Do You Take Anything To Help You Sleep?
If we don’t get our Z’s in these parts we turn into pretty unhappy girls. Neither of us struggle too badly, luckily. A little chamomile tea and Siobhan is out like a light. As for me, I very occasionally take some magnesium if I’m having trouble cooling my jets. It seems to work. How bout you—any natural (or other) sleep supplements?
Today Well+Good takes us through five natural remedies that are proven to work, with expert input from the likes of Dr. Lipman and Dr. Weil. Enjoy!
Ambien and other prescription sleep aids have become a stressed-out New Yorker’s best friend (and a $14 billion business). But they’re not necessarily the solution for green-juice-drinking healthy types who prefer a drug-free route to seven solid hours of shut eye.
Because it’s also exhausting trying to find an herbal remedy that actually works, we got recommendations from Jim Nicolai, MD, Medical Director of the Andrew Weil, MD, Integrative Wellness Program at Miraval in Tucson, and functional medicine expert, Dr. Frank Lipman, MD.
Here are the effective, herbal sleep supplements they say will gently help you doze off and get your beauty sleep without a drug-addled hangover.
1.Melatonin
If you’re someone who has trouble falling asleep (rather than waking in the middle of the night), melatonin is the best option. This is a big one for anyone who lives in a city, travels a lot, or has an abnormal sleep-wake cycle (AKA parents of young children).
“Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that’s released in cycles throughout the day. It keeps us alert during the day and at rest during the night, and it is what our body needs to in order to sleep,” Dr. Lipman explains.
How it works: “Many people don’t have high enough levels of melatonin at night, so adding the supplement can help you fall asleep,” explains Dr. Lipman.
2. Holy Basil
If you’re under a lot of stress (or going through something emotional) and consistently wake up in the middle of the night, holy basil’s for you. It’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, and “creates a sense of calm by lowering anxiety and depression.”
How it works: Stress disrupts cortisol’s regular rhythm, Dr. Nicolai explains. “Often cortisol spikes between 6 and 8 a.m. to wake us up, but stress causes this spike to go backwards, waking us at 3 or 4 a.m. and holy basil can moderate this cortisol response.”
3. Valerian Root
If your racing mind causes you to wake up in the middle of the night so often that you’re considering medication for help staying asleep, Valerian root is your friend.
It helps calm the nervous system, says Dr. Nicolai. “It can be very helpful in creating a low level of calm without causing a major hangover or histamine coma or fog.”
How it works: ”It’s a mild sedative that lowers the anxiety response and promotes relaxation and sleep,” explains Dr. Nicolai.
4. 5-Hydroxytryptophane (5-HTP)
If you struggle with the winter blues and depression, mood-boosting 5-HTP might help add some extra hours of Zzzs. A more modern supplement, for decades Europeans have used 5-HTP to treat sleep and depression.
How it works: This amino acid is the building block of melatonin and it converts to serotonin, the “feel good” hormone, says Dr. Lipman. “Because 5-HTP is the precursor of serotonin and necessary for melatonin formation, it’s very beneficial for mood and sleep.”
See the last recommendation here.
I typically use some sort of aromatherapy (does that count as a supplement?). Lately I’ve been loving my DIY muscle/detox oil on hands and feet after I get into bed (several of the EOs in the mix are good for sleep!). I use some others too, notably Essence of Vali Sleep. There’s also Hope Gillerman’s Sleep Remedy, and other DIY experiments. Really, any of them are helpful. I just go through cycles of using a particular one. The ritual itself is a good cue for winding down for a good sleep. As always, I believe caring for my body from the inside out is the best policy. Generally eating well throughout the day leads to a better night’s sleep for me. Also, I try to eat my biggest meal of the day relatively early because a lot of food still in my stomach at bedtime usually means it’s hard to fall asleep, and/or poor quality sleep.
A little lavender on my pillow or melatonin usually does the trick! This might be TMI, but orgasms really are the best sleep aid.
I’m a huge fan of aromatherapy at bedtime. Roman chamomile essential oil is a good standby, but my favorite is Sleep Rescue by a company called Wellinhand – I put the oil on my temples, forehead, and wrists and take a few deep breaths and I swear it calms me down instantly. I usually get it here: http://www.wellinhand.com/products/sleep-rescue
i take Melatonin nightly. My sleep has always been a huge issue, and very messed up. I even went through one of those overnight sleep studies! Melatonin helped so quickly, plus it helps keep migraines at bay! I constantly recommend it to friends who have serious trouble sleeping.
Valerian root is something I’ve been curious about trying. Especially since it helps ease the mind.
