Melatonin
If you are looking for ways to fall asleep, you need to look no further than melatonin. It is the only hormone currently available in the United States without a prescription. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate your sleep and waking habits. Your body produces melatonin naturally in your pineal gland starting in the evening. When you have melatonin in your blood, you feel less alert and are more likely to fall asleep fast. Naturally, melatonin levels stay elevated for around 12 hours.
Studies indicate that taking melatonin does help most people sleep, helping them to avoid dealing with the side effects of insomnia. It appears that it shortens how long it takes you to fall asleep and will reduce the number of times that you wake up during the night. It can also help you reset your body clock when you are traveling and as such is an effective treatment for jet lag. Melatonin has been shown to be an effective treatment for both people with insomnia and those with normal sleep patterns; however, it is far more effective on people with low melatonin levels.
Because natural melatonin levels drop as we age, it is speculated that melatonin supplementation may become more effective as we get older. This means it is a great alternative to medication for seniors who have trouble falling asleep.
You should start with 1.5 mg a day and increase up to 5 mg a day.
Valerian
Valerian is a sedative herb that has been used for centuries to treat nervous tension. Its recorded use as an insomnia treatment dates back to the 2nd century. It is considered a gentle sleep remedy and is very popular with people looking for easy ways to fall asleep. It has been shown to help you fall asleep fast and improve the quality of your sleep. Additionally, because it is a muscle relaxant it can prevent both muscle and uterine cramping during the night.
One of the key benefits of valerian is that it does not interfere with REM sleep the way that most sleeping pills do. Because REM sleep is important to your health, many experts believe that taking Valerian is much better for you that taking a prescription sleeping pill when you need help falling asleep. Another key benefit is that Valerian is especially effective in treating middle insomnia, because it does not leave you feeling hung over.
Valerian is typically administered as a tincture of ½ to 1 teaspoonfuls or as an infusion with two teaspoons of the dried herb in a cup of tea. Taking this high of a dose is very beneficial if you are very excited and will help induce sleep.
5- HTP
Still looking for ways to fall asleep? You might want to find 5-HTP. 5-HTP (or Oxitriptan) is an amino acid that is a precursor to serotonin. It is not found in food in any quantities that are significant. It has been shown to help with depression, anxiety and insomnia. It is said to increase REM sleep by up to 25% and shortens the time it takes to get into REM sleep. Some people believe that 5-HTP is one of the best sleep supplements available. It has become popular for people searching for how to fall asleep.
You should take between 100mg and 300mg 40 minutes before bed.
Magnesium
Magnesium can reduce nervousness that prevents sleep. Taken with calcium 45 minutes prior to bed, it can help induce sleep which is great for people looking for natural ways to fall asleep. You should take in a two to one ratio with two parts calcium to one parts magnesium. There are many supplements that you can by that provide this ideal ratio.
Calcium
Calcium has a sedative effect on the body. Calcium deficiency may interfere with your sleep because it causes restlessness. Try taking 600 mg of liquid calcium.
Ashwagnda
Ashwagnda is an Ayurvedic herb that helps the body deal with stress. Because it battles both stress and anxiety as well as offers numerous other health benefits, if you sleep issues are because of stress, you may consider supplementing with ashwangnda.
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Good article, Each and every point is good enough.Thanks for sharing with us your wisdom.
Hello,
My name is Melissa, and i just turned 12 on July, 25, I also have insomnia … and I HATE it!!
At night I toss and turn just to try and get comfy in my bed… but it’s really hard because my family is kind-of poor, and i’ve had this matress that I am trying to sleep on now,( I have a ds, and I have nothing else to do..I got bored..LOL! XD) ever since I was 2 years old! That’s……..10 YEARS!!
Anyway….my doctor suggested that I should take Melatonin….and the one that I take, the color of the bottle is purple, and the dose is like, 3mg. And I have to take 4 or 5 of them! Just to fall asleep! Next thing you know, i’ll be a druggie!(JK)LOL…XD!
Oh…. and just to let you know, I also have ADHD, and OCD. And I do take medicine for those too.
Well…bye-bye
PS:
Thanx 4 the ideas to fall asleep. Some of them I have never even heard of/about. But…I will definitly try the ones that interst me the most.
Good-Bye Now!! (:
Thanks for stopping by Melissa! I had insomnia when I was your age too – I can remember feeling stressed because I knew I was going to have to get up and go to school anyway. You are smart to start to look for natural cures now! You might try getting an inexpensive topper for your mattress. They can go a long way to help your sleep. An egg crate mattress pad is inexpensive and a great way to go!