68 – Herbal Support for Nightmares

Posted on 16th September 2024

In this episode, Nicole (she/her) talks about herbal support for nightmares.

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Transcript
Nicole:

Welcome to the Frontline Herbalism podcast with your host Nicole Rose from the Solidarity Apothecary.

Nicole:

This is your place for all things plants and liberation.

Nicole:

Let's get started.

Nicole:

Okay, so herbal support for nightmares.

Nicole:

So nightmares can definitely be one of the most kind of challenging symptoms of traumatic stress.

Nicole:

We might experience them like while we're kind of surviving something very stressful or traumatic, but You know, they're also unfortunately a big part of this kind of PTSD, like post traumatic stress picture.

Nicole:

So yeah, I'm going to read a kind of text that was part of the Herbalism and State Violence book that I recently published.

Nicole:

And yeah, it's also something that we explore a lot in the Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress course that's launching in a few weeks.

Nicole:

And yeah, it's definitely something that I've reckoned with for a really long time that Herbs have significantly kind of helped me with.

Nicole:

Okay, so yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna read this text, but I'm also gonna kind of ad lib on the side.

Nicole:

So yeah, for years I was plagued by the same nightmare.

Nicole:

that I'm in a prison cell and the walls are closing inch by inch.

Nicole:

They would never completely envelop me but it felt like I could be experiencing the feeling for hours at a time and that I was slowly going to be crushed to death by the cell walls.

Nicole:

Nightmares have been quite heavily researched but still remain a mystery.

Nicole:

There are different cultural relationships to nightmares worldwide with cultures attributing them to communication from ancestors as premonitions or more.

Nicole:

We don't know for sure what causes nightmares or have definitive ways of preventing them from reoccurring, but it's very clear there is a strong trauma connection.

Nicole:

You may have heard of REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep.

Nicole:

It's the stage of sleep associated with memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development, and dreaming.

Nicole:

So nightmares tend to occur like in this REM stage, and when this occurs, it's like on the cusp between sleeping and waking.

Nicole:

And it generally means that we actually remember our nightmares and their kind of terrifying images.

Nicole:

So some things that we know contribute to nightmares include stress and anxiety are kind of obviously there, but um, yeah, irregular sleep, medications and various mental health challenges such as bipolar disorder.

Nicole:

And overwhelmingly nightmares occur with trauma and PTSD.

Nicole:

Uh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study published in 2009 that I found about sleep medicine clinics found that 80 percent of people experiencing PTSD have frequent nightmares.

Nicole:

So it's often kind of one of the like, you know, like delineating factors of, of kind of PTSD in my experience.

Nicole:

So Deirdre Barrett, PhD, author of Trauma and Dreams says that in post traumatic nightmares.

Nicole:

The region of the brain involved in fear behaviors, including the amygdala, a structure deep in the brain that works to identify potential threats, may be overactive or overly sensitive.

Nicole:

And again, this is something I talk about in the course about how PTSD really is like super biological, you know, they've done brain scans to show this kind of brain injury effect of certain parts of our brain being kind of hyperactive around, like.

Nicole:

feeling fear and feeling threatened and being in fight or flight.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So yeah, in terms of like non herbal support for nightmares, first of all, the kind of, yeah, advice that I've worked with over the years is that really, and again, this is something I really explore in depth in the course, but it's all about kind of reducing sympathetic activation of the nervous system through the day.

Nicole:

And yeah, the sympathetic nervous system, this is our kind of fight flight freeze mode, you know, Again, I talk about it loads in the course, and I also introduce it a lot in the book.

Nicole:

So you can get kind of, you know, I mean, just Google it, right?

Nicole:

You can get a description of the sympathetic nervous system, but it's basically when we are kind of active and in kind of response activation mode, but they're kind of, Less stress that we have in the daytime obviously means less stress at night, right, means less chance of a nightmare.

Nicole:

And when we fall asleep after being in a parasympathetic state, this kind of more rest and digest state, that means that restful deeper sleep is more likely.

Nicole:

So it's not just like what you do right before bed, it's kind of like the pressure on your system through the whole day.

Nicole:

Another factor is like avoiding triggers, especially before sleep.

Nicole:

So yeah, for myself, I had to basically stop attending meetings in the evenings that were centered on like prisoner support or prison related things.

Nicole:

Yeah, and okay, I've, this has shifted a little bit and obviously now I've got Leigh, so I'm not, you know, I'm like barely awake past six o'clock in the evening as we go to sleep.

Nicole:

But when I was, you know, super active in like multiple kind of anarchist collectives supporting prisoners and fighting prison expansion and all the things, like if we had meetings in the evening, you could just guarantee I'd have this like prison related nightmare to the point where I had to just say that I can't.

Nicole:

I can't do it.

Nicole:

And you know, we would try and not have meetings in the evening.

Nicole:

And that kind of intervention made like a massive difference to my life because, you know, there was always this hangover effect the next day from like waking to a nightmare, right?

Nicole:

Like it stays with you the whole day, pretty much.

Nicole:

So yeah, sometimes it's not possible to avoid our PTSD triggers, but whenever, whatever we can avoid, especially before sleep will make a difference.

Nicole:

And sort of general sleep hygiene is important.

Nicole:

I'm not gonna like wax lyrical about watching trash before bed because I bloody love trash, but yeah, I do think more kind of like violent things can like work their way into the subconscious right at night and lead to nightmares.

Nicole:

So watching something kind of semi wholesome is, is ideal if possible.

