5 Best Dried Herbs for Better Sleep and Stress Relief

A dried herb is stripped of its water content (including water-soluble compounds like Vitamin C) and essential oils. This not only alters the flavour profile of the herb when cooked and simmered, but it also changes the herb's composition. This is the case for all types of dried herbs, including high-quality dried herbs.

Does that mean that dried herbs are stripped of all essential vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting compounds? That's not entirely the case. As for what gets left behind after the drying and rehydration process, a few active compounds from the herb still remain intact, namely antioxidants and flavonoids.

In fact, these aforementioned compounds are often found in higher concentrations than fresh variants. The reduction of moisture makes each gram of dried herb more potent in flavour and active compounds compared to a similarly weighed fresh herb counterpart. While dried herbs lack the vitamins and freshness, they make up for it by being shelf-stable and high in a few key health-boosting compounds.

5 Best Dried Herbs for Sleep and Stress

Without further ado, here are five of the best dried herbs you can take to deal with stress and sleepless nights.

1. Chamomile

Chamomile is one of the most well-known herbs for promoting sleep. This dried herb has a natural flavone compound called apigenin, which is known to help promote drowsiness and reduce pervading feelings of anxiety.

Chamomile tea can be taken by people to signal the body to wind down for the night. Its active compound quiets racing thoughts and improves sleep quality, making people wake up feeling more rested and at ease.

But chamomile doesn't only directly impact a person's sleep habits. It can also be good for soothing digestive problems. Chamomile can be taken as a tea brewed from dried versions of its mother flower. It can also be taken as a capsule or breathed in through aromatherapy oils.

2. Lavender

Another great dried herb to take to reduce stress and promote sleep is lavender. 

Lavender contains two critical ingredients called linalool and linalyl acetate. These naturally occurring substances contain sedatives and anti-anxiety properties to calm the brain, helping it feel easier to wind down for the night.

In particular, linalool enhances the activity of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in the brain. When this happens, the body enters an enhanced state of relaxation. Many people report sleeping more quickly after taking a waft of a lavender-based fragrance.

This is why things like lavender bath soaks, lavender scented candles, and pillow sachets containing lavender are so prevalent. Inhaling dried lavender flowers forces the body to feel relaxed and ready for bed. So if you need something to encourage sleep, try using a lavender product or taking a lavender-infused herbal tea.

3. Lemon Balm

A minty, citric, and fragrant herb that's an excellent sleep companion in dried form is the iconic lemon balm. 

The key compound in this herb is rosmarinic acid, which"just like lavender"helps increase GABA levels in the brain. When GABA is elevated, the nervous system has more fuel to calm itself down.

Beyond managing insomnia in patients, lemon balm also helps reduce feelings of irritability, tension, and restlessness. In essence, this dried herb can be an effective mood booster and sleep enhancer all in one plant package.

Dried lemon balm leaves are most commonly enjoyed as tea. It's not uncommon for it to be blended with other herbal leaves like chamomile to promote a restful state. That said, it can also be taken in capsule or tincture form. 

In any case, if you want to enjoy more restorative benefits of restful sleep, lemon balm is a scientifically backed dried herb that can make you more likely to gain enough quality sleep during bedtime.

4. Valerian Root

Another dried herb that can put you to bed quickly is valerian root. 

This root has a woody, earthy, and bitter flavour"making it rather uncommon in the culinary scene. However, it more than makes up for that by being a powerhouse sleep inducer. In particular, dried versions of this herb contain valerenic acid, which is a compound that slows the breakdown of GABA and boosts GABA's restful properties.

On top of that, this dried herb also contains sedative properties that reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. People can take it in either tea, supplement, or extract form. That said, in rare cases, this herb may cause digestive issues, so be sure to discuss your plan on taking this herbal remedy with your doctor beforehand.

5. Passionflower

One final dried herb that makes the cut as a potent sleep booster is passionflower. There are 500 known passionflower plant species around the world, making it a fairly accessible sleep remedy for people experiencing insomnia symptoms.

Ingesting this flower, typically through drinking its compounds in tea form, increases the level of GABA activity in the brain. This, as previously mentioned, improves anxiety symptoms and reduces sleeplessness. 

Besides that, passionflower also increased blood melatonin levels in one study, a convincing sign that this herb can help promote sleepiness. 

This herb promotes not just any sleep, but quality, continuous, deep sleep. Passionflower also helps make it easier for people to enter deep and REM sleep phases, helping the body and mind recover from a long day. For people experiencing chronic insomnia or stress, this dried herb can be the perfect remedy for those conditions.

While passionfruit is best enjoyed in tea form, it can also be taken as a capsule or liquid extract. In any case, ingesting passionflower tea alongside other herbal teas before bedtime can be a great way for people to enter a more restful frame of mind.

We hope we've given you enough insights on the best herbs to take when you're feeling stressed or lacking sleep. All the best in looking over your health!