Sacred Sleep

by Atava Garcia Swiecicki

“How is your sleep?” This is a question I ask every client during an herbal appointment with me to help me understand a picture of their health.

A typical response might be, “My sleep is ok.” “Ok” is a fair answer but it doesn’t really give me the information I need to evaluate the quality of their sleep. As an herbalist I like to dig deeper and get more information from my clients, so I will follow up with more questions, such as: “What time do you go to bed? How many hours do you sleep each night? How would you describe the quality of your sleep? Are you able to enjoy deep, restorative sleep? Do you wake up feeling rested? How are your energy levels throughout the day?”

Sleep is essential to good health. This is the time when our bodies rest, repair and regenerate. However, most people are either not getting enough sleep, or they are suffering from poor quality of sleep. Both adults and children experience acute or chronic sleep disturbances. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, up to 35% of adults and 43% of children suffer from insomnia. For adults over 75, the number people experiencing insomnia is a staggering 75% [1]!

Other people might not experience insomnia but are living with a chronic sleep deficit. Sleep experts recommend that the best amount of sleep for an adult is about seven to eight hours per night. However, many people regularly receive much less. A 2014 study by the Center for Disease Control found that 35% of adults are not getting enough sleep [2]. Lack of sleep can make us feel tired, spacey, and irritable. Without good sleep we may have a hard time focusing or concentrating. It impairs our ability to learn and we are more likely to get into accidents. long-term sleep deficit can have serious detrimental effects on our health and is a contributing factor for many diseases including heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia and diabetes.

Our busy mainstream culture places high value on productivity and work and little value on sleep and rest. The saying, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” remains popular. We are not taught to listen to our bodies when they feel tired. We ignore our body and power on. We use caffeine as a stimulant and guzzle coffee in the morning to help us make up for lack of sleep. Or we may eat something sugary to give us a false sense of energy. We are taught to see rest as “lazy” and too much downtime as “unproductive.”

Chamomile (see below)

As healers, herbalists and curandex we cannot do our work if we are exhausted and sleep deprived. When we are tired, we cannot be fully present for our clients, students and loved ones. Lack of sleep weakens our energetic boundaries, and we are more susceptible to absorbing negative energies from our surroundings and from our clients. Good sleep is essential for the healthy functioning of our immune system. Sleep deficiency lowers our immunity, and we are more likely to catch any virus that is going around. Lack of sleep also makes us vulnerable to developing more serious immune system disorders like autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Another question that I ask my clients is: “What is keeping you awake at night?” Many people tell me it is stress, anxiety and worry that keep them awake. Sometimes we simply can’t shut off our brains. Our mind loops and our thoughts spin, thinking about our work deadlines, replaying a hard conversation or imaging the worst-case scenario of difficult life situation. Physical pain, digestive discomforts, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, depression or medications can also affect sleep. Insomnia is one of the top issues for people going through perimenopause and menopause. A study on women and insomnia found that between 40-60% of women experience sleep disturbances due to the decrease in the hormones estrogen and progesterone [3]. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle can also affect sleep.

Our sleep is also impacted by external factors such as caffeine or other stimulants or exercising too late in the day. Babies, children, pets, or partners who snore can also disrupt our sleep. The quality of light, sound and temperature or our bedroom also can impact our sleep. One major factor that is negatively affecting our sleep is screen time exposure. To begin with, our brains are stimulated by the content of what we may be consuming on our laptop, cell phone or television. When we surf the internet, check our messages or play video games the parts of the brain that keep us alert and awake are activated.

It is not just the content of our devices that interfere with our sleep. The blue light emitted from these screens also impacts our brain. Exposure to blue light lowers the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. Decreased levels of melatonin throw off our body’s circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycles. Our exposure to electronics and electromagnetic pollution is a recent phenomenon in the evolution of our human species. All of us are in a huge experiment of unknown consequences. We do not fully understand the long-term effects on our bodies and minds from our exposure to EMF’s in our cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices.

Join Atava’s Next Live Online Class:

Baba Yaga’s Secrets: Herbal Practices of the Slavic World – October 17, 2026

Passionflower (see below)

Healthy sleep

Sleep hygiene is defined as creating conditions in your life for optimal sleep. Sleep hygiene is a modern concept because we are living in very different environments than our ancestors. None of our ancestors lived with artificial lights. When the sun set, they would naturally start to unwind for the day. Our ancestors were not exposed to electromagnetic pollution from wi-fi and cell phones. They did not spend hours of their days gazing at electronic screens and exposing their eyes to artificial blue light.

Sleep hygiene consists of recommendations to ensure that we get a good night’s rest. These recommendations include steps to take during the day and in the evening so that your body is able to relax and your mind is able to unwind. These steps help prepare you for restful and restorative sleep and also include ways to prepare your bedroom or sleeping space so that it is an ideal environment for sleep.

