Herbs that Support Better Sleep

A lot of us neurodivergent folks have a harder time getting good sleep. Working with certain herbs customized to our individual needs before bedtime (using a specific method called Pulse-Dosing) can be incredibly helpful.

I wish I had a magic herb that could reliably give us all a good night’s sleep. Too many of us are simply not getting enough!

The thing is, we are not all lying in bed awake for the same reasons, so it’s not that simple. There is not a single herb or group of herbs that are right for everyone, or even ones that are right for all neurodivergent people. We may share certain traits/characteristics, but it looks a little different for everyone.

Improving the quality of your sleep typically requires a number of sleep hygiene interventions, but I’m not going to get into all of that in this post (I will get to that next time though). Instead, I’m going to list some of the more common issues that keep neurodivergent people awake and then the herbs that you can work with for those issues. That way, you can get a better idea of which herbs you might want to partner with.

Before I do that though, I do want to share a practice I learned about in herb school that has been incredibly helpful for me and can be useful for anyone. It’s called Pulse-Dosing. The idea is that instead of taking a bunch of herbs right at bedtime or when you wake up in the middle of the night, you start an hour before bedtime with a small dose of your chosen herb/s, then take another small dose half an hour before bedtime, and a final dose right at bedtime.

For reasons that are probably obvious, I do not suggest taking these herbs as tea (unless you have a superhuman bladder). Tinctures work really well, and sometimes capsules can be effective as well. There are some issues with capsules though. Good ones tend to be spendy (like Gaia herbs or Oregon’s Wild Harvest). You could get a capsule machine and make your own, but keep in mind that if you do that you need to know which herbs actually work in capsule form, use your homemade ones within 2-4 weeks (herbs break down much more quickly in powdered form), and take at least four capsules at a time as they aren’t as concentrated as the ones that are commercially produced.

Pulse-Dosing is where it is at! Seriously, you will get much better results with this method than you would if you took all of those herbs right at bedtime. Think about the sun going down. It’s not like a switch is flipped and lights are out. It happens gradually. Our bodies evolved for a more gradual winding down process. This is where it’s at.

Ok, so now let’s talk about herbs that can help you wind down. Some of the issues I hear about most frequently for neurodivergent people having trouble sleeping are anxiety, being stuck in their head, tension, pain and things like elevated cortisol levels/disrupted circadian rhythms. There are herbs that you can work with specifically for each of those issues, so let’s take a look.

Anxiety / Being stuck in your Head
Motherwort, Passionflower and Skullcap are my my personal favorites here, and they also all work well when paired together. I’ve seen a number of women turn to Motherwort for the first time in perimenopause, when insomnia can be a major issue. Because I am so prone to getting amped up and it takes me a long time to wind down, I will often start with a cup of motherwort tea right after dinner and then do my Pulse-Dosing closer to bedtime. I am prone to heart palpitations, and it is really shines there as an herb that will calm the heart. It is also indicated when waking up frequently in the night. Combined with mugwort, it is well-suited for people who have a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night or throughout the night.

One caution about Motherwort though—do not use it during your period if you are a heavy bleeder. Or if you do, have some yarrow as well (at any point in the day) as the yarrow will lessen the bleeding substantially.

Passionflower is wonderful when you have racing thoughts that can go round and round in circles or get obsessive. It is quite safe, and in large doses (1 TBS tincture) it actually becomes a pain killer as well. Skullcap is excellent for anxiety that manifests as tension, especially in the neck/jaw/shoulders/upper back. If you get headaches from that kind of tension, give it a try (perhaps combined with meadowsweet for neuro-inflammation). Like Passionflower, it will help you with those racing thoughts that are keeping you awake, and they are often combined to create an even more potent, synergistic effect.

Calamus and Wood Betony are also worth considering for energy that gets stuck in the head and is having a hard time moving down (whether or not there is an anxiety component). These will both help with grounding/feeling rooted, which can be a big part of getting off to sleep. You can actually just chew on a little piece of calamus root (so maybe do that before you brush your teeth!). Wood betony often helps other herbs work better, so it is usually part of a formula and something you can be on the lookout for when checking out a  bedtime blend.

Muscular Tension
As mentioned above, skullcap is terrific for tension in the upper body, but for a more general relaxing effect, consider chamomile. You would need to experiment with how much tincture to take to be a profound muscle relaxer for more extreme cases, but as a tea if you  make it with 2 TBS dried herb (that’s a lot!) and let it steep for half an hour, it will be quite strong. Very effective for menstrual cramps too. It is just about the safest herb out there, so just about anyone can give it a try. Kava kava is another excellent choice for tension, but this one should not be used in high doses or for large periods of time. It can be hard on the liver, so save it more for acute situations like panic attacks or when you are traveling or having guests (if those things stress you out like they do me!).

Pain
There is not an easy answer for pain because there are so many things that can cause it. If tension is a big part of it, the herbs in the last section could be very helpful. Just about any herb is going to have an anti-anti-inflammatory effect, but something like meadowsweet is known specifically to lower inflammation without causing any of the damage that NSAIDS do. Wild lettuce is often turned to when there is pain that is preventing sleep because it is a nervine sedative in addition to reducing pain.

Elevated cortisol/ Circadian rhythm
​If this is what is keeping you awake at night, I highly recommend you look into adaptogenic herbs and see which one is right for you. In general, this group of herbs helps your body adapt better to stress over time. Ashwaghanda is the one that is especially known for restoring your circadian rhythm, and for a lot of women is incredibly helpful during perimenopause. It’s not actually a sedative, so you may want to experiment with when to take it to be alert during the day and then get sleepy at night.
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However, if like me you are allergic to nightshades, you will not be able to work with Ashwaghanda. Such a bummer. The good news is that there are many other adaptogenic herbs that you can try out instead. Licorice, for example, is appropriate for elevated cortisol. Definitely use it in a formula though as it can raise blood pressure and not everyone loves the taste. (which is crazy because it’s delicious—not that I’m biased or anything…). Licorice does kind of amp me up though (and is often used by people with chronic fatigue), so I do not recommend working with it at bedtime. If you take it for a month during the day, pay attention to what happens at bedtime. When you land on the right amount for your body, it should have an impact on evening out those dreaded cortisol spikes at night.

Remember that herbs are a lot like people. You will have chemistry with some, and others will rub you the wrong way or just won’t make much of an impression. Keep trying things out until you find your friends. They are out there. And especially if you are on medications, do your research before trying any new herbs. I know the internet is not always the best place to get good info these days, so ask a trained professional if there is any doubt. Herbs are powerful, and not all herbs and medications can be taken together.

In the next post I will tackle some of the other practices you can do to improve your sleep hygiene at night and even throughout the day. Sleep is so important, and so many of us are just not getting anywhere near enough. Let me know if you have found herbal partners that have helped you sleep more.

​Note: This is not medical advice. I am a neurodivergent coach, educator and family herbalist, and I do not diagnose or treat any condition. The information here is for educational purposes only and to share my own experiences as an autistic woman.

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