Nicole:

Um, And yeah, and just like side tip, if I do wake up in the night from a nightmare, that will be when I would look at my phone to like find like soothing things, you know, like silly, like I'd watch little videos of like puppy fails or, you know, like wild animals cuddling, or I don't know, whatever, just anything to kind of put me back into that parasympathetic sleep and kind of break up that like nightmare pattern.

Nicole:

Um, and obviously like treating trauma.

Nicole:

So like, Yeah, I'm, you know, I'm obviously a herbalist.

Nicole:

I adore plant medicines, but we also need all these other tools to like kind of comprehensively like support ourselves to heal and recover.

Nicole:

So working with tools that support brain processing and memory consolidation, such as EDMR, which is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and brain spotting, which is what I had, which I talk about in the PTSD course, like they can really help process traumatic memories.

Nicole:

And that was like, really life changing for me.

Nicole:

Okay, nutritional deficiencies.

Nicole:

So there are like varying levels of research around nutritional deficiencies and nightmares.

Nicole:

Some vitamins and minerals have suggested to have an impact on the prevalence of nightmares include vitamin D3 and vitamin B1.

Nicole:

And yeah, I definitely think vitamin D is like a big factor.

Nicole:

So yeah, if, if you are experiencing nightmares, I would, yeah, I would definitely go for it.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So I've also written here, there is more research around nutritional deficiencies and PTSD symptoms, which I explore in my herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress course in depth.

Nicole:

It's worth noting that chronic stress in general depletes our reserves as well as just existing in a capitalist food system.

Nicole:

So therefore we can like presume nutritional deficiencies are very common for people experiencing traumatic stress, especially if someone has been incarcerated.

Nicole:

So common nutritional deficiencies for people with PTSD that may be worsening their symptoms include, um, no, it's like basically all of them, but these are ones like with quite heavy research around them.

Nicole:

So vitamin D, I take that as a supplement, even just like low carb quality supplements that you can just shoplift from bloody holland barrett like in terms of vitamin d like not all vitamins by any means but vitamin d is very absorbable the spray is also fantastic magnesium so again i talked about this in the course but like i use a magnesium spray it's It's like the, it's absorbed really well through the skin, basically, things like epsom salt baths or even just swimming in the sea, fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins, especially B12, B6 and B9.

Nicole:

Do not get me started on B12 and people's, uh, mental health or just energy, brain fog, like I'm such a B12 dealer.

Nicole:

Ferritin and iron, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, chromium and vitamin K.

Nicole:

And you know, there can also be like a blood sugar element that could be worth investigating.

Nicole:

Food intolerances are also a potential factor.

Nicole:

If you're like me and I'm completely gluten intolerant, yeah, you'll know, like, if you're the same that when you have like accidental contamination, it can really affect your mood and sleep.

Nicole:

Um, it took me a long time to kind of clock the connection, but yeah, I've definitely noticed an increase in nightmares after kind of accidentally consuming gluten.

Nicole:

And there is interesting research about celiac disease and its effect on sleep medication.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So it could be worth checking the medication you're taking.

Nicole:

And if there are recorded side effects of increased nightmares.

Nicole:

According to the Sleep Foundation, certain beta blockers, stimulants, antidepressants, antibiotics, melatonin supplements, and other drugs can contribute to nightmares.

Nicole:

And nightmares may also occur after stopping the use of medications, including certain barbiturates, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.

Nicole:

I'd probably personally add opiates to that list as well of what I've seen from experience.

Nicole:

Okay, so let's get on to the herbal support.

Nicole:

So yeah, we're gonna start with lavender and Yeah, I love lavender so much and I feel like it's so underestimated as a plant because it's so frequently used and seen and like, yeah, but really it's, it's so fantastic.

Nicole:

Yeah, so I've written here, lavender is one of those herbs that is so common and used in cosmetics that it is certainly taken for granted and underused medicinally.

Nicole:

It's one of our most beautiful nerve vines offering a combined relaxing and uplifting effect.

Nicole:

So a nerve vine is a plant with an affinity for the nervous system.

Nicole:

Um, it's also extremely well researched.

Nicole:

It reduces sympathetic activation of the nervous system, calms restlessness and anxiety.

Nicole:

Lavender is amazing as an infused oil, for example, dried lavender flowers infused in olive oil that can be rubbed on the temples or massaged into muscles.

Nicole:

Lavender is most commonly used as an essential oil, which is different to an infused oil, whereby just a few drops on a pillow can support sleep.

Nicole:

There are also long traditions of dried lavender being wrapped in cloth to make sleep pillows.

Nicole:

You can also make a lavender tea and tincture.

Nicole:

So cautions with this, some people may have a reaction to the essential oil, especially unfortunately, if it's of poorer quality, you know, it might be synthetic and also caution with low blood pressure or if taking strong tranquilizers due to lavender's sedative effects.

Nicole:

So I have a little bottle of infused lavender oil next to my bed at all times in case I wake up from a nightmare or I'm struggling to kind of turn off that mental chatter to go to sleep.

Nicole:

super safe and yeah, very nourishing and yeah, relaxing.

Nicole:

Um, and yeah, again, underestimated in terms of not just supporting you to get to sleep, but having this kind of like soothed, gentler, deeper, deep, deeper, deeper sleep.

Nicole:

Um, okay.

Nicole:

Chamomile.

Nicole:

So again, Chamomile is Similar to lavender, very underestimated as a nirvine herb.

Nicole:

It's known as a quieting herb due to its relaxant and calming properties.

Nicole:

I consider chamomile particularly helpful where nightmares may be due to some kind of unaddressed food allergy, food intolerance, or form of inflammation in the body due to its inflammation modulating properties.

Nicole:

Chamomile is useful during the daytime to reduce the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which will aid a more restful sleep.

