The Best Natural Sleep Aids

With so many different sleeping supplements on the market these days it can get very confusing trying to decide what to try and what will work best for you. I have been selling nutritional supplements in the retail industry for over 20 years now and people with sleeping difficulties are one of the most common complaints that people come into health food stores with. When writing this article I will approach my conclusions on the same thing I do when I make recommendations to my customers, and that is customer on feedback. What nutrients seem to work best for highest percentage of people? With the understanding that everyone's body chemistry is a different and that there's not one miracle supplement that works for every individuals sleep problems.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that our bodies produce in response to darkness. It is still the most proven and consistently effective of all the individual sleep supplements available. The key to melatonin use is to find the right dosage for you. The correct dosage is the amount that allows you to sleep, but that does not make you feel like a zombie in the morning. You may have to play with the dosage to find what is right for you. Available dosages range from 1mg to 5mg tablets. Most children, yes children do use melatonin, will use the 1mg tablets, while the most common adult dose is 3mgs.

L-Tryptophan is an amino acid that is used in the body to produce melatonin. For some reason I don't quite understand people that do not respond well to melatonin seem to often respond well to L-Tryptophan. Tryptophan still has a bad reputation because back in the 1990's the main source for the words Tryptophan supply was contaminated and the FDA was forced to pull it from the market. That recall had nothing to do with the Tryptophan itself it was just a contamination issue. Tryptophan is perfectly safe, though I do not believe it is a good idea to combine it with melatonin, because they work on the same chemical pathway in the body.

L-Theanine is an amino acid derived from green tea, and is the specific component in tea that helps counter and eliminate the stimulant effects of caffeine in tea. It increases the production of alpha brain waves, which help promote deep relaxation in the body. Most people seem to respond favorably to about 400mgs thirty minutes before bed.

Valerian Root has been used as a sleep aid for over 1,000 years. It is often referred to as "nature's valium". Its ability to help relax the central nervous system, promote feelings of calm, decrease levels of anxiety and stress, and enhance sleep are known to millions the world over. I like valerian root but many people complain about its taste. It tends to make a lot of people burp and the burps are not pleasant. I think that valerian root is often most effective when it is used in combination with other sleep inducing nutrients. This also dilutes its nasty taste problems.

These four nutrients are the most proven individual supplements for sleep. There are a few additional nutrients that are very effective as well, particularly when combined in a synergistic natural sleep aid formula. These other natural sleep aids include Hops, Lemon Balm, Passion Flower and Magnesium. For many people that do not respond well to individual nutrients I will turn to a combination type sleep formula. If the natural sleep formula has the right ingredients and in the right ratios it can often be the most effective alterative to pharmaceutical sleeping pills.