Traditional Medicine vs Modern Medicine

If you suffer from regular insomnia, the world is a different place. For you, an online resource for natural insomnia remedies is likely laughable. While greater relaxation can indeed promote sounder sleep, a warm bath before bed is not likely to put to sleep a chronic insomnia sufferer. If you’ve suffered from insomnia for any length of time, you’ve probably tried all of the basic suggestions. Things like getting daily strenuous exercise, establishing a regular bedtime routine, and meditation can all help create a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Valerian Root This herb can be found in many over-the-counter sleep remedies in health-food stores and has been shown, through research, to increase sleep quality and quantity. According to a double-blind study in the European Journal of Medical Research, a group receiving 600 mg. of valerian extract showed comparable results to a group receiving 10 mg of oxazeoam, a pharmaceutical insomnia drug. Melatonin It is the hormone that helps to naturally regulate the sleep cycle in your body. Studies on the effectiveness of melatonin in insomnia treatment have had varying findings, though many have shown promising results. In one case, a study of autistic children found that 60 percent of participants found improved sleep patterns, including increased amount of sleep, following treatment with melatonin. Melatonin production may also be encouraged through the consumption of foods like cherry juice, bananas and barley. Chamomile Numerous studies have found chamomile to have beneficial effects in the treatment of insomnia and even anxiety. One study from Okayama University in Japan, looking at the effectiveness in “sleep-disturbed rats,” found that chamomile had hypnotic effects comparable to benzodiazepines, like Valium. Lavender Unlike the other herbal treatments, lavender is not taken orally. A Korean study found college students suffering from insomnia and depression had beneficial results with the use of lavender. In the Replacement of drug treatment for insomnia by ambient odour study, researchers discovered patients using prescription sleep aids could experience thesame results from using lavender essential oils in an aromatherapy treatment. Participants were evaluated while on the medications, during a period with no treatment, and again during treatment with lavender essential oils. Their sleep satisfaction was identical during drug treatment and lavender aromatherapy treatment. While prescription drugs can send you into an overnight coma, there are natural remedies that can gently – and in some cases, dramatically — encourage sleep.