Recommendations for healthy sleep

• Limit caffeine intake in the afternoon & evening. Caffeine takes eight hours to metabolize in the body, so that cup of coffee or soft drink you have in the afternoon could affect your ability to go to sleep at night.
• Get regular exercise during the day but avoid intense exercise in the evening. Regular exercise is a great way to improve your sleep. However rigorous exercise at night can be too stimulating and impair your ability to relax and fall asleep. Replace your evening work out with gentle stretching. Some restorative yoga postures can actually improve sleep.
• Don’t eat heavy meals late at night. For many people, digestive distress causes sleep problems. The best way to remedy this is to eat lightly at night and avoid heavy or greasy foods.
• Avoid overstimulation. Evening is time to unwind from the busyness of the day. The few hours before bedtime is not a good time to engage in tense conversations, to read a suspenseful novel or to watch a scary movie. Any activity that sparks your stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol can affect your ability to sleep because it takes the body at least one hour to recover from the effects of adrenalin. Some suggest choosing a boring book to read before bed to help you fall asleep.
• Create a sleep sanctuary. Make sure your sleeping space is dark, quiet, uncluttered and cool. Limit your bedroom activities to sleep and sex only.
• Observe “electronic sundown”. To limit our exposure to stimulating blue light, unplug from all electronic devices and screens after sunset. If that seems impossible, try setting a time a few hours before you go to bed to end your screen time. Replace screen time with activities like meditation, gentle yoga, or prayer or reading a book.
• Establish a bedtime ritual. Parents know the importance of a bedtime routine for their children. Children need time to transition from being awake and alert to falling asleep. For children this could look like taking a bath, listening to lullabies or other music or sounds that are relaxing. Many children love being read to or told a story to help them fall asleep. Adults also need a bedtime routine! Create your own bedtime routine. Dim the lights in your house. Take a bath with salts, herbs or essential oils. Drink a hot cup of tea. Play music that is soothing and relaxing. Do gentle stretching or restorative yoga. Sit at your altar and pray or meditate. Light a candle and smudge your bedroom. Read a book or listen to an audiobook. Audiobooks can act like bedtime stories for adults.

Ashwaganda (see below)

Herbal allies for sacred sleep

Incorporating herbal medicine into your sleep time ritual can be a great way to support the quality of your sleep. These herbs can be taken as a tea, tincture, powder or capsule. Some of the herbs I list can also be added to nighttime baths. To help yourself unwind, take these herbs an hour or two before going to sleep. If you have a hard time falling asleep, I recommend taking another dose right before bedtime. If you tend to wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back to sleep, I recommend that you keep your herbs next to your bedside so you can take another dose when you wake up.

A hot cup of herbal tea is very relaxing and an excellent sleep aid. The ritual of making a cup of tea also helps us to unwind. However, for many of us, drinking tea before bed means we will wake up later in the night to go to the bathroom. If waking up to pee has a negative impact on your sleep, taking herbal tinctures or capsules is a good alternative. I find it helpful to have an herbal tincture on my bed stand so that I can easily take my herbs in the middle of the night without having to get up or even turn on the light.

Mother Earth Tonantzin has blessed us with multitude of plants that help with sleep. Here is a list of a few of my favorites. In my experience, people respond differently to each herb, so I recommend starting with one at a time to see how it helps. Herbs can also be used in combination in teas or tinctures.

Skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora

Skullcap is an herbal nervine and antispasmodic that has been used traditionally for nervous system agitation, such as tics and tremors. Skullcap nourishes and relaxes the nerves and can also eases mind chatter. Skullcap is great ally for when we are feeling edgy, irritable and when our nervous system is on a hair trigger. Skullcap is a beautiful ally for supporting our bodies and nervous system through the grieving process, especially when grief causes sleep disturbances. I recommend skullcap as a sleeping aid when nerve pain, racing thoughts, or nervous agitation keeps you awake.

Chamomile, Matricaria recutita

Chamomile has many medicinal properties and is supportive to many systems of the body. It is nervine, antispasmodic, bitter and anti-inflammatory. Chamomile is an excellent sleep aid for people of all ages. As a nourishing nervine, chamomile helps ease anxiety and fear. It is a good ally for anxious, fearful adults, children or animals. Chamomile is my favorite plant to quell nightmares in both children and adults. For this, take chamomile internally as a tea or tincture or make a chamomile bundle and place it beneath your pillow. Chamomile is a wonderful dream ally and can bring healing dreams. It is also helpful if digestive issues such as gas, bloating or discomfort are keeping you awake. A wonderful way to work with chamomile for sleep is as a bath or baño. Add a strong chamomile tea to bath water and soak before going to bed.

