Natural Sleeping Aid

Finding a natural sleeping aid can be a confusing and difficult process. This is because most ingredients, whether they are synthetic or natural, have some kind of side effect. For example prescription sleeping pills have the possibility of addiction, antihistamines can be dangerous if taken in too large of a dose, and some herbal supplements can interact negatively with other medications that the person is taking. To find the best natural sleeping aid it is therefore important to know who should take what type of sleeping aid.

One natural sleeping aid that can be bought over-the-counter is melatonin. This ingredient is not an antihistamine, and it is not a narcotic based sleeping aid. In fact this sleep promoting ingredient is a hormone that is naturally produced in the pineal gland. This product is marketed as a dietary supplement instead of as a drug so the FDA does not regulate its dosage or application. However, before a consumer uses this product they should understand that it is ineffective in about 10 percent of people who have tried it, and it has produced undesirable side effects in another 10 percent of people who have tried it. Some of the side effects that have been reported by melatonin users are nightmares, depression, reduced sexual appetite, headaches, and tiredness the next day.

To avoid the side effects and the hit-and-miss effectiveness of melatonin you can also turn to an OTC sleep aid that promotes natural sleep through the use of an antihistamine like diphenhydramine. One natural sleeping aid that is on the market today is MedGen's Good Night's sleep. This product uses diphenhydramine as its active ingredient and it has been proven effective. To find out just how effective it is, click here and read testimonials from real people.

If a person is not interested in taking a dietary supplement as their natural sleeping aid then they do have a few other natural options for their sleeping problems. One method to help promote sleep naturally is to reduce stress and stimulation that the person experiences during the day, and especially right before they go to bed. This may mean reducing the amount of caffeine in their diet, eliminating alcohol from their diet, exercising and practicing stress reduction exercises.