When stress follows you to bed

If your body is ready for bed but your mind is still going, lemon balm may help you relax and make the transition to sleep easier.

Have you ever felt tired all day, only to become wide awake the moment your head hits the pillow?

Instead of falling asleep, you replay a conversation, remember something you need to do tomorrow, or worry about problems that cannot be solved at midnight.

Stress does not always end when the day does.

When your nervous system spends too much time on alert, it can be difficult to switch it off at bedtime. This is where lemon balm may help.

Lemon balm has traditionally been used to promote a calm mood and restful sleep. While traditional preparations like tea can help, newer research has focused on Lemon Balm Phytosome, a special form that helps the body absorb and use it more efficiently.

In one study, 100 adults experiencing stress or poor sleep took 400 milligrams daily for three weeks. Compared with a placebo, they reported improvements in stress, anxiety, sleep quality, mood, and overall mental well-being.

In another study, 87% of those taking 400 milligrams before bedtime reported better sleep, compared with 30% taking a placebo. 

This does not mean lemon balm will knock you out like a sleeping pill. The goal is to simply feel less wound up, settle more easily, or sleep more restfully. Studies suggest giving it two to three weeks of consistent use before judging the results.

Enzymedica’s new Sleep & Stress provides 200 milligrams of Lemon Balm Phytosome per capsule. One capsule offers gentle calming support during the day, while taking two before bed provides the dose used in the strongest research.

Mike Ventresca is the owner of Vital Choice Health Store, located at 9243 W. Sprague Road in North Royalton’s Timber Ridge Plaza. Call 440-885-9505 or visit VChoice.com for more information.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.