Insomnia Articles

Sleeping Pills - An Effective Alternative

Overcoming insomnia is a journey - and, as you may have discovered, it can also be a matter of trial and response. Undertaken systematically overcoming insomnia and getting a good night's sleep is an ultimately rewarding process. But, if you've already made basic changes to your diet and sleep routine, and you've tried specific techniques for reducing stress and improving the quality of your sleep, you may be tempted to turn to artificial sleep aids like sleeping pills.

While sleeping pills may promise a miracle cure for insomnia, the inherent risks of taking sleeping pills to combat insomnia are myriad. Regardless of whether you opt for short-term sleeping pills or a longer course, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines alike all carry similar risks - namely the potential for over-use or, in the worst cases, the possibility of addiction.

Because sleeping pills serve to depress your body's nervous system in order to create an artificial sleep, they do not facilitate the essential healing and restorative cycles and functions normally undertaken by your body during sleep. That's why taking sleeping pills can often leave you feeling drowsy or inadequately rested in the morning.

Instead of turning to sleeping pills to overcome insomnia, try using one of the numerous natural and time-tested remedies that are widely available. Often referred to as a natural sleeping pill, melatonin offers one viable sleep-enhancing option.

Melatonin is the hormone naturally produced by your body to induce sleep, and many people have successfully restored their own productive sleep patterns by using melatonin to help stimulate the body's own urge to sleep. Melatonin can be an effective natural alternative to sleeping pills, but should nonetheless be used with caution as it is not yet regulated by any government body.

Herbal remedies are another excellent alternative to sleeping pills and also to melatonin. Consumed in the form of herbal teas and supplements, or even as aromatherapy, herbs like valerian root and chamomile have been lauded as effective sleep-enhancers for centuries. Unlike melatonin or sleeping pills, chamomile does not have to be consumed over a period of time before it becomes effective. Chamomile tea can be used on an as-needed basis and many people have used its sleep-enhancing qualities to successfully combat bouts of insomnia.

Slightly stronger than chamomile and usually taken in pill form, valerian root is another well-known herbal sedative recognized for its ability to overcome insomnia and promote quality sleep. Valerian's sleep-inducing properties are so effective that it is actually medically recognized as the herbal equivalent of Valium. Indeed, it is said that the name Valium was derived from Valerian, although Valium itself is not otherwise connected with valerian in any way.

As with all adjustments to your sleep cycle or sleep routine, you should choose one natural sleep remedy and use it consistently for two weeks before making any other changes this gives your body time to incorporate and respond to the sleep enhancing benefits of the remedy you have chosen.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

Attention Ezine Editors / Website Owners

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website so long as you leave all links intact, do not modify the content and include the resource box shown below. You may of course use your own affiliate link in the resource box. For details of our affiliate program, please visit our website.

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including:
"Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques"
For further details please visit http://help-me-to-sleep.com

Related Links:

The Main Cause of Insomnia?

Insomnia: Break the Cycle and Get Some Sleep!

Menopause and Insomnia

Latest Insomnia News

About.com Alternative Medicine
Get the latest headlines from the About.com Alternative Medicine GuideSite.

• Mood and Food
  13 Jul 2008 at 3:23pm
  Eating certain foods may improve your mood, research suggests. The Food and Mood Project surveyed 200 people and found that 88% reported that changing their diet had a significant effect...
  
• How to Create a Natural Baby Nursery
  8 Jul 2008 at 5:20am
  If you're expecting a baby or know someone who is, you may be looking for ideas on how to decorate the nursery. While we tend to focus on finding just...
  
• Tea Tree Oil for Acne
  30 Jun 2008 at 6:11pm
  One of the more popular home remedies for acne is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native...
  
• Help for Gray Hair?
  24 Jun 2008 at 6:54pm
  A reader asks, "I recently heard about supplements and other products that can prevent gray hair and allow your hair to grow back in its natural color. Is there any...
  
• The Master Cleanse: What You Need to Know
  17 Jun 2008 at 6:26pm
  Many diets come and go, but the Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet, seems to be here to stay. Although the liquid diet was first created in the...
  
• What is Shiatsu?
  10 Jun 2008 at 4:10pm
  Shiatsu has been called one of the hottest new massage trends. But while shiatsu may have become popular in recent years at spas and health clinics in North America, it...