Natural Sleep AidsNatural Sleep Aids

Many people suffer from sleep disorders—oftentimes they are not able to get a full night’s rest for weeks or even months. One of the most common types of sleep disorders is insomnia. Restlessness, anxiety as well as tossing and turning are among the most common symptoms associated with this sleep disorder. Not only do those that cannot fall asleep have a rough night, they have to struggle with functioning properly during the day. Natural sleep aids pose a beneficial solution because they not only combat the symptoms that keep people awake throughout the night, they do so in a way that is natural.

One of the reasons why natural sleep aids are highly beneficial is because they use herbal remedies to treat sleep disorders. For example, valerian and kava are herbs that have been transformed into natural sleep aids. You can find these in capsule, tea, liquid extract, beverage and tablet form. When taken before going to bed, these natural sleep aids have the ability to calm feelings of anxiety and calm the entire body. This makes it much easier to not only fall asleep but stay asleep, ensuring you have a full night’s rest. Kava in particular actually possesses sedative effects and is even used as an anti-anxiety solution.

Natural sleep aids are typically much safer for use than pharmaceutically created products. Although they do carry some side effects, they are usually not as serious as those associated with synthetic products. Many people trust natural sleep aids because they do not contain harmful chemicals or other ingredients that often appear in long and hard to pronounce names on the product label.

While searching through the various types of natural sleep aids, chances are you’ll come across melatonin a lot. The reason for this is because the use of melatonin is one of the most popular natural sleep aids, especially in treating insomnia. So what is melatonin and why is it so effective?

Melatonin is actually a hormone that our bodies naturally produce. It has the amazing ability to influence and control the body’s wake and sleep cycle. Melatonin starts out as serotonin in the brain, which is created in the pineal gland. When the presence of light decreases that very same serotonin gets turned into melatonin.

Taken in supplement form about 30 minutes before bedtime, melatonin is able to promote a deep sleep and is also helpful for those who wake easily in the middle of the night from tossing and turning. Melatonin has even been used by those suffering from jetlag.

You can find melatonin through online stores or at a local supplement shop. Despite its history of use, natural sleeping aids like melatonin should still be used with caution and/or under the supervision of a doctor. Medical experts do not recommend using melatonin as a natural sleep aid if you suffer from serious illnesses, have a compromised immune system or have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or depression. If you fall under any of these categories, you’ll want to talk to your doctor extensively to find the right natural sleep aids for your needs.

For some, taking antidepressants is a must in order for them to lead a normal life. Depression is a serious condition to struggle with but what if a person is depressed and also struggling with getting enough sleep at night? If you are suffering from depression and currently taking antidepressants, you may want to be more cautious about mixing this type of medication with natural sleep aids.

It seems obvious that if you are having a lot of trouble with falling asleep, that you would turn to natural sleep aids—after all they carry little to no side effects and no risk of dependency. This should make it safe to use, right? Before turning to such treatments, it is important to consult with your doctor. Mixing natural sleep aids and antidepressants may be a bad combination that could do more harm than good. Some studies have shown that interactions between the two resulted in delirium, confusion, fluctuations in blood pressure, agitation and in some extreme cases, death. However, this is mainly true if the natural sleep aids in question are synthetic sleep aids or natural methods such as the use of melatonin. There are other forms of natural sleep aids that do not pose the same threat of drug-interaction, such as the use of herbs, meditation or food items to induce drowsiness.

If you are taking antidepressants and have trouble falling asleep, consult your doctor first. This will allow him/her to find the right sleep aid for your needs that will not negatively interact with your antidepressants.

It is important to understand that not all natural sleep aids are completely safe and without risk, however, the majority of them are. When you hear that natural sleep aids can be dangerous, it is vital that you explore such claims and get the details. Such reports are often only addressing particular sleep aids and not all the products as a whole. Not getting all the facts and details can be very misleading and cause you to avoid using natural sleep aids altogether.

In general, when reports state that natural sleep aids carry certain health risks, they are almost always referring to synthetic, over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids. Not many take the time to distinguish the difference between synthetic and natural sleep aids and tend to see them as one in the same. Prescription sleep aids in particular are the ones that cause the most concern, with some studies showing that these products can trigger allergic reactions and even dangerous behavior.

Where natural sleep aids are concerned, only certain ones have side effects or may pose as a health problem. The main ones to be wary of include the herb kava kava and valerian. Kava kava is ideal for treating sleep disorders by calming the body, promoting sleep and getting rid of anxiety but it is not recommended for long term use because it can cause liver damage. It is important to note whether any dietary supplements you are taking contain kava kava. Valerian won’t cause any harm or damage to your body’s organs but it does carry some side effects, including dizziness, mild indigestion, palpitations and headache when used in high doses so stick to low doses instead.