http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sleep-sweetly-with-sleep-pillows.html
Sleep Sweetly with Sleep Pillows
From Growing 101 Herbs that Heal by Tammi Hartung (Storey Publishing, 2000).
Sleep pillows—little herb-filled pillows that have aromatherapeutic effects—are used for concerns like chronic insomnia and headaches. They are even appropriate for individuals who are feeling a lot of anxiety and stress. Part of the therapeutic effect of using an herbal sleep pillow comes from making the pillow; they are fun to create!
To prepare a sleep pillow: Cut one 6- by 8-inch piece of cloth. (Any natural fiber cloth will do.) Fold the cloth in half, with the wrong sides together, and stitch up two sides of the cloth (leaving one end open). Turn the sewn cloth right side out. Put approximately ¼ cup of dried crushed herbs into the cloth pillow and stitch open sides closed. Slip the sleep pillow into your pillowcase on the side that will be next to your face. As you sleep, you will smell the aromas, which will have a therapeutic effect on you.
Favorite Sleep Pillows
- Hops and chamomile are a good combination for restful sleep.
- Mugwort and rosemary blend for vivid dreams.
- Lavender prevents insomnia.
- Coyote mint relieves congestion.
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21 comments
add your comment »Interesting.
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Thanks for your comment. Yes, wintergreen smells wonderful!
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Wintergreen works beautifully for congestion and relieving sinus pressure.
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Cordelia, The instructions in the book say to use fiber filling with the herbs in the middle. I have my pillow hung above my head and it still smells great.
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What is coyote mint? I've never heard that before?
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I like the idea, but it sounds a bit uncomfortable to rest on....
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Georgene Lockwood's book " The Complete Idiots Guide to Beading Projects" tells you how to make a sleep pillow out of a beautiful old hankie.
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Flax, millet, rice...can all be used if desire is to heat in a microwave. Do keep in mind, though, that heat--especially microwaves--kill many properties of herbs. This is even though steeping in water can help to bring out properties; infusing them in the water. But if it still works for you, go for it! All that's left is the scent, and sometimes that's all you need. If you do make a pillow, you can insert a tie by either sewing it into the inside part (sandwiched so to speak, when like sides are together, and have the ends of the tie stick out a bit, so as to get them held together with your stitch, and put the tie about 2 inches down from the top). Then instead of stitching up the final edge, after turning right side out, you can just hem it by folding the edge down 1/4 inch, then down again, and stitch that down. Be sure to only sew the hem and not to sew it closed. This way, you can remove old innards and replace with new, when weakened, instead of tossing the whole thing, or undoing and resewing it. It's just an option I prefer to do, so I figure I'll share, just in case. Another option, for insomniacs, is mandarin oil Just one drop on your palms or soles works magic! I mention this because sometimes I have to do more than one thing. But I'd avoid the use of mandarin for wee ones. Sometimes just a spoonful of "magic sleep" water (just plain water w/a fancy name), can be enough to allow them to get caught up in a self-meditative belief to induce a nice sleep.
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Thank you. Lydia. This is very helpful to me. :D
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How can I fill my pillow, when I have a cough?
Thanks. Reina F.
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