The poppy, for children’s sleep
My last walks through the surrounding countryside blew me away the content of my column for this Sunday: the poppy. What a flower so delicate and yet resistant! It is, in fact, not welcome in the cereal fields that it colonizes as a messicole (messi = harvest, colo = I live) with blueberries or matricaria. Despite a clear decline in its establishment in the landscape, it is still present and settles in wasteland, slopes and edges of fields mainly. For our great happiness because the poppy beyond the beautiful watercolors, is a medicinal product recognized for a long time, already in ancient Egypt.
Papaver rhoeas, of its Latin name, belongs to the Papaveraceae (poppy) family, which gives it its sedative and calming properties.
These are the petals that we mainly use, the center of the flower (capsule) can also be prepared in herbal tea for equivalent uses. The petals are relatively difficult to dry, it is necessary to spread them well on a canvas or a cloth and to leave them protected from the light in a ventilated place. Using a dehydrator at low temperature can create good drying conditions. The dried petals turn dark red to purple and curl up on themselves. The herbal tea takes on a red color like the flower.
Two main uses for this plant. As a sedative to fight against insomnia and sleep problems. It helps to manage anxiety, anxiety, nervousness, emotionality and associated heart palpitations. To be mixed in infusion with other calming plants such as marjoram, lemon balm, lavender, lime blossom. Very interesting for anxious and restless children.
The poppy is part of the pectoral species which gives it calming and softening virtues for the ENT and pulmonary sphere: cough, in particular dry and irritating, with spasms; hoarseness, tonsillitis. Do not hesitate to prepare infusions of poppy alone for these ailments, or mixed with other pectoral flowers (mallow, coltsfoot, violet, white broth ..) and antiseptics such as thyme if necessary.
Poppy syrup recipe:
Infuse a large handful of fresh petals in 1 liter of water and leave on overnight. Filter, weigh the liquid and add the same amount of sugar. Boil and bottle when the consistency becomes syrupy.
Suitable for children, this syrup will relieve their sleep disorders and coughs, especially nocturnal coughs in the event of colds, bronchitis, asthma. 1 to 3 teaspoons per day from 3 years old.
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