Nicole:

Uh, folk records have been found in Norfolk recording chamomile's use, uses in inducing sleep and preventing nightmares.

Nicole:

And it's especially recommended for children experiencing nightmares and sleep disturbances, which again, for a lot of children, obviously it can be trauma related, but it can also be like this food intolerance pattern.

Nicole:

You know, like dairy or wheat, for example.

Nicole:

Okay, chamomile is fantastic taken as a tea, tincture or glycerite.

Nicole:

The essential oil is also lovely in a carrier oil such as almond or coconut oil for a gentle massage before sleep.

Nicole:

You can also add it to baths and foot baths.

Nicole:

So cautions, be careful in case of an allergy to the aceraceae family, the daisy family.

Nicole:

Okay, Vervain.

Nicole:

Vervain, this is Verbena Aficionalis for listeners from the so called U.

Nicole:

S.

Nicole:

So Vervain is such a beautiful and powerful tonic for the nervous system that has been used for thousands of years and was one of the nine sacred herbs for the Druids.

Nicole:

It is especially supportive for people trying to recover from nervous exhaustion and anxiety.

Nicole:

As well as chronic illness and fatigue, which are exhausting in and of themselves, Vervain is great for anyone struggling with excess tension and chronic stress.

Nicole:

Vervain can support with many of the symptoms we develop when enduring stress, such as headaches, migraines, insomnia, high blood pressure, and general aches and pains.

Nicole:

In terms of nightmares, Vervain can aid sleep issues such as nightmares because of their overall tonic support for the nervous system.

Nicole:

I do not find Vervain to have the same kind of relaxing action that will aid you in falling asleep, like lavender for example, but I think it can help to shift nightmares longer term by aiding recovery of trauma where nervous exhaustion is a large component.

Nicole:

Vervain is great taken as a long term tincture from the fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

It's also commonly drank as a tea in France and other countries.

Nicole:

I haven't found it.

Nicole:

Personally, very effective as a glycerite so far in my experimentation, but you know, that's an ongoing process.

Nicole:

And yeah, cautions avoiding pregnancy, caution with nursing and caution with blood thinning medication.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

Bettany, Botonica aficionalis.

Nicole:

So betony is like a subtle sedative, a little bit like vervain, that is helpful in recovery from nervous exhaustion.

Nicole:

It has an affinity with the liver, which is under a lot of stress from the constant processing of stress hormones and pollution and life under capitalism, improves circulation to the head, reducing headaches caused by poor circulation, and also relieves nerve pain in neuralgia and sciatica.

Nicole:

I use it kind of similarly to vervain.

Nicole:

It's less of a herb that will help you get to sleep.

Nicole:

but more of a herb that will help you recover from long term burnout, exhaustion and trauma due to its tropho restorative actions.

Nicole:

That's kind of like its tonic actions.

Nicole:

Throughout the medieval period, betony was considered one of the best protection medicines.

Nicole:

In folk tradition, betony was often hung above beds or placed in dream pillows to protect against nightmares and promote restful sleep.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Nicole:

And I love this quote, um, which yeah, I've referenced in the Herbalism and State Violence book, um, But Bettany as support for nightmares has emerged throughout herbal history.

Nicole:

So I'm sorry if I mispronounce These words!

Nicole:

Bauhin and the Old English Herbarium commence their list of the uses of betony with a protective influence, keeping safe men's bodies and souls, especially after dark, when nightmares and terrifying visions may arise.

Nicole:

The plant protects holy places and sepultures.

Nicole:

from such fearful sights.

Nicole:

Only Dale Champs cites Musa by name on this aspect of Betony, concluding that it is holy.

Nicole:

Betony is fantastic as a tincture with fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

It's also great as a tea.

Nicole:

I haven't found it a bit like vervain making that it makes an effective glycerite in my experimentation.

Nicole:

That's something I go into in my glycerin workshop.

Nicole:

about kind of which constituents of plants kind of do well in glycerin.

Nicole:

So cautions avoiding pregnancy and caution with blood pressure medications.

Nicole:

Okay, skullcap.

Nicole:

What a babe.

Nicole:

So this is scutellaria lateraliflora, which is native to North America and Scutilaria galloreculata.

Nicole:

God, I hate reading that in words out loud, which is kind of from, yeah, kind of Europe.

Nicole:

Oh, hang on.

Nicole:

I've written this here.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So just a side note, there are more than 300 species of skullcap growing around the world used traditionally for many similar and different purposes.

Nicole:

Scutellaria laterifolia is native to North America.

Nicole:

It's used traditionally by the Cherokee Nation and was appropriated by settler colonists.

Nicole:

It's now widely cultivated in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

Nicole:

Our native species are Scutellaria galariculata and Scutellaria minor, another commonly used medicinal plant with different Differently used actions is bical scolcap scotilaria buccalensis that is native to Siberia and Asia.

Nicole:

Okay, so scolcap is a wonderful tonic to the nervous system and also a nerve ion trophorestorative which acts to tonify, strengthen and restore the proper function of of the nervous system is probably one of my most dispensed herbs to people experiencing sleep disturbances due to PTSD and traumatic stress.

Nicole:

The cold infusion is strongly sedating and can help the nervous system prepare for sleep.

Nicole:

Resettling sleeping patterns over time is the one herb that dramatically shifted the quantity and severity of nightmares I was experiencing.

Nicole:

Herbalist Alexis J.

Nicole:

Cunningfolk writes how skullcap restores strength.

Nicole:

to an overwhelmed nervous system, relieving spasms, nerve pain, and cultivating calm.

