negated these positive outcomes (see notes from Salter, et al Australian Family Physician, 2010).

About the Author: A.Vogel

A.Vogel is pervaded by the idea of a way of life and of healing which is orientated in every respect towards nature. A.Vogel products are effective natural remedies and medicinal products made from freshly harvested plants. To learn more please visit avogel.ca