I’ve been using both Melatonin and 5-HTP. 5-HTP in particular is super helpful in terms of calming your mind & helping with stress levels – highly rated as a way of helping to cope with what life throw’s at you!
Sleep is a big issue for me. I feel like the Princess and the pea…if the smallest thing is off, I absolutely cannot sleep. I have had to give up caffeine all together. Ugh. So like Alexandra, I love magnesium. It also really helps with headaches. It is frequently referred to as nature’s valium. I use a sleep masque to block out all light and I use melatonin if I have something big or stressful planned the next day. But what I really wanted to share is that guided meditation apps on iTunes has really helped me to go to sleep. I put on my headphones and listen to the guided meditation and it really relaxes my mind and prepares me for sleep.
One question: why does valerian root smell SO BAD? Seriously, I had to put my plastic bottle of supplements inside a ziplock bag, and still the stench started wafting out. It helps for sure, but it smells a little like poo.
I have chronic insomnia and have suffered from sleep disorders since childhood. I normally put on some type of essential oil, like lemon or lavendar. I have used Valerian and it is hit and miss for me; same with Melatonin. I may try the holy basil. Chamomile doesn’t work at all and those with allergies may want to use caution. I believe it is a form of ragweed or something like that.
I love using lavender and also Essence of Vali Sleep. Maybe because they both smell so good. I also use an old yoga trick. Lie on your back and stick your legs up the wall. It calms down the mind and body. Always works for me.
I had read that Valerian root wasn’t good for high blood pressure. I have a friend who has this problem so you might want to check it out if an issue.
My problem isn’t sleeping. It’s waking up. Any Ideas?
@Beth Have you heard of the sleep cycle app? It monitors your sleep and then wakes you when it’s lightest (within the time range you choose). It’s pretty incredible—I’m planning a post about it!
Recently I’ve been doing three things consistently:
1) Drink warm almond milk with ginger and cardamom (honey optional, for me at least) – I read about this in Yoga journal. Apparently this helps to minimize chances of waking up after 2am by correcting Kapha imbalance. The drink tastes wonderful and boosts circulation/digestion.
2) Stretch – About 1hr ~ 30mins before sleeping I turn the lights off, light a candle, lie on my bed and start doing many different stretches, mostly for my legs and hips. As a grad student I tend to sit most of the day in classes, reading, doing research, looking at the computer, and I never realized just how much tension was building up, especially in my hips. I feel much more relaxed and warm after stretching for about 15 minutes.
3) Establish a regular sleep schedule – this has been difficult with a schedule and workload that seems to demand late nights. Also, one of my classes was from 7 -10pm! Now that the semester is over I’m striving to sleep at 10~11pm and wake up at 6pm. My cat, who likes to be fed at 6pm, is my alarm clock, and I exercise right after getting up to keep myself from slipping back to bed. Thankfully I don’t think I’ll ever have to take a late night seminar again.
I think I’d like to try and incorporate aromatherapy eventually. Reading the other comments has given me some wonderful leads – Thank you!
I love Valerian Root for both insomnia and anxiety. I take it in tincture form as I find it is the fastest and most effective form. I also love to have a cup or two of Chamomile and Lavender Tea before bed. Another great thing is Melatonin. 1-3mgs usually puts me to sleep.
@ Alexandra-Looking forward to the post. Sounds like something I need.
I drink Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea or Chamomile Tea.
Magnesium
Valerian Root
5-HTP
Stretching and deep breathing.
@Comagirl-Lavender is a great essential oil to use for nighttime and to induce calm, but lemon may be something you would want to use in the day as it has the ability to refresh your senses, be invigorating and pep you up. Rose, chamomile, ginger, peppermint, cinnamon, cardamom, sandalwood, all are great scents to soothe your senses and help slow you down to a restful rhythm.
A warm bath and mint tea help me as well as spritzing myself with “sleep water” that I make with hydrosols and essential oils. I even spritz my sheets and besides making my room smell like a beautiful summer garden it evokes incredible dreams.
I tried the Pukka night tea, and it was tremendous! Really recommend it. It has lavender, oat flowers, lime flowers, and some other things (so it’s also really delicious).
I have been having trouble sleeping for years and I just started getting a grip on it. I like drinking herbal tea with valerian root, nettle and chamomile before going to bed. If I am really stressed out and feel like sleep will be elusive, I put two or three drop or Orange essential oil on my pillow, the smell is divine and it relax me instantly. I also regularly take tincture of skullcap to stop my incessant mental spinnning. It helps a lot.
Please be careful when taking 5-HTP; I tried it, and it made me violently ill. I tried cutting the dose in half and still ended up with horrible headaches. Obviously, it works for some, but it’s probably a good idea to start with a very low dosage at first.