Trying to enjoy restful, rejuvenating sleep can be difficult for those who suffer from insomnia or are heavily stressed in their daily lives. While there are many products on the market designed to help you fall asleep, herbal sleep aids are quickly becoming the preferred method for many people.
Herbal sleep aids are made of all natural ingredients that allow you wake up feeling fully rested and ready to face the day. If you’ve never tried an herbal sleep aid like chamomile, 5 HTP or melatonin before it’s generally recommended that you consider doing so before taking any prescription sleep drugs that can be dangerous and/or habit-forming.
Below is a breakdown of the benefits and negatives of three of the most popular herbal sleep aid ingredients: chamomile, 5 HTP, and melatonin.
Chamomile
One of the most relied upon herbal sleep aids for centuries has been chamomile. Typically sipped as a tea, chamomile can provide just what is necessary to allow you to dose off more easily at night. Unlike many other types of herbal sleep aids, chamomile only has to be administered on an as-needed basis, meaning that you do not need to take it every single night if you don’t want or need to.
Chamomile is most effective in cases of mild insomnia – more severe or chronic cases of insomnia may not respond as favorably. However chamomile can be especially effective when used in combination with other bedtime relaxation techniques or aids like 5 HTP. Chamomile is best used as a before bed-time tea, and not as an actual cure for insomnia.
5 HTP
A safe, herbal sleep aid that can be taken regularly to improve your REM sleep is 5-HTP. 5 HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) is converted to serotonin by the body and so is used world-wide to help reduce stress levels and improve quality of sleep. Studies have shown that 5-HTP is effective against depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Herbal sleep aids that contain 5-HTP are usually taken at night to help you stay asleep. One of the huge benefits of taking herbal sleep aids with 5-HTP is that they will not cause severe grogginess, unlike prescription sleep aids.
Melatonin
Another very popular herbal sleep aid is melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally secreted by the body’s pineal gland; it is largely responsible for regulating the very important circadian rhythm that helps our bodies’ internal clocks work properly. Herbal sleep aids that contain melatonin are becoming more popular than ever before as people discover the benefits of increasing their bodies’ levels of the hormone.
The body’s levels of melatonin gradually decrease with age, so taking an herbal sleep aid containing melatonin especially makes sense for older people who find themselves struggling with sleeplessness more and more.
Melatonin is safe to use, with little to no side effects. In fact, some of the best herbal sleep aids contain melatonin; anyone who can’t fall asleep easily should consider melatonin herbal sleep aids. To see which sleep aid ranked # 1, check out the sleep aid reviews.