Nicole:

For nervousness, fear, and a sense of being overwhelmed, skullcap stimulates the brain to produce more endorphins in the system due to the presence of scutellarian in the plant, which becomes scutellarian in the body.

Nicole:

Skullcap is fantastic made as a strong tea infusion and drunk cold about one hour before bed.

Nicole:

It's also great as a tincture made with fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

Unfortunately, I've not found it as effective or sedating as a glycerite during my experimentation.

Nicole:

Cautions avoid in pregnancy, caution in nursing, caution when driving, using machinery, etc due to its sedating nature.

Nicole:

And funnily enough, I can testify to not having it during breastfeeding because I was struggling to like sleep in that first like sleep stint with Lee.

Nicole:

where like he'll go to bed at like half six and sleep till like midnight.

Nicole:

Um, and that's like my perfect time to get to sleep.

Nicole:

And then, you know, he'll wake up every couple of hours for feeds after that.

Nicole:

And I just was really struggling to switch off.

Nicole:

So I had like a little cheeky swig of skullcap tincture.

Nicole:

And then by like the second wave of sleep stints, like I could just like barely keep myself awake to feed him.

Nicole:

So I was like, okay, not again.

Nicole:

Maybe some drop doses might be all right.

Nicole:

But yeah, as a herb, it does tend to knock me out.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

Passionflower.

Nicole:

Passiflora incarnata.

Nicole:

So passionflower is a gentle sedative and nervous system relaxant that has a long traditional use in supporting people with sleep disturbances.

Nicole:

It is especially helpful in cases of insomnia where one cannot get sleep due to racing thoughts or restlessness.

Nicole:

A lot of Sympathetic nervous system activation and general anxiety.

Nicole:

It can support you to fall asleep when taken before bed, and passionflower can also be taken throughout the day to reduce anxiety, you know, like depending on dose.

Nicole:

Because passionflower can promote deeper sleep, some people may experience more vivid dreaming, including nightmares.

Nicole:

I just want to say that, especially if they have not been accessing this deeper stage of sleep.

Nicole:

This is a challenging situation because this can make us turn away from a herb as nightmares are so distressing.

Nicole:

However, without deep sleep, we cannot adequately process traumatic memories.

Nicole:

I therefore recommend some gentle persistence to see if it settles.

Nicole:

But if not, then definitely stop.

Nicole:

Taking passionflower and listen to your body.

Nicole:

Other herbs such as skullcap offer a similar sedative effect with less occurrence of traumatic dreams.

Nicole:

In my experience, supporting people, you know, and you know, that includes myself, but also different people experiencing repression or recovering from prison.

Nicole:

Passionflower is fantastic as a tincture with the fresh or dried herb to aid with sleep.

Nicole:

It also makes a great glycerite when made using the warm infusion method.

Nicole:

And I talk about these different methods in the PTSD course and in my herbal medicine and glycerin workshop.

Nicole:

During the daytime, the tea can support with anxiety.

Nicole:

So some cautions, caution with depression and antidepressant medications, barbiturates and sedative medications.

Nicole:

That's just because, you know, it's a bit of a downer.

Nicole:

Caution in pregnancy in terms of trimester and dosage.

Nicole:

I did take passionflower occasionally in my pregnancy on nights when I was like very distressed with some personal stuff going on.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Nicole:

And it was, it was fine, but yeah, just, yeah.

Nicole:

Herbs and pregnancy is a whole, whole other episode.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So other herbs.

Nicole:

So yeah, there are kind of many other herbs that are more like psychoactive that are kind of beyond the scope of the herbalism and state violence book and beyond this podcast episode.

Nicole:

But like one of the herbs.

Nicole:

kind of commonly promoted, which I think promoted without a kind of trauma nuance, is mugwort, um, Artemisia vulgaris.

Nicole:

So it's recommended as a kind of dreaming herb, and many people take it for the visions that they have when they're working with mugwort.

Nicole:

Yeah, and this kind of spiritual work is very important and does bring play a role in trauma recovery.

Nicole:

But yeah, I really encourage caution.

Nicole:

Like I don't think it can be appropriate for people with like significant unprocessed trauma, you know, such as someone getting out of prison.

Nicole:

In my experience, like it has, Mugwort has given me horrific nightmares every time I've worked with them.

Nicole:

And I know other people have had similar experiences as well.

Nicole:

And also plants like valerian and hops.

Nicole:

I've also found can worsen nightmares in many people.

Nicole:

So yeah, just, you know, just.

Nicole:

Be aware of that when you're kind of taking herbal sleep mixes, like I'd really love to hear from you if that's been your case, like drop us a message on Instagram or an email to kind of collect that that knowledge of have you found certain herbs more stimulating of nightmares, you know, and valerian is brilliant at kind of accessing this like vivid dreaming.

Nicole:

But I think vivid dreaming is like very different for people who have like a lot of kind of graphic traumatic memories.

Nicole:

So yeah, that's it.

Nicole:

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this episode.

Nicole:

Yeah, again, this chapter was from my Herbalism and State Violence book that will be available again to buy soon.

Nicole:

It's also currently available from Active Distribution in the UK and some other places on the mainland in Europe and in the US, which I need to update the web page and put where to buy it from all these things and I'm gonna format it into an e book soon as well.

Nicole:

And yeah, for anyone who is Interested in this subject more, these are the kind of patterns and threads that go into in depth in the herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress course.

Nicole:

Highly encourage you to join the waiting list.

Nicole:

Get 10 percent off if you do.

Nicole:

I'll put the link in the show notes and yeah, thanks for listening.

Nicole:

Okay, so herbal support for nightmares.

Nicole:

So nightmares can definitely be one of the most kind of challenging symptoms of traumatic stress.

