Everyday stress, car alarms, too much caffeine, even the blaring neon signs being reflected on your windows are some of the many elements that can conspire to distract you from achieving a good night’s snooze. So if you’re not yet ready to be enslaved by prescription solutions, subjecting yourself to natural sleep aids seem like a promising neutral territory. But how do you which ones indeed work? Below is a list of a few proven natural sleep aids for you to try and discover.
Let’s take up a few clarifications before proceeding. Please know that natural sleep treatments are not subjected to the same restrictions accorded to prescription medications/sedatives (e.g. zolpidem), because the FDA does not regulate sleep supplements the way they do with medications. Companies that manufacture these sleep aids are not required to prove that their product really works. The lack of data surrounding the efficacy of these treatments does not necessarily mean that they don’t work, only that they don’t get studied or researched enough.
As opposed to medications, there will be high benefits for the manufacturing companies if they have proven that their stuff works. That is not the case for many natural sleep aid cures, and the reason why there is only so very little scientific research surrounding it. Mostly, because big money is needed in order to fund these kinds of research, and natural sleep aid treatments lack on that area.
That said, if you’re already trying prescription medications and is open to making a room for other sleep treatment options that won’t make you blackout for the entire day, then natural sleep supplements is maybe worth a shot. Apart from them not having a long list of unwanted side effects, these supplements are also non-habit forming and do not require a doctor’s permission to acquire.
When taking natural sleep aids, it will be beneficial to consult a neuropathic doctor first for you to know when to take it and how much of it to consume. Here’s a list of all-natural options to check out:
- Melatonin
First up, melatonin is a natural hormone being produced in the body to help regulate its body clock—the one that controls the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin comes in both prescription and over-the counter varieties. Though use of such induces mild drowsiness, its greater benefit lies in helping a person regulate his or her circadian rhythm. So if you have jet lag, or works at shift or just a plain night owl, melatonin can help you fall asleep at normal times of the night.
- L-tryptophan.
This is an amino acid that’s not organically produced in the body. Once absorbed in the system though, it gets converted into serotonin, which is the precursor of melatonin. It helps you feel drowsy and sleepy. Just be careful though as L-tryptophan may trigger an allergic response like a rash, to some people.
- Valerian root.
This is an herb which is proven to make you fall asleep faster and also give you quality sleep. It’s often being used as a component of many sleep aid medications.
- Magnesium
Magnesium has been proven to contain some “relaxing properties.” However, a lot of people lack magnesium in their systems due to poor nutrition plus the fact that magnesium gets used up in the body once sugar is metabolized.
- Hops
Hops is a kind of plant that is pretty much a component of beer. It’s been studied real well for its sedative effects and was being used to treat sleep dilemmas since long ago.
- Chamomile
This is a gentle sleep inducer. Used as either tincture or tea, chamomile can help put you in the mood to sleep, but will likely fail to do so if you happen to be a chronic insomniac. It’s mild, but is certainly helpful still.
