Fear at bedtime

Fear of the dark and of the silence before sleep has always been known to children and adults alike; the tradition answered with what holds: a lit candle, a warm infusion, someone beside you. The herb was part of the soothing habit, not its substance — German chamomile and small-leaved lime in the mug, English lavender under the pillow.

The catalogue lists six species here: German chamomile, English lavender, small-leaved lime, lemon balm and two caffeine-free South African teas, rooibos and honeybush. The list arose as the intersection of the sleep and anxiety topics, i.e. herbs the catalogue lists under both; it is not a traditional set 'against fear', and the text should not pretend so.

From the research point of view, anxiety before sleep is a loop: a person fears they will not sleep, and that is exactly what keeps them awake. The documented approach is cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia — getting out of bed when sleep does not come, the same waking time, no screen — not another substance.

Lavender scent and a chamomile infusion have small studies on subjective calming; rooibos and honeybush have none and are here as a caffeine-free evening drink. Caffeine after noon and alcohol in the evening have more documented influence on falling asleep than all six herbs together.

Fear of falling asleep that returns after a distressing event — an accident, a loss, violence — together with nightmares and constant tension is a picture that belongs with a psychologist. Trauma is treated, and postponing does not treat it.

Panic at night with a pounding heart, breathlessness and a feeling of dying belongs first with an examination of the heart and then with a psychiatrist or psychologist; both have effective treatment. A child afraid to fall asleep for weeks on end deserves a conversation with the paediatrician, not more chamomile. Anyone on anxiolytics or sleeping pills does not add a herb without asking.