Nicole:

We might experience them like while We're kind of surviving something very stressful or traumatic, but you know, they're also unfortunately a big part of this kind of PTSD, like post traumatic stress picture.

Nicole:

So yeah, I'm going to read a kind of text that was part of the herbalism and state violence book that I recently published.

Nicole:

And yeah, it's also something that we explore a lot in the herbalism, PTSD and traumatic stress course that's launching in a few weeks.

Nicole:

And yeah, it's definitely something that I've reckoned with for a really long time that Herbs have significantly kind of helped me with.

Nicole:

Okay, so yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna read this text, but I'm also going to kind of ad lib on the side.

Nicole:

So yeah, for years, I was plagued by the same nightmare.

Nicole:

that I'm in a prison cell and the walls are closing inch by inch.

Nicole:

They would never completely envelop me, but it felt like I could be experiencing the feeling for hours at a time and that I was slowly going to be crushed to death by the cell walls.

Nicole:

Nightmares have been quite heavily researched, but still remain a mystery.

Nicole:

There are different cultural relationships to nightmares worldwide, with cultures attributing them to communication from ancestors as premonitions or more.

Nicole:

We don't know for sure what causes nightmares or have definitive ways of preventing them from reoccurring, but it's very clear there is a strong trauma connection.

Nicole:

You may have heard of REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep.

Nicole:

It's the stage of sleep associated with memory consolidation, emotional processing, brain development and dreaming.

Nicole:

So nightmares tend to occur like in this REM stage.

Nicole:

And when this occurs, it's like on the cusp between sleeping and waking.

Nicole:

And it generally means that we.

Nicole:

actually remember our nightmares and their kind of terrifying images.

Nicole:

So some things that we know contribute to nightmares include stress and anxiety, kind of obviously there, but, um, yeah, irregular sleep, medications and various mental health challenges such as bipolar disorder.

Nicole:

And overwhelmingly nightmares occur with trauma and PTSD.

Nicole:

Uh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study published in 2009 that I found about sleep medicine clinics found that 80 percent of people experiencing PTSD have frequent nightmares.

Nicole:

So it's often kind of one of the like, you know, like delineating factors of, of kind of PTSD in my experience.

Nicole:

So Deirdre Barrett, PhD, author of Trauma and Dreams says that in post traumatic nightmares.

Nicole:

The region of the brain involved in fear behaviors, including the amygdala, a structure deep in the brain that works to identify potential threats, may be overactive or overly sensitive.

Nicole:

And again, this is something I talk about in the course about how PTSD really is like super biological, you know, they've done brain scans to show this kind of brain injury effect of certain parts of our brain being kind of hyperactive around like, feeling fear and feeling threatened and being in fight or flight.

Nicole:

Okay, so yeah, in terms of like non herbal support for nightmares, first of all, the kind of, yeah, advice that I've worked with over the years is that really, and again, this is something I really explore in depth in the course, but it's all about kind of reducing sympathetic activation of the nervous system through the day.

Nicole:

And yeah, the sympathetic nervous system, this is our kind of fight flight freeze mode, you know.

Nicole:

Again, I talk about it loads in the course, and I also introduce it a lot in the book.

Nicole:

So you can get kind of, you know, I mean, just Google it, right?

Nicole:

You can get a description of the sympathetic nervous system, but it's basically when we are kind of active and in kind of response activation mode, but they're kind of, Less stress that we have in the daytime obviously means less stress at night, right, means less chance of a nightmare.

Nicole:

And when we fall asleep after being in a parasympathetic state, this kind of more rest and digest state, that means that restful deeper sleep is more likely.

Nicole:

So it's not just like what you do right before bed, it's kind of like the pressure on your system through the whole day.

Nicole:

Another factor is like avoiding triggers, especially before sleep.

Nicole:

So yeah, for myself I had to basically stop attending meetings in the evenings that were centred on like prisoner support or prison related things.

Nicole:

Yeah, and okay, I've, this has shifted a little bit and obviously now I've got Leigh, so I'm not, you know, I'm like barely awake past six o'clock in the evening as we go to sleep.

Nicole:

But when I was, you know, super active in like multiple kind of anarchist collectives supporting prisoners and fighting prison expansion and all the things.

Nicole:

Like, if we had meetings in the evening, you could just guarantee I'd have this like prison related nightmare to the point where I had to just say, like, I can't, I can't do it.

Nicole:

And, you know, we would try and not have meetings in the evening and that kind of intervention made like a massive difference to my life because, you know, there was always this hangover effect the next day from like waking to a nightmare, right?

Nicole:

Like it stays with you the whole day, pretty much.

Nicole:

So yeah, sometimes it's not possible to avoid our PTSD triggers, but whenever, whatever we can avoid, especially before sleep will make a difference.

Nicole:

And sort of general sleep hygiene is important.

Nicole:

I'm not going to like wax lyrical about watching trash before bed because I bloody love trash.

Nicole:

But yeah, I do think more kind of like violent.

Nicole:

Things can, like, work their way into the subconscious, right, at night and lead to nightmares.

Nicole:

So, watching something kind of semi wholesome is, is ideal, if possible.

Nicole:

Um, and yeah, and just, like, side tip, if I do wake up in the night from a nightmare, that will be when I would look at my phone to, like, find, like, soothing things, you know, like silly like I'd watch little videos of like puppy fails or you know like wild animals cuddling or I don't know whatever just anything to kind of put me back into that parasympathetic sleep and kind of break up that like nightmare pattern um and obviously like treating trauma so like Yeah, I'm, you know, I'm obviously a herbalist.

