Have insomnia? Chances are you have probably tried a lot of different things to get a good night’s sleep, but for me personally, I have tried to take the natural route whenever possible rather than going the prescription drug route.

Personal preference, but I have battled insomnia since childhood and I have had more long term success with no side effects with natural insomnia treatments than with the doctor’s prescriptions.

Herbs For Insomnia
Herbal remedies have long been popular and there are several that are commonly used and widely available:

Valerian has long been used as a natural sleep aid to cure insomnia. It is widely available over the counter and packaged by many major reputabel companies. You can choose to take it in capsule form, or as a tea. As a tea, it is often mixed with other herbs, such as peppermint, as the taste can take a bit to get used to.

Exactly how valerian works in the system is a mystery to doctors but they know it works. Although there are not a lot of studies on how Valerian works, most literature seems to indicate that it works like other sleep aides in that it affects the calming neurotransmitter, GABA.

Valerian is not addictive like some pharmaceuticals nor does it cause grogginess. As is the case with many herbs, it is not without potential side affects; dizziness, headaches, indigestion and heart palpitations can all occur while taking valerian. You should not take Valerian with any other medications, particularly sedatives that depress the middle nervous structure.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the human body. The pineal gland makes serotonin in the brain and then it is transformed into Melatonin when it is restricted from light. Many people who travel extensively use Melatonin to combat ‘jet lag’ when traveling through several time zones. Studies are also showing that this may be a powerful anti-oxidant and a possible aide in preventing cancer. There seems to be little research on any side effects of long term use.

People with schizophrenia, depression or any serious illness, such as an autoimmune disease should not take melatonin.

An anti-anxiety herb, Kava could be helpful for anxiety related insomnia. However, it should be noted that the FDA has issued a warning to consumers who use any type of products with Kava as a main ingredient because it can cause severe liver damage. There have been cases of severe liver damage in other countries but not here in the US.

 (Important note: Never take any herbal remedy without consulting your physician or pharmacist first, especially if you have any health issues, allergies or taking any medications, either over the counter or prescription. This article is for informational purposes only, and is not intended as a recommendation for any product mentioned)