1. Melatonin
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Melatonin regulates your biological clock. http://www.flickr.com/photos/26354629@N02/ |
Melatonin is the timekeeper of the body. It's a hormone that regulates your biological clock. As you get older you make less melatonin, which experts believe is probably why older folks have more trouble sleeping. Research is showing that taking a melatonin supplement can help you sleep. Ask your doctor about taking 1 to 3 mg of melatonin 11/2 to 2 hours before bedtime.
Does melatonin require a doctor's prescription? According to FamilyDoctor.org, which is a web site operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organization representing more than 93,700 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. Their answer to the question above is..
No. Melatonin is sold without a prescription in health food stores and drug stores in the United States. However, melatonin products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since melatonin products are not regulated by a government agency, their purity, safety and effectiveness can't be guaranteed.
So it can be considered under supplements wherein their bottles would say “No approved therapeutic claim.” Most supplements really do help, they just put that label to protect themselves from being sued..
2. 5-HTP
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| 5-HTP supplements help your body make serotonin. http://www.flickr.com/photos/17642817@N00/ |
Some experts believe a tryptophan deficiency can cause problems with sleep. Made from tryptophan, 5-HTP helps the body make serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are a known factor in sleepless nights. Taking a 5-HTP supplement may be a benefit if your body has low levels of tryptophan. How do you know if you're low? Low levels of tryptophan are most common in people who are depressed. If your insomnia is associated with depression, it might be a good question to ask your doctor. In one study, 100 mg of the supplement was enough to make sleep longer and better.
Where can I find 5-HTP??
5-HTP is sold over-the-counter in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada as a dietary supplement for use as an antidepressant, appetite suppressant and sleep aid, and is also marketed in many European countries for the indication of major depression under trade names like Cincofarm, Levothym, Levotonine, Oxyfan, Telesol, Tript-OH, and Triptum.
If you’re also suffering from depression, 5-HTP may be the best sleep aid for you. Check with your doctor.
3. Valerian
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| Valerian is commonly used for insomnia, anxiety, and hyperactivity. http://www.flickr.com/photos/58789412@N00/ |
Valerian is a staple medicinal herb used throughout Europe. And, unlike benzodiazepines, using valerian to treat insomnia increases the amount of time spent in deep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Valerian contains chemicals with strong muscle-relaxant and sedative properties called valepotriates. All parts of the plant contain these chemicals, but they are most concentrated in the roots. Ironically, even valerian preparations without valepotriates have helped some people to fall asleep, raising the possibility that some still unidentified chemical, or a reaction amongst various compounds in the root, may produce a calming effect.
Native to Europe and parts of Asia, valerian has been introduced into North America.
Other names used for this plant include garden valerian (to distinguish it from otherValeriana species), garden heliotrope (although not related to Heliotropium) and all-heal. The garden flower red valerian is also sometimes referred to as "valerian", but is a different species from the same family and not very closely related.
Oral forms are available in both standardized and unstandardized forms. Standardized products may be preferable considering the wide variation of the chemicals in the dried root, as noted above. When standardized, it is done so as a percentage of valerenic acid or valeric acid.
I’ve also heard about Valerian Tea. Some claim that it has a better effect than some insomnia drugs. It can be found in your local grocery or health food store.
4. Try a Little Sugar
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| Honey can act as a sedative. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29918523@N07/ |
You should finish eating two or three hours before bedtime. However, that comforting nighttime snack of milk and cookies may be just what the doctor ordered to get you back in bed. Sugary foods eaten about 30 minutes before bedtime can actually act as a sedative, and you can wake up without the morning fuzziness that accompanies synthetic sleeping pills.
Honey has the same sedative effect as sugar and may get you to bed more quickly. Try adding 1 tablespoon honey to some decaffeinated herbal tea or even to your warm milk for a relaxing pre-sleep drink.
Honey could be the easiest and most accessible of the 4. Will try it tonight.
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