Proven Natural Medicines for Insomnia

Twenty-six percent of insomnia patients are turning to natural medicines to try and get some sleep. Some of the natural medicines used in treating insomnia, work in the same way prescription medicines do for sleeping problems.

Before you attempt any medicinal treatment for insomnia, it's a good idea to rule out any of the other causative factors as mentioned in the insomnia section.

Valerian helps insomnia

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Valerian is the most common natural remedy used for insomnia. Valerian appears to have benzodiazepine effects, similar to Diazepam and Temazepam. Benzodiazepines bind to receptors and this affects gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which depresses the central nervous system. This reduces the time it takes to fall asleep, increases the amount of sleep and reduces the number of awakenings.

Research has shown that taking Valerian does reduce the amount of time to fall asleep. These results have been based on trials using standardized valerenic acid 0.4%-0.6%. Dosage is from 400 - 900mg per day 2 hours before bedtime. The downside of using Valerian is that it doesn't work as fast as conventional benzodiazepines. It could take between a few nights to weeks of use before it has any effect. The other downside is that some studies have shown that it can inhibit the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme which will interfere with certain medications such as the contraceptive pill. Check with your doctor for any possible interactions.

Valerian can also cause a withdrawal syndrome if stopped abruptly. It is advisable to discontinue slowly as to avoid any withdrawal effects. For more information on Valerian and how to purchase see Nature's Way - Valerian 90 caps

Donath F, Quispe S, Diefenbach K, et al. Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality. Pharmacopsych 2000;33:47-53.



Hops (Humulus lupulus) and Valerian

A study using these two herbs together showed significant improvement in falling asleep. This was at a dose of Hops 41.9mg and Valerian 187mg, 2 tablets before bedtime. See Nature's Herbs Hops-Valerian 100Caps

Morin CM, Koetter U, Bastien C, et al. Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Sleep 2005;28:1465-71.



Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) and Valerian

A study using this combination of Lemon balm 80mg and Valerian 160mg showed significant improvements in sleeping patterns when used with children under the age of twelve who have pathological restlessness. For a quality product that is double the dose used in this study Restal® .

Muller SF, Klement S. A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children. Phytomedicine 2006;13:383-7.



German Chamomile ( Matricaria recutita)

Many people drink chamomile tea before bedtime and people swear by its use in making you feel drowsy and sleepy, but....as yet, there is no research that confirms this. There is no harm in taking chamomile tea and if it works for many people then you could call it an evidence based natural medicine. There is a little concern with chamomile actually inhibiting the CP450 enzyme which like Valerian, can cause other drug complications.

Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, et al. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82.



Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Passionflower is another popular remedy for sleep problems as it appears to cause sedation, but.... so far there is no evidence using clinical trials that show Passionflower helps insomnia.

Kava (Piper methysticum)

Kava has been banned in a lot of countries due to its toxicity. In large doses it can be toxic to the liver. Kava has been shown to be effective for anxiety but there is no clinical evidence that Kava helps insomnia.

Jacobs BP, Bent S, Tice JA, et al. An internet-based randomized, placebo-controlled trial of kava and valerian for anxiety and insomnia. Medicine (Baltimore) 2005;84:197-207.



St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Effective for depression and insomnia because of depression, but not for insomnia on it's own. Some people that have tried St. John's Wort for insomnia have actually stated that it worsened the insomnia. This herb also interferes with other drugs as it is an inducer of the cytochrome P450 3A4.

Beckman SE, Sommi RW, Switzer J. Consumer use of St. John's wort: A survey of effectiveness, safety, and tolerability. Pharmacotherapy 2000;20:568-74.



Melatonin proven to help insomnia

Melatonin

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the pineal gland. This hormone is stimulated by darkness and is inhibited by light. Melatonin is thought to help with insomnia as levels are low in insomniacs.

Melatonin appears to work best in the elderly at a dose of 0.3- 5mg/day and only in the short term. Some people have used this hormone with much success to prevent jet-lag. Although unavailable in some countries, there are two types of melatonin, immediate release for help in falling asleep, and sustained release for staying asleep. For immediate release melatonin see TwinLab's Melatonin 3mg 60Caps For sustained release melatonin see JARROW Melatonin Sustain 120 tabs .

Haimov I, Lavie P, Laudon M, et al. Melatonin replacement therapy of elderly insomniacs. Sleep 1995;18:598-603.



L-tryptophan & 5-HTP

L-Trytophan is converted to 5-HTP in the body which is then converted to serotonin and then melatonin. Sounds like a good source of melatonin on paper but in reality it is quite different. One reason is that there has been no concrete evidence to say that it helps insomnia. Secondly, these two substances have been linked with cases of EMS (eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome). When these two substances were taken off the market, the number of EMS cases dropped dramatically. L-tryptopahn and 5-HTP are still availbale as a dietary supplement but people are advised not to use it for those very reasons.

Kilbourne EM, Philen RM, Kamb ML, Falk H. Tryptophan produced by Showa Denko and epidemic eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. J Rheumatol Suppl 1996;46:81-8.



Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 has been shown to help insomnia in patients with heart problems. Some heart failure patients suffer from nocturnal dyspnea which is difficulty breathing or shortness of breath in the night. Co-Q10 has shown to decrease the dyspnea in heart failure patients which in turn helps with sleeping problems. For 30mg of CoQ10 see Super CoQ10 (60 Caps) 30 mg .

Baggio E, Gandini R, Plauncher AC, et al. Italian multicenter study on the safety and efficacy of coenzyme Q10 as adjunctive therapy in heart failure. CoQ10 Drug Surveillance Investigators. Mol Aspects Med 1994;15 Suppl:S287-94.



Back to Insomnia

Home Page

Make what you know into a profitable online business


footer for insomnia page