Unless you shop the aisles at natural foods and supplement stores, when it comes to choosing or taking supplements most of you are probably unaware of the vast selection of herbs and amino acids available to address your health concerns.
Herbal sleep aids can come in the form of capsules, tinctures, tea bags or loose dried herb that can be used to make infusions – similar to, though slightly more potent than using tea bags. The most common ones used for relaxation and inducing sleep are Valerian Root, Passionflower, Skullcap, Chamomile, Lavender, Hops, and sometimes even Spearmint or Catnip. Rather than cause heavy sedation like Rx meds, most herbal remedies simply produce a calming effect that can assist in clearing the mind and reducing stress. They work fairly quickly, so you should know within 2-3 nights if the product you’ve chosen is the right one for you.
Valerian works by calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles, but it can have a stimulating effect in some people. Some natural sleep aids may have other side effects like morning grogginess or disturbing dreams. This is more often a problem with the dose rather than the nutrient itself. Lower the dose to minimize side effects. Also, it’s always best to take these products before going to bed rather than the middle of the night after not being able to sleep, or upon waking and not being able to go back to sleep. Actual response time varies from product to product and person-to-person, so a good rule of thumb is to use a natural sleep aid for 10 days to help regulate your body’s sleep cycle and then go off it.
Another overlooked natural solution to stress reduction and insomnia is amino acid supplementation. Amino acids like L-Tryptophan, L-Theanine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and Melatonin can greatly assist with sleep irregularities. L-Tryptophan creates Serotonin, one of the brain’s four key mood regulators, which in turn is converted into Melatonin – the amino acid that regulates your natural circadian rhythms and helps you sleep.
GABA is the brain’s natural calming agent, which prevents neurons from firing too many messages from the brain to other parts of the body. When combined with ingredients like low-dose Melatonin, it can help your body de-stress and wind down in preparation for a good night’s sleep. While Melatonin supplements can be helpful for shifting your body back into a regular rhythm, start with a low dose like 1 mg rather than the typical 3 mg doses they are sold in, and don’t over use it
L-Theanine is another important amino acid in this category – the amino responsible for green tea’s health benefits and helps create a “relaxed yet alert state of mind.” It encourages relaxing alpha wave production, even protecting the brain somewhat against the stimulant effect of caffeine. It can increase dopamine, modulate serotonin, and help raise levels of GABA (the brain’s natural calming agent), easing anxiety-induced insomnia without the grogginess.
Amino acid supplements usually come in a pill or capsule form.
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