“I sleep like a baby,” the old joke goes. “I sleep for an hour, wake up crying, then fall back asleep, then wake up crying, then…”
There’s no question about it: one key component of waking up on time and feeling rested is having a good night’s sleep. At this point, I am not going to get into questions concerning just how much sleep is supposed to be ideal. Is it eight hours? Is it more or less? Is it some multiple of “sleep cycles”? And so on.
All of those are great questions. But they are downstream of a problem that I have personally faced many times. You can’t get past it. Regardless of how much sleep you think you ought to have, you won’t get any unless you can actually fall asleep in the first place.
Let’s not kid ourselves. There are a lot of relevant factors. How healthy are you in general? (Are you struggling with some ailment or pain that keeps you awake?) How tired are you? (Are you not tired? Over-tired?) What’s your schedule like? (Are you working nights and trying to fall asleep in the middle of the day, with birds chirping, cars honking, and sunlight streaming in through the double curtains you bought to try to keep it out?) How’s your stress management? (Are you worried about a deadline or job? A sick relative? Your children’s behavior or slipping grades?) And on and on.
For a comprehensive solution to my (or your) problems falling asleep, all relevant factors will need to be considered and addressed. But I cannot hope to tackle everything in a single post.
One natural starting point – at least, for me – was to try various “sleep aids.”
You can’t sleep? Pop a pill.
I am personally leery of the heavy-duty, “Big-Pharma” stuff like Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata, etc. I cannot speak from experience, since I have never tried any of these prescription concoctions. I get the impression that some people are looking to be “put out” in a way analogous to how the anesthesiologist might prepare a patient for open-heart surgery.
I see the appeal. Believe me. But it occurs to me that when a patient is “put under,” he or she is carefully monitored by the anesthesia team. The danger in heavily sedating or tranquilizing[1] oneself is plainly that no one is on staff to ensure that you’re not having an allergic reaction or experiencing abnormal heart rhythms.
That’s enough to scare me off, frankly. Add some sensational news like how the death of film star Heath Ledger partly implicated Ambien[2] and I wouldn’t touch those drugs with a ten-foot pole.
The most that I have tried is Vicks’s “ZzzQuil,” a spinoff of their popular “NyQuil” cold formula. I have not been too impressed with the stuff.
What interests me more is the possibility of finding some “natural” supplement that might, if not sedate you, at least make falling asleep a little less difficult. Maybe there are gentler supplements that might take the edge off, so to speak.
So what natural alternatives are there to drugs like Ambien?
Here is my list:
The Top Twelve (12) Natural, Sleep-Aid Supplements (Plus One More)
1. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)
With a handle like “5-Hydroxytryptophan,” it’s not too difficult to see why “5-HTP” caught on as a nickname. This thing is an amino acid and a biochemical precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin (and, according to a few websites, a precursor to melatonin – on which, see below – as well). That clears things up, doesn’t it? Of all of the substances on this list, I have had the least experience with 5-HTP. Part of the reason is that I have been hesitant to use the stuff until I have a better grip (that is, any idea at all) about the substance’s “action.” Perhaps I will try it a bit more often and report on my results in a later post. But it will probably only be when I have time to carry out a mini-research project as well. Stay tuned, I suppose!
2. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) (Also available as Ashwagandha tea.)
Although I am hard-pressed to pronounce this particular herb, I use it. It comes to us from India and is a fixture of so-called “Ayurvedic” medicine, which I cannot pronounce either. I first encountered Ashwagandha in my readings on “adaptgenic” plants – they supposedly help the body maintain crucial balances – and “immune-stimulating” herbs. But it’s also got a reputation for having calming properties, which makes sense given that the Latin word somnifera refers to something that can “induce sleep.” I consider ashwagandha to be a “secondary” to some “heavier-duty” compound.[3] I might take it with catnip, for instance, or skullcap.
3. Catnip (Nepeta cataria) (Also available as catnip tea.)
This is an herb. The deal with catnip, I take it, is that it can give cats a kind of “high” when the sniff or otherwise rub themselves all over the stuff. However, when it is ingested, whether with felines or humans, it has a sedative effect. Like another plant on this list, it’s in the “mint” family. It’s also a staple in my natural, sleep-aid cabinet. I would consider it of “primary” usefulness. Others may disagree!
4. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla / Matricaria recutita[4]) (Of course, chamomile is famously available as a tea.)
Chamomile has long been used in tea preparations (technically, hot infusions) and it is alleged to have a wide assortment of benefits. Myriad websites with varying degrees of reliability (like this one!?) claim everything from anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties to cancer-fighting and, what we are most interested in, mildly sedating properties.[5] Given its folk history, though, it probably deserves to be ranked as a “primary,” sleep-inducing herbal. I give it points since it seems to have been around a while. I have seldom taken it by itself.
5. GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
If I understand correctly, GABA is a neurotransmitter that functions chiefly to inhibit states of “excitement.” It’s made-to-order as an aid to quieting the mind before bedtime. I have personally had great success with GABA. I would also consider this “primary.”
6. Hops (Humulus lupulus) (Also a tea.)
The hops plant is widely used as an ingredient in beer.[6] It’s also prized for its supposed anti-anxiety properties. And, again, it’s on my list. All of this points to one thing: hops can help you sleep. I’m not a big drinker any more. (I have a little problem saying “when.”) And I was never a fan of beer. (Sorry to all of you beer aficionados.) So keep your malted barley and yeast, but give me hops and water for sure – at bedtime, anyway. (Well, not too much water.)
I think of this as going a couple of ways. If I want to use it as a “secondary” sleep aid, I might take one capsule in conjunction with something else – melatonin, maybe. If I want to use it as “primary,” I might take two. (Always follow the product-use indications or consult with a naturopath or physician.)
7. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) (Also a tea.)
Also an herb, lemon balm has a pretty mild effect, in my opinion. Still, it’s another entrant on my list that has been prescribed for centuries (by traditional practitioners) both for anxiety and sleep issues. Do you see a common pattern developing?
“I’m stressed and I cannot sleep!” Are there two, separate problems, or just one? One quite tempting line of thinking begins with the obvious datum that sleep is a natural body function. If stress is inhibiting a natural body function, then removing (or dealing with) the stress may be enough to restore proper body functionality. Therefore, if stress is inhibiting your sleep, anything that helps you remove (or deal with) your stress may restore your body’s ability to sleep. It could be a counseling session, a vacation, or, well…a lemon balm capsule. In my ranking system, lemon balm is “secondary.”
8. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine)
This hormone is produced by the body naturally in certain conditions (e.g., when one is in a low-light environment). I have read that taking melatonin on a regular basis, especially without giving yourself “time off,” may prompt your body to stop its natural production. For most people, this is undesirable. For me, I try to take melatonin no more than twice a week.
It’s definitely on my list of “primaries,” however. But, once again, my habits should not, ipso facto, determine your own practices. The best thing would be to consult a qualified dietician, herbalist, naturopath, or conventional medical doctor before incorporating any supplements into your regimen.
Something I have noticed is that it tends to work better for me in smaller amounts. I have a bottle containing 5-mg capsules of the stuff. I usually take my 1-mg tablet, break it into fourths, and take 1/4 as a single dose.
9. Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnate) (Tea.)
This is another herb with a mild effect – on me. Once again, this shows up in the relevant literature as having anti-anxiety and nerve-calming (“nervine”) properties. Reportedly, it can help people get to sleep. I will add it on to some, “primary” agent, like valerian. For me, that makes it “secondary.”
10. Scullcap / Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) (Tea.)
Another mint (like catnip), skullcap has a reputation for being an herbal sedative. Although I have nothing like a scientific assessment of it, I consider this to be one of the “heavy hitters” on my list. Maybe the anything with the word “skull” embedded in it just sounds serious. (Perhaps I should be a bit leery of taking something like that before going to sleep. Hmm.) I use it as a “primary” and sometimes take it along with lemon balm.
11. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) (Tea.)
Next to chamomile and melatonin, it is possible that valerian (usually the root) is the third best-known sleep-inducing herbal around. (Or would that be catnip?!) I’ve had mixed results with valerian. Sometimes it seems to work well for me; other times, it doesn’t. I still rank it “primary” since it’s got soporific cachet, so to speak. I’d probably always pair it up with something else.
12. Velvet Bean (Mucuna pruriens)
Velvet bean – what name! – is another plant with a wide range of claimed properties. I’ll leave readers to plumb the depths of research on their own. For present purposes, suffice it to say that this particular bean is regarded as being a nerve tonic and, yes, a sleep-inducer. Frankly, I only have it in a blend (see below) and don’t have a lot of experience with this one, either. I give it “secondary” status just to rank it somewhere. (How’s that for objective?)
My own, untutored view is that taking any one supplement exclusively, will result in the user reaching a point of “diminishing returns.” In my own trials (and errors), it seems that relying too much on one thing causes my “tolerance” to increase. For example, GABA appeared to work so well the first couple of times that I tried it, I ending up taking it every night for weeks. After going on like this for a while, it seemed to lose its effectiveness. The body just “gets used to it,” perhaps.
To compensate for this effect, what I do now is vary my nightly supplement schedule. Exactly what I take – if I take anything at all – depends on lots of factors. (For example, how tired am I on the night in question? The more tired I am already, the less I feel the need to take a sleep aid. How busy is my next day supposed to be? The busier I predict that I will be, the more I prize quality rest, and the more likely I will be to take a sleep aid. Etc.)