Nicole:

I adore plant medicines, but we also need all these other tools to like kind of comprehensively like support ourselves to heal and recover.

Nicole:

Um, so working with tools that support brain processing and memory consolidation, such as EDMR, which is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and brain spotting, which is what I had, which I talk about in the PTSD course, like they can really help process traumatic memories.

Nicole:

And that was like, Really life changing for me.

Nicole:

Okay, nutritional deficiencies.

Nicole:

So there are like varying levels of research around nutritional deficiencies and nightmares.

Nicole:

Some vitamins and minerals have suggested to have an impact on the prevalence of nightmares include vitamin D3 and vitamin B1.

Nicole:

And yeah, I definitely think vitamin D is like a big factor.

Nicole:

So yeah, if if you are experiencing nightmares, I would yeah, I would definitely go for it.

Nicole:

Um, Okay, so I've also written here, there is more research around nutritional deficiencies and PTSD symptoms, which I explore in my Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress course in depth.

Nicole:

It's worth noting that chronic stress in general depletes our reserves as well as just existing in a capitalist food system.

Nicole:

So therefore we can, like, presume nutritional deficiencies are very common for people experiencing traumatic stress.

Nicole:

especially if someone has been incarcerated.

Nicole:

So common nutritional deficiencies for people with PTSD that may be worsening their symptoms include, um, you know, it's like basically all of them, but these are ones like with quite heavy research around them.

Nicole:

So vitamin D, I take that as a supplement, even just like low quality supplements that you can just shoplift from bloody Holland Barrett, like in terms of vitamin D, like not all vitamins by any means, but vitamin D is very absorbable.

Nicole:

The spray is also fantastic.

Nicole:

Magnesium.

Nicole:

So again, I talked about this in the course, but like, I use a magnesium spray is, is It's like the, it's absorbed really well through the skin basically, things like epsom salt baths or even just swimming in the sea, fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins, especially B12, B6, and B9.

Nicole:

Do not get me started on B12 and people's mental health or just energy, brain fog, like I'm such a B12 dealer.

Nicole:

Ferritin and iron, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, chromium and vitamin K.

Nicole:

And you know, there can also be like a blood sugar element that could be worth investigating.

Nicole:

Food intolerances are also a potential factor.

Nicole:

If you're like me and I'm completely gluten intolerant, yeah, you'll know like if you're the same that when you have like accidental contamination, it can really affect your mood and sleep.

Nicole:

Um, it took me a long time to collect to kind of clock the connection, but yeah, I've definitely noticed an increase in nightmares after kind of accidentally consuming gluten.

Nicole:

And there is interesting research about celiac disease and its effect on sleep medication.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So it could be worth checking the medication you're taking.

Nicole:

And if there are recorded side effects of increased nightmares.

Nicole:

According to the Sleep Foundation, certain beta blockers, stimulants, antidepressants, antibiotics, melatonin supplements and other drugs can contribute to nightmares.

Nicole:

And nightmares may also occur after stopping the use of medications, including certain barbiturates, antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Nicole:

I'd probably personally add opiates to that list as well of what I've seen from experience.

Nicole:

Okay, so let's get on to the herbal support.

Nicole:

So yeah, we're going to start with lavender.

Nicole:

And yeah, I love lavender so much.

Nicole:

And I feel like it's so underestimated as a plant because it's so frequently used and seen and like, yeah, but really, it's, you know, It's so fantastic.

Nicole:

Yes, so I've written here.

Nicole:

Lavender is one of those herbs that is so common and used in cosmetics that it is certainly taken for granted and underused medicinally.

Nicole:

It's one of our most beautiful nerve vines, offering a combined relaxing and uplifting effect.

Nicole:

So a nerve vine is a plant with an affinity for the nervous system.

Nicole:

Um, it's also extremely well researched.

Nicole:

It reduces sympathetic activation of the nervous system, calms restlessness and anxiety.

Nicole:

Lavender is amazing as an infused oil, for example, dried lavender flowers infused in olive oil that can be rubbed on the temples or massaged into muscles.

Nicole:

Lavender is most commonly used as an essential oil, which is different to an infused oil, whereby just a few drops on a pillow can support sleep.

Nicole:

There are also long traditions of dried lavender being wrapped in cloth to make sleep pillows.

Nicole:

You can also make a lavender tea and tincture.

Nicole:

So cautions with this, some people may have a reaction to the essential oil, especially unfortunately if it's of poorer quality, you know, it might be some synthetic and also caution with low blood pressure or if taking strong.

Nicole:

tranquilizers due to lavender's sedative effects.

Nicole:

So I have a little bottle of infused lavender oil next to my bed at all times in case I wake up from a nightmare or I'm struggling to kind of turn off that mental chatter to go to sleep.

Nicole:

Super safe and yeah, very nourishing and yeah, relaxing.

Nicole:

Um, and yeah, again, underestimated in terms of Not just supporting you to get to sleep, but having this kind of like, soothed, gentler, deeper sleep, deeper sleep.

Nicole:

Um, okay.

Nicole:

Chamomile.

Nicole:

So again, chamomile is similar to lavender, very underestimated as a nirvine herb.

Nicole:

It's known as a quieting herb due to its relaxing and calming properties.

Nicole:

I consider chamomile particularly helpful where nightmares may be due to some kind of unaddressed food allergy.

Nicole:

food intolerance or form of inflammation in the body due to its inflammation modulating properties.

Nicole:

Chamomile is useful during the daytime to reduce the activation of the sympathetic nervous system which will aid a more restful sleep.

Nicole:

Folk records have been found in Norfolk recording chamomile's use uses in inducing sleep.

