Valerian.
If I can get patients to get past the smell of this herb, most of them find it very effective at helping them sleep. Once again, American Family Physician gives a nice, unbiased review.
Valerian – April 15, 2003 – American Family Physician
sleep disorder
DO YOU HAVE SLEEP PROBLEMS? FIX IT NOT MEDICATE IT! – (07-23-07)
Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Our entire approach to sleep disorders is just a little dsyfunctional. If someone has a problem sleeping, there is something really wrong to be avoiding this absolutely essential process. This can come from several sources, but adding a medication to force a body into an unnatural sleep just can’t be good in the long term (of course, we don’t really know because few, if any, sleep drugs have had long term studies done on them…). Altered cortisol rhythms from stress, neurotransmitter dysfunction, melatonin production mis-timing can all cause sleep problems. These need to be fixed, NOT medicated.
I remember a patient who worked midnights asking me what he could take for energy. Knowing his sleep cycle, I asked how he was sleeping. Poorly of course–so he tried a little melatonin to help regulate his sleep cycle. One week later he came in and had all the energy he needed. It’s not that some high dose sugar and caffeine carbonated beverage wouldn’t have done the trick.