By Dr. Matsen

Your grandparents likely earned their daily bread by the sweat of their brow and went to bed physically exhausted, which helped them have a deep, regenerative sleep. Today, however, most of civilized society earns its livelihood by using their brain rather than their muscle and, with unresolved issues rattling around in their minds, leaves them prone to shallow, restless sleep that doesn’t fully recharge their energy levels.

One obvious answer to this is to match the job’s mental exertion with a period of physical exercise, so as to reduce the mental activity at night. For those who don’t have the time or ability to do a full physical workout, there is a time-proven alternative: lavender.

Lavender is a member of the mint family and originated in southern Europe near the Mediterranean coast. While there are several species of lavender, they all have the same fragrant medicinal properties. Long used in the Mediterranean region for everything from bacterial infections to headaches, and now grown throughout the world where similar mild climate and slightly alkaline soil conditions exist, lavender is a most appropriate herb for modern times. Lavender reduces apprehension, worry and nervous tension. It is especially useful for inducing peace at night, promoting a deep, restful sleep that allows you to awaken rested, energetic and optimistic.

No doubt it is the fragrance of lavender that carries these wondrous properties, and harvesting of lavender should be done to maximize its healing aroma. Flowers should be harvested as soon as they open and in the heat of the day when the scent is strongest. The flower shoots should be cut off and tied into bundles that should then be hung in well-ventilated, dust-free areas out of the direct sun. If the essential oil is to be distilled from the plant, it takes 500 grams of herb to make one gram of oil.

Either the dried herb or essential oil can be added to a hot bath to promote relaxation. Putting a sachet of dried lavender herb into your pillowcase, or adding a drop or two of essential oil onto your pillow or onto a cotton ball that is then placed into your pillowcase, can provide longer-lasting effects by exposing your nose to the lavender scent throughout the night. Studies have shown that the olfactory nerves of smell can physically transport matter from the nose directly into the pituitary gland, which is the most likely source of lavender’s profound calming effects.

Some folk healers claim that the scent of lavender has powers of divination and that what you dream while under the spell of lavender will be yours to attain during waking hours.

May all your dreams become lavender dreams!