Passiflora incarnata
The great insomnia remedy. Restless, nervous sleeplessness. Wakeful from worry, overwork, exhaustion, or mental excitement. Convulsions, especially in children. Calming without narcotic side effects.
Source
Prepared from the fresh plant of Passiflora incarnata (Passifloraceae).
Available Potencies
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Keynote Symptoms
Insomnia — the primary indication. Restless, wakeful nights from worry, overwork, mental excitement, or exhaustion. Produces natural sleep without narcotic hangover. Infantile convulsions, especially during dentition. Tetanus. Whooping cough. Nervous sedative similar to Scutellaria but more strongly soporific.
Mind & Emotional Symptoms
Restless, wakeful. Worry keeps mind active at night. Nervous excitement. Overactive mind. Cannot quiet the thoughts.
General Symptoms
Nervous system. Worse from worry, excitement, overwork, stimulants. Better from sleep, rest, quiet.
Physical Symptoms
Head
Headache from insomnia or overwork.
Extremities
Convulsions — tetanic. Infantile convulsions during dentition. Muscular twitching.
Respiratory
Whooping cough — spasmodic. Asthma (nervous origin).
Sleep & Dreams
The keynote: insomnia of all types. Restless, wide-awake at night. Nervous wakefulness. Produces refreshing, natural sleep. Mother tincture in 10-30 drop doses is widely used as an herbal sleep aid.
Modalities
Better From
Sleep, rest, quiet
Worse From
Worry, excitement, overwork, stimulants, dentition
Constitutional Type
Not constitutional. Used as a specific for insomnia, nervous restlessness, and convulsions.
Clinical Indications
Insomnia, nervous restlessness, infantile convulsions, tetanus, whooping cough, nervous asthma, overactive mind at night
Comparative Materia Medica
Coffea has insomnia from mental excitement but more euphoric and acute. Scutellaria is similar but less soporific. Valeriana has insomnia with changeable symptoms. Kali phosphoricum has insomnia from nervous exhaustion.
Safety Information
Not well established.
Passionflower is one of the safest herbal sedatives. Non-toxic, non-addictive. Widely available as tea and supplement. Recognized by EMA for nervous restlessness and insomnia. Safe in all potencies and mother tincture.
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