Nicole:

preventing nightmares.

Nicole:

And it's especially recommended for children experiencing nightmares and sleep disturbances, which again, for a lot of children, obviously it can be trauma related, but it can also be like this food intolerance pattern, you know, like dairy or wheat, for example.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

Chamomile is fantastic.

Nicole:

Taken as a tea tank triglyceride, the essential oil is also lovely in a carry oil, such as almond or coconut oil for a gentle massage before sleep.

Nicole:

You can also add it to baths and foot baths, so cautions.

Nicole:

Be careful in case of an allergy to the Ascia family, the Daisy family.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

Vervain.

Nicole:

Vervain.

Nicole:

This is Verbena Officinalis for listeners from the so called U.

Nicole:

S.

Nicole:

So Vervain is such a beautiful and powerful tonic for the nervous system that has been used for thousands of years and was one of the nine sacred herbs for the Druids.

Nicole:

It is especially supportive for people trying to recover from nervous exhaustion.

Nicole:

As well as chronic illness and fatigue, which are exhausting in and of themselves.

Nicole:

Vervain is great for anyone struggling with excess tension and chronic stress.

Nicole:

Vervain can support with many of the symptoms we develop when enduring stress, such as headaches, migraines, insomnia, high blood pressure, and general aches and pains.

Nicole:

In terms of nightmares, Vervain can aid sleep issues such as nightmares because of their overall tonic support for the nervous system.

Nicole:

I do not find Vervain to have the same kind of relaxing action that will aid you in falling asleep, like lavender for example.

Nicole:

But I think it can help to shift nightmares longer term by aiding recovery of trauma where nervous exhaustion is a large component.

Nicole:

Vervain is great taken as a long term tincture from the fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

It's also commonly drank as a tea in France and other countries.

Nicole:

I haven't found it.

Nicole:

personally very effective as a glycerite so far in my experimentation, but you know, that's an ongoing process.

Nicole:

And yeah, cautions avoiding pregnancy, caution with nursing and caution with blood thinning medication.

Nicole:

Okay, betony, botonica officinalis.

Nicole:

So betony is like a subtle sedative, a little bit like vervain, that is helpful in recovery from nervous exhaustion.

Nicole:

It has an affinity with the liver, which is under a lot of stress from the constant processing of stress hormones and pollution and life under capitalism, improves circulation to the head, reducing headaches caused by poor circulation, and also relieves nerve pain in neuralgia and sciatica.

Nicole:

I use it kind of similarly to vervain.

Nicole:

It's less of a herb that will help you get to sleep.

Nicole:

but more of a herb that will help you recover from long term burnout, exhaustion and trauma due to its tropho restorative actions.

Nicole:

That's kind of like its tonic actions.

Nicole:

Throughout the medieval period, betony was considered one of the best protection medicines.

Nicole:

In folk tradition, betony was often hung above beds or placed in dream pillows to protect against nightmares and promote restful sleep.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Nicole:

And I love this quote, um, which yeah, I've referenced in the Herbalism and State Violence book, uh, But, um, Betony as support for nightmares has emerged throughout herbal history.

Nicole:

So, I'm sorry if I mispronounce these words.

Nicole:

Baohin and the Old English Herbarium commence their list of the uses of Betony with a protective influence, keeping safe men's bodies and souls, especially after dark, when nightmares and terrifying visions may arise.

Nicole:

The plant protects holy places and supports from such fearful sites.

Nicole:

Only de champ's sites muse by name on this aspect of Beny, concluding that it is holy.

Nicole:

Beny is fantastic as a tincture with fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

It's also great as a tea, haven't found it a bit like Vee making that it makes an effective glyceride in my experimentation.

Nicole:

That's something I go into in my glycerin workshop.

Nicole:

about kind of which constituents of plants kind of do well in glycerin.

Nicole:

So, cautions avoiding pregnancy and caution with blood pressure medications.

Nicole:

Okay, skullcap!

Nicole:

What a babe!

Nicole:

So, this is scutellaria lateraliflora, which is native to North America and Scutilaria galloreculata.

Nicole:

God, I hate reading that in words out loud, which is kind of from, yeah, kind of Europe.

Nicole:

Oh, hang on.

Nicole:

I've written this here.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So just a side note, there are more than 300 species of skullcap growing around the world used traditionally for many similar and different purposes.

Nicole:

Scutellaria laterifolia is native to North America.

Nicole:

It's used traditionally by the Cherokee Nation and was appropriated by settler colonists.

Nicole:

It's now widely cultivated in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

Nicole:

Our native species are Scutellaria galariculata and Scutellaria minor, another commonly used medicinal plant with different Differently used actions is bical scolcap scotilaria bacillensis that is native to Siberia and Asia.

Nicole:

Okay, so scolcap is a wonderful tonic to the nervous system and also a nervine trophorestorative which acts to tonify, strengthen and restore the proper function of of the nervous system is probably one of my most dispensed herbs to people experiencing sleep disturbances due to PTSD and traumatic stress.

Nicole:

The cold infusion is strongly sedating and can help the nervous system prepare for sleep, resettling sleeping patterns over time.

Nicole:

It is the one herb that dramatically shifted the quantity and severity of nightmares I was experiencing.

Nicole:

Herbalist Alexis J.

Nicole:

Cunningfolk writes how skullcap restores strength.

Nicole:

to an overwhelmed nervous system, relieving spasms, nerve pain, and cultivating calm.

Nicole:

For nervousness, fear, and a sense of being overwhelmed, skullcap stimulates the brain to produce more endorphins in the system due to the presence of scutellarian in the plant, which becomes scutellarian in the body.