Passionflower, Passiflora incarnata

Passionflower is antispasmodic, nervine, sedative and pain relieving. As an antispasmodic, passionflower helps to relax tight, tense muscles. It helps with restless legs, TMJ and muscle cramps or spasms anywhere on the body. Passionflower is useful for times when we are tense and wound up and we’re unable to relax enough to sleep. It also helps if muscle cramping or pain is interfering with our sleep. Passionflower can be sedative in high doses so I would advise to not take it before driving. It combines well with skullcap for full body relaxation.

Hops, Humulus lupulus

Hops are well known as the primary ingredient in beer, but it also is a valuable medicinal herb. Hops belong to the Cannabaceae family and the only other plant in this family is cannabis sativa. Hops flowers smell like marijuana because they share some of the same terpenes as cannabis. However, hops don’t contain any cannabinoids such as THC or CBD, and the plant is not psychoactive.

Hops are sedative, antispasmodic, bitter and anti-microbial. They help the body to relax, unwind and release tension. Hops are a relaxant and have been used since ancient times in Europe for sleep. The sedative properties of hops are enhanced when combined with alcohol, which is why drinking beer can make us sleepy. The bitter action of hops supports digestion and sleep issues caused by digestive distress. Recent scientific studies have discovered that hops help enhance the effects of GABA (a sleepy neurotransmitter) in the body [4].

Recently products labeled as “hop water” have saturated the grocery stores and are shockingly expensive. You can make your own hop water by adding a flower to either still or bubbly water. This infuses the relaxing terpenes into the water, and I have found that I can refill a jar with the same hops several times and still get hops flavored water. If the bitter flavor is too intense, you can add honey or mix with juice

Ashwagandha, Withania somnifera

Ashwagandha is a plant with a long history in Ayurvedic medicine. As both a nervine and an adaptogen, ashwagandha helps us adapt and be more resilient in the face of stress. Many adaptogenic herbs are stimulating but ashwagandha is calming and has been used in Ayurveda as a nighttime sleep remedy. Ashwagandha benefits many of the body’s systems, including the nervous, immune, endocrine and musculoskeletal systems. A traditional way to take ashwagandha for sleep is to decoct ¼- ½ tsp of the powder in dairy or non-dairy milk. However, a tea or tincture of ashwagandha can also be taken before going to sleep. Ashwagandha can also be taken during the day to support the body to better manage stress.

Wild Lettuce, Lactuca virosa

Wild lettuce is the prickly cousin of culinary lettuce. It is a common weed often growing in disturbed soil. Wild lettuce is nervine, anti-spasmodic, sedative and a pain reliever. In the past, the milky latex of wild lettuce was sold as “lettuce opium,” although it contains no opiates. The sedative constituents of wild lettuce called lactucarium are found in the fresh latex.

A tincture of the latex can help with insomnia, spasms in the intestines and uterus and can ease muscular pain. The latex is most potent when used fresh, so I recommend making a tincture from the fresh plant. Wild lettuce is bitter but if you can tolerate the bitter flavor you can also use the leaves for tea.

Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender has multiple actions including use as a nervine, anti-spasmodic and anti-depressant. The use of lavender dates thousands of years back to ancient Egypt and Rome. It is valued for its perfume as well as for its medicinal, cosmetic, culinary, and magical uses. Lavender is a relaxing nervine which can help restore a burned out and fried nervous system. Lavender has a strong and overpowering flavor, so I like to add just a few flowers to my tea blends. However, you can use generous amounts of lavender in baños and herbal steams.

The scent of lavender has many therapeutic uses. The essential oil can be added to carrier oils, baths, body care products or an aromatherapy diffuser. For many the scent of lavender is calming and relaxing. A 2002 study found that lavendar oil infused into a ward of dementia patients helped to reduce nervous agitation in 60% of the patients [5]. Lavender essential oil can help with sleep, headaches, cuts, burns and stings. However, some people dislike the scent of lavender, so try a little bit first to see if the scent agrees with you.

Suggested Recipes for Sleep

Much like cooking, blending herbal recipes is a creative art. Here are a few examples of herbal blends for sleep:

Sleepy Time Baño

¾ cup chamomile

¼ cup lavender

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn off heat, add herbs & cover. Allow herbs to steep at least one hour to make a strong bath tea. Strain tea and add to a bath. Soak & enjoy!

Deep Sleep Tea

Makes one quart

1 tbsp passionflower

1 tbsp scullcap

1 tbsp peppermint

Add herbs to tea pot or 32 oz mason jar. Cover with boiling water & steep 20 minutes to several hours. The longer it steeps the stronger the brew will be. Strain and drink hot or cold and sweeten to your taste.

May you find the plant allies and supportive practices to help you received deep, restful sleep.