Stressed out?  Unable to sleep?  Let Lemon Balm Help You.

I’ve seen in print and heard from other people that St. John’s Wort has been recommended to them for sleeplessness.  I thought this was really whacky, as I know St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, and the one thing it’s not going to do is help you sleep!  Give you a good kick in the pants, maybe, or help you fight a nasty viral infection, certainly soothe your burns and cuts -  but lull you to sleep?  Ha!

For sleeplessness and to ease general stress, I recommend lemon balm or, as it was known in earlier times, simply balm.  In fact, “balm” is what it is listed under even in Maude Grieves’  A Modern Herbal, which was first published in 1931.  Lemon balm’s taxonomic name is Melissa officinalis.  “Melissa” relates to the Greek word for bee because bees love the balm.  The ”officinialis” part relates to the fact that lemon balm was an official medicine during medieval times ( the officinalis realtes to the “office” where they kept the medicine in monasteries).  Balm has been used for many ailments over time.  In fact, Paracelcus said that it was the only herb one would ever need. 

One thing lemon balm is good at it relaxing a person and in modern times lemon balm has won acclaim primarily as a nervine.  A nervine is a substance, in this case an herb, that calms and soothes the nervous system, making the person relax.  Nervines often help you sleep, too, due to that relaxing action.   In 1990 the German Commission E approved lemon balm for sleeplessness due to nervous tension.  It’s gentle enough for children as well.  The nervine action of lemon balm also helps in cases of depression, especially depression due to stress.  Here’s a quote from the 16th century herbalist Gerard regarding lemon balm: “Bawme makes the heart merry and joyfull, and strengthens the vitall spirits.”   Sounds pretty good - and tastes good, too!

A secondary action of lemon balm is its carminative and antispasmodic action.  Antispasmodic means it helps in cases of spasming muscles and carminative concerns the digestive tract.  Think stomach cramps (your stomach is a muscle) and you can see where lemon balm would help.  I’ve found it helpful in cases of skeletal muscles spasms due to tension and anxiety, and here, it’s clear to see lemon balm would help in that kind of situation.  It eases the tension in the nervous system, allowing the body to relax and relax the muscles as well.  And, I’m going to say it again, it tastes so yummy!

Lemon balm has cooling actions as well, just like other members of the mint family.  This makes it a good choice for low fevers due to viral infections (it has antiviral properties, too) or as an iced tea to cool you down on a hot summer day.

So, here we have a wonderful herb that tastes good and does many things for you easily.  I think lemon balm is overlooked because it’s common and easy to get; not at all fashionable, trendy or exotic.  It’s extremely easy to grow and looks and smells lovely in the garden.  Lemon balm likes full sun, like most mints and herbs.  It will spread via seeds.  That’s no problem, though, because then you’ll have more to plant somewhere else or share with your friends.  And, of course, it attracts bees, our great pollinating friends. 

So, the next time you can’t sleep or are stressed out, sit down with a nice cup of lemon balm tea.  Enjoy its lemony flavor and aroma, sweeten it with some local honey and relax.

Here are more ways to enjoy lemon balm:

Lemon Balm Honey or Lemon Balm Vinegar(see below for instructions).  Both are really tasty.  Lemon balm honey is an “instant” tea - pour boiling water over a spoonful of honey and herb and drink.  No steeping time.  I use the lemon balm honey to sweeten my lemon balm tea and get a double dose of lemon balm.  Lemon balm vinegar is great in a vinegarette.

Lemon Balm Cordial - from Adele Dawson’s Herbs, Partners in Life:  “A fine home-made liqueur can be made by taking two handfuls of crushed Melissa leaves, putting them in a glass jar or crock, pouring over them a fifth of vodka, three-quarters of a cup of honey, and a grated lemon peel.  Shake well and let stand for a week.  Strain, bottle, and test your character by waiting three weeks before using.” p. 153.  Using this basic recipe you can use just about any herb to make a cordial or aperitif.  Dandelion flowers even.  See Susun Weed’s Wise Woman Herbal Healing Wise for that recipe.  Cordials are excellent served with sparkling mineral water or plain seltzer and ice. 

Lemon Balm Ale.  Check out Stephen Harrod Buhner’s Sacred and Healing Beers for more on making this and other pleasant herbal beers.  It’s only recently that hops became the only herb used in beers and ales.  I’ve made it and it’s absolutely delicious, and, of course, very relaxing!

Lemon Balm Foot Bath.  Make a standard infusion (1 ounce of herb by weight to 4 cups of boiling water; let steep at least 4 hours; strain).  Warm up and pour into a suitable foot bath container.  I use a $2 plastic dishpan from Walmart.  Add enough warm/hot water to cover your feet nicely.  Sea salt/mineral salts/epsom salts are optional.  Immerse feet, sit back  and relax.  Nice.

Lemon Balm Syrup.  Make a standard infusion (see above or the posting on infusions).  Strain and put into a pot on the stove.  Reduce volume slowly by half.  No boiling or simmering here, just let it steam and evaporate.  You’ll have between 2 and 1 1/2 cups of liquid left.  Add between 3/4 and 1 cup of honey to hot infusion.  Stir well and put into a glass jar or bottle.  Keep this in the fridge.  It’ll last about 3 months, if it’s not all used up first!  This syrup is great to take as is by the spoonful for stress or use in tea  to sweeten (especially nice in black tea or added to a glass of oatstraw infusion) or to add to mineral or seltzer water.

Lemon Balm Jelly.  Seriously.  I made a batch of this last year.  It was great on scones.  The basic recipe is lots of fresh lemon balm (I mean lots of it, about 4 - 6 ounces).  Put it all in a pot with 4 cups of water to make a strong infusion.  Then follow the recipe on Pomona’s Pectin for jelly (not jam).  Sweeten as you wish.  Last year I used sucanat.  This year I’ll probably use organic sugar so the lemon balm flavor is stronger.  Sucanat has a rather strong flavor.