Nicole:

Skullcap is fantastic made as a strong tea infusion and drunk cold about one hour before bed.

Nicole:

It's also great as a tincture made with fresh or dried herb.

Nicole:

Unfortunately, I've not found it as effective or sedating as a glycerite during my experimentation.

Nicole:

Cautions, avoid in pregnancy, caution in nursing.

Nicole:

Caution when driving, using machinery, et cetera, due to its sedating nature.

Nicole:

And funnily enough, I can testify to not having it during breastfeeding because I was struggling to like sleep in that first like sleep stint with Lee, where like he'll go to bed at like half six and sleep till like midnight.

Nicole:

And that's like my perfect time to get to sleep.

Nicole:

And then, you know, he'll wake up every couple of hours for feeds after that.

Nicole:

And I just was really struggling to switch off.

Nicole:

So I had like a little cheeky swig of skullcap tincture.

Nicole:

And then by like the second wave of sleep.

Nicole:

sleep since like, I could just like barely keep myself awake to feed him.

Nicole:

So I was like, okay, not again.

Nicole:

Maybe some drop doses might be all right.

Nicole:

But yeah, as a herb, it does tend to knock me out.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

Passionflower, Pasiflora incarnata.

Nicole:

So passionflower is a gentle sedative and nervous system relaxant that has a long traditional use in supporting people with sleep disturbances.

Nicole:

It is especially helpful in cases of insomnia or where one cannot get sleep due to racing thoughts or restlessness.

Nicole:

A lot of.

Nicole:

sympathetic nervous system activation and general anxiety.

Nicole:

It can support you to fall asleep when taken before bed, and passionflower can also be taken throughout the day to reduce anxiety, you know, like depending on dose.

Nicole:

Because passionflower can promote deeper sleep, some people may experience more vivid dreaming, including nightmares.

Nicole:

I just want to say that, especially if they have not been accessing this deeper stage of sleep.

Nicole:

This is a challenging situation because this can make us turn away from a herb as nightmares are so distressing.

Nicole:

However, without deep sleep, we cannot adequately process traumatic memories.

Nicole:

I therefore recommend some gentle persistence to see if it settles, but if not, then definitely stop taking passionflower and listen to your body.

Nicole:

Other herbs such as skullcap offer a similar sedative effect with less occurrence of traumatic dreams.

Nicole:

In my experience, supporting people, you know, and you know, that includes myself, but also different people experiencing repression or recovering from prison.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Nicole:

Passionflower is fantastic as a tincture with the fresh or dried herb to aid with sleep.

Nicole:

It also makes a great glycerite when made using the warm infusion method.

Nicole:

And I talk about these different methods in the PTSD course and in my herbal medicine and glycerin workshop.

Nicole:

During the daytime, the tea can support with anxiety.

Nicole:

So some cautions, caution with depression and antidepressant medications, barbiturates and sedative medications.

Nicole:

That's just because, you know, it's a bit of a downer.

Nicole:

Caution in pregnancy in terms of trimester and dosage.

Nicole:

I did take passionflower occasionally in my pregnancy on nights when I was like very distressed with some personal stuff going on.

Nicole:

Yeah.

Nicole:

And it was, it was fine.

Nicole:

But yeah, just yeah, herbs and pregnancy is a whole, whole other episode.

Nicole:

Okay.

Nicole:

So other herbs.

Nicole:

So yeah.

Nicole:

There are kind of many other herbs that are more like psychoactive that are kind of beyond the scope of the Herbalism and State Violence book and beyond this podcast episode, but like one of the herbs kind of commonly promoted, which I think promoted without a kind of trauma nuance.

Nicole:

is mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris.

Nicole:

So it's recommended as a kind of dreaming herb and many people take it for the visions that they have when they're working with mugwort.

Nicole:

Yeah, and this kind of spiritual work is very important and does play a role in trauma recovery.

Nicole:

But yeah, I really encourage caution like I don't.

Nicole:

think it can be appropriate for people with like significant unprocessed trauma, you know, such as someone getting out of prison.

Nicole:

In my experience, like it has, Mugwater has given me horrific nightmares every time I've worked with them.

Nicole:

And I know other people have had similar experiences as well.

Nicole:

And also plants like valerian and hops.

Nicole:

I've also found can worsen nightmares in many people.

Nicole:

So yeah, just, you know, Just be aware of that when you're kind of taking herbal sleep mixes, like I'd really love to hear from you if that's been your case, like drop us a message on Instagram or an email to kind of collect that that knowledge of have you found certain herbs more stimulating of nightmares, you know, and valerian is a brilliant at kind of accessing this like vivid dreaming, but I think vivid dreaming is like very different for people who have like a lot of kind of graphic traumatic memories.

Nicole:

So yeah, anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this episode.

Nicole:

Yeah, again, this chapter was from my Herbalism and State Violence book that will be available again to buy soon.

Nicole:

It's also currently available from Active Distribution in the UK and some other places on the mainland in Europe and in the US, which I need to update the webpage and put where to buy it from all these things.

Nicole:

And I'm going to format it into an ebook soon as well.

Nicole:

And yeah, for anyone who is interested, Interested in this subject more, these are the kind of patterns and threads that I go into in depth in the Herbalism, PTSD and Traumatic Stress Course.

Nicole:

Highly encourage you to join the waiting list.

Nicole:

Get 10 percent off if you do.

Nicole:

I'll put the link in the show notes.

Nicole:

And yeah, thanks for listening.

Nicole:

Thanks so much for listening to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.

Nicole:

You can find the transcripts, the links, all the resources from the show at solidarityapothecary.

Nicole:

org forward slash podcast.