Health & Fitness Blog

People suffering from insomnia often choose natural remedies for treating their insomnia. Such remedies include herbal remedies, such as chamomile tea or lemon balm, are usually harmless for most people. However, it should be duly noted that just because a natural remedy is labeled “natural”, it does not equate to being safe. Herbal remedies are not regulated and some contain conventional medicines.

Herbal remedies such as valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, lemon balm, St. John’s wort and passion flower have been used as insomnia cures for years. Please note the effectiveness and safety of these remedies has not been formally documented nor researched. Existing studies completed on herbal remedies are often hard to interpret. Since they are not based on standardized studies like those done for prescription drugs as prescribed by regulatory bodies such as the FDA.

Melatonin is often used by insomnia sufferers as a sleep aid. The substance melatonin is a hormone manufactured by a gland in the brain called the pineal gland and is derived from an amino acid called tryptophan. Synthetically made melatonin is used for a number of medical situations, such as an insomnia cure. Of the herbal remedies, melatonin is the most studied natural cure for insomnia, however it still remains unregulated in the United States. Proof of its effects as an insomnia cure still remains inconclusive. Existing studies revealed that people do fall asleep faster while taking melatonin, however there is no effect on the duration of sleep time or decreasing sleepiness during daytime hours.

It must be duly noted that melatonin is a dietary supplement, not a drug, and therefore its quality and effectiveness is not regulated in the U.S. (The regulation of melatonin is not enforced in the U.S. of all the developing nations.) Being a strong hormone, melatonin can produce strong side effects, many are unknown, on many parts of the human body. People taking melatonin as an insomnia cure are, in a way, experimenting on themselves.

Even if studies report positive benefits from the use of herbal remedies, the compounds used in the lab, in most cases, are not the same ones commercially available to the public. There have been several reported cases of serious and sometimes lethal side effects from the use of natural remedies. In addition, some herbal remedies were found to contain standard prescription medication.

Don’t feel compelled to use drugs – whether natural or chemical as insomnia cures. There are some great non-drug therapies that can be implemented to help you get a better night’s sleep.

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