Kava Root has been used in the Polynesian region of the South Pacific for thousands of years. It’s used for sleep, general pain management, and achieving a state of relaxation with mental clarity.
It’s an innocent enough looking plant, but it has some interesting properties. The roots of the plant (just like it’s the roots of the Valerian plant) have sedative and analgesic effects, but still allows you to be mentally alert (it reportedly doesn’t “dull” your senses).
Traditionally, the root of the Kava plant is ground up (either by chewing it, using a mortar and pestle, or smashing it against hardened coral), strained, and then added to cold water – to be consumed immediately.
In modern times, the roots are mechanically ground into a fine powder and then soaked in water for a half hour or so – and then strained into a drink.
Pills are made from extracting kavalactones (the active ingredient in Kava root) chemically to produce a standardized pill of between 60-150mg.
Kava root has an effectiveness of 2-3 hours (although some people report effects for couple of days), and is most like alcohol or benzodiazepine use.
As with most sleep supplements, you might find Kava root works for you, or you might not. The best case in all these instances is to give it a try.
The reported “relaxation” you feel after taking Kava root could be enough to put you over the edge into dreamland!