A typical week might look something like the following:
· Sunday night: catnip and hops
· Monday night: melatonin and passion flower
· Tuesday night: skullcap and lemon balm
· Wednesday night: GABA and ashwagandha
· Thursday night: chamomile and hops
· Friday night: valerian and velvet bean
· Saturday night: nothing (but maybe this is the place to try my 5-HTP)
Now if I wake up in the middle of the night, or if I am still haven’t fallen asleep after hours of trying, I may go to my emergency back-up supplement:
13. Tryptophan (L-tryptophan)
Lucky number thirteen, right? An amino acid, tryptophan is widely known as the stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. (Well, that, and the fact that you may have eaten more than usual.) And, boy does it seem to work – on me, so far… knock on wood! Ha! Your own results are prone to vary. And, for the umpteenth time, don’t construe anything that I have written as dietary, health, medical, nutritional, or even sleep advice. I am merely reporting on my own adventures – er, well… struggles.
Besides trying these thirteen substances separately, there are also commercially available blends or combinations.
There’s a million of ’em. Here are four that I have tried, two in capsule form and two teas.
· Blend 1 (Capsule): Sleep (SP-17), from Solaray. (Ingredients: Valerian, Hops, Skullcap, Passion Flower, Dandelion, Chamomile, Marshmallow, and Hawthorn.) ß I would treat this as a “primary”/“secondary” blend.
· Blend 2 (Capsule): Silent Night, from Nature’s Way (Ingredients: Hops, Valerian, and Lemon Balm.) ßDitto.
· Blend 3 (Tea): Sleepytime, from Celestial Seasonings (Ingredients: Chamomile, Spearmint, West Indian Lemongrass, Tilia Flowers, Blackberry Leaves, Orange Blossoms, Hawthorn, and Rosebuds.) ßI might take this tea as a “secondary,” that is, in conjunction with one of the herbs that I above designated “primary.” I would probably not take rely on it to put my to sleep by itself unless I was: A.) Really tired anyway, or B.) Unconcerned about actually falling asleep on the night in question.
· Blend 4 (Tea): Sweet Dreams, from Bigelow (Ingredients: Chamomile, Hibiscus, Peppermint, Rose Blossoms, Spearmint, “Spice,” and Orange Blossoms.) ßDitto.
Coincidentally (or not!), it’s almost my bedtime. I think I’ll make myself a cup of tea. I don’t know, maybe this will be a 5-HTP night. What do you think? Oh, and …sweet dreams!
Caveat: I am not a doctor! Nothing I write here or anywhere else on my blogs is intended, nor should it be construed, as medical advice. I am simply relating the story of what has been helpful (or not!) for me, personally. Anyone considering taking a natural (or other) supplement should first talk to a qualified healthcare provider. And, please, consult your physician with any medical or prescription-drug questions.
[1] Doubtless there are technical terms in the pharmaceutical field. “Hypnotic,” “narcotic,” “sedative,” tranquilizer,” etc. probably all have precise definitions. Or, at least, they may mark off particular classes of drug. I’m not especially interested in these. I may use a phrase like “mildly sedating.” But I intend it to be a term of art, basically. If these terms trip you up (for instance, if you have some knowledge of pharmaceuticals), then mentally substitute more obscure words like “somniferous” or “soporiferous” and see if that doesn’t muddy the waters a little bit :P Seriously, though: The point is that the things I am discussing as not pharmaceuticals. Their properties attributed through what might not unfairly be termed “folk wisdom.” I love thinking deeply. And I welcome academic criticisms and distinctions. But, honestly, in this forum, I am not as interested in refining human knowledge of herbal properties as I am in simply getting a good night’s rest.
[2] To be accurate, “The 28-year-old film star died ‘of acute intoxication’ from the combination of two strong painkillers, two anti-anxiety medicines and two sleeping aids…,” according to an article on Today.com. For more information, see here.
[3] I mentally divide all of my sleep aids into “primary” and “secondary.” This is totally pseudoscientific and idiosyncratic. In my nomenclature, a “primary” aid is one that is likely to work on its own. A “secondary” is something that I may add to a “primary” in the event that I really, really need to fall asleep, but I’m paranoid that the primary may not do the trick by itself.
[4] These two subspecies are colloquially known as “German chamomile.” It turns out that there is also “English” (also called “Roman”) chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). It may be that both are similar in their actions and properties, but German varieties have been studied more closely and frequently – apparently.
[5] In researching chamomile, one routinely finds warning such as the following: “pregnant women should not consume chamomile tea, as it does increase the risk of miscarriage. Secondly, many people are allergic to ragweed, so a regular use of chamomile, particularly in topical applications, can worsen symptoms. Speak with your doctor before making any major changes to your herbal or dietary regimen.”
[6] Along with “malted barley, yeast and water.” (Source.)
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