In addition to those discussed above, the following herbs are well-known soporifics. Herbal sleep preparations are often sold as blended formulations. I agree with sleep scientists that, generally, lovely though they are, these rarely do the job, especially for serious insomnia. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them, particularly if your insomnia is recent, temporary, or not that severe.

There are countless testimonials from people who swear by them, and for whom they have really helped. As with the herbal anti-stress remedies above, it is extremely rare to experience any negative side-effects. They may not cure your insomnia, but they will not harm you. Use certified organic herbs if you can. Two remarkable American websites that will give you pharmacological chapter and verse about herbs are: www.herbs.org and www.herbmed.org.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita): So mild and lovely, it is often suggested for children. Add a few drops of the oil to your bath to relieve fraught nerves.

Hops (Humulus lupus): Used for centuries and probably the best known herbal sleeping pill, its sedative effect works directly on the central nervous system. The suggested dose is 200 mg per day; and is said to be most effective taken in combination with valerian, kava kava or passionflower

Lavender (Lavandular): Who doesn’t drown their pillows with it, religiously add it to every bath, or dab the insides of their wrists or soles of their feet with lavender when we go to bed? Aromatherapists swear by its ability to relax you and promote sleep. That includes adding a few drops of lavender oil to children’s baths, too.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): This has a proven non addictive mild sedative effect, and is an ancient remedy in its native South America to combat insomnia. It encourages deep, restful sleep. The suggested dose is 100-200 mg per day, best used in combination with other relaxant herbs.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): American skullcap.Used to alleviate anxiety, depression, headaches and insomnia.

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Changing your diet to maximize sleep-promoting nutrition clears away the crud and lays the foundation for better sleep. But it is not a cure. First, nutrients don’t work in isolation, but synergistically. As far as sleep is concerned, two obvious examples are the relationship between magnesium and calcium, and that between tryptophan and carbohydrate. The science of nutrition is littered with such examples, and you could drive yourself mad trying to compose the theoretical ‘ideal’ diet and it still wouldn’t work.

Similarly, we all absorb some nutrients better than others (I have the perfect diet, and lousy absorption), need more of this or that than the next person – and we are highly unlikely to be aware of what our precise needs are. I have no idea, for example, of how much vitamin C my personal bio-system thrives on. I just whack it in (as it’s water-soluble, excess is just flushed out). All scientists and experts can do is generalize.

This is where supplements come in. They are not a substitute for a good diet and sound nutrition, but are potentially a good way of boosting whichever nutrient or sleep-promoting substance you might need, which might help do the trick.

American studies using magnesium and B complex supplementation, for example, have all resulted in improved sleep for their insomniac guinea pigs. Sleep-promoting supplements fall into two broad groups: those which aim to get to the root of the biochemical problem and boost your serotonin or melatonin levels, and those which help you to relax and therefore hopefully stop those stress hormones from doing their worst.

Don’t use supplements as a quick-fix for not eating well sleep foods, you will need these to make sure you give your body the best chance of maximizing their absorption and doing their bit. They are additions and enhancements, not an excuse for passing the buck.

Nor are supplements cheap. We all experiment with them, with mixed results. If you are serious about supplements for sleep, you should consult a specialist nutritionist or naturopath who will help determine the right dose for you, and which other supplements you may need.

The more you begin to understand biochemical processes and just how complex they are, the more it becomes obvious (at least to me, and I speak as one who has tried most) why a supplement may or may not work for you. Each of us is a unique, constantly changing, forever interactive mass or mess of chemical reactions and electrochemical vibrations. Biochemically, the reason for your insomnia will always be slightly different from the next person’s, so your body’s reaction to adding anything into the soup will be unique as well. It will also change with time.

Think of supplements as first aid. Remember, too, that unless your insomnia is straightforward that is, there are no underlying emotional, psychological, life-sorting issues though proper supplementation can definitely help and does indeed fix many people’s insomnia they are not a magic solution.

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If you are an insomniac

• Remember that often your partner needs as much support as you do. Show your appreciation when you can.
• Don’t let insomnia rule both of your lives. That’s not fair to either of you.
• Try and be less obsessive, and more chilled out. Take a long-term view: it will get better eventually.
• Be nice to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up or blame yourself for not sleeping. If you are nice to yourself, you will be much nicer to be around.
• Tossing and turning is usually more disruptive to most partners than reading in bed, or getting out of bed. Train yourself to be poker-still, or go next door.

If your partner is an insomniac

• Don’t tell us we had more sleep last night than we say. It doesn’t help, especially when it’s true. For us, the amount we think we’ve slept is our reality.
• Don’t tell us not to be obsessive. It only aggravates us more.
• Be supportive about lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. These can really make a difference in many cases, so it’s in your interest to give them an opportunity to work. The same goes for relaxation therapies, however bizarre. If your insomniac partner needs to start chanting mantras at odd times of the day or night, or stand motionless outside in the cold for half an hour at midnight practicing Chi Kung, so be it. Console yourself that mantras have a calming effect on brain waves, and being still helps you discover yourself. Maybe you should try it, too?
• The nearer you can be a saint, the better. Eventually we’ll love you more, promise.
• TLC goes an awful long way. If we need to crawl into bed, or sleep in a different room, tuck us up nicely and whisper sweet nothings in our ear.

For both of you

• Physical contact and mutual support are important.
• Hugs work wonders and are the instant, easy way to make things more bearable. Do hugs as often as you can. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad hug only good one and great ones.

Do take your sleepless partner’s condition seriously and appreciate that for them it may be seem the most important thing in their life and affects everything they do and think.

Do understand that their lack of communication and negativity do not originate with you, nor are they really aimed at you, but sometimes you’ll get it in the neck ‘cos you’re there and your partner can be irritable with you more easily than with friends/colleagues.

Do try and appreciate how desperate, isolated, fragile and vulnerable an insomniac can feel. At the same time, try and help them see things more positively and objectively.

Do understand that insomniacs can become like hermits. Socializing can become a pain rather than a pleasure. You may find you have to undertake more social outings or other activities on your own, but always talk about it rather than letting a gulf open up.

Do encourage without badgering your partner to work at handling the effects of insomnia and working at improving the amount of sleep they get. If you have an interest, help them look for potential remedies: books, counselors, sleep clinics, etc.

Do try and be accommodating if your partner feels it necessary to develop a bedtime ritual, such as going to bed early/late, doing medication, primal screaming, reading in bed or going off to try and sleep in the spare room.

Don’t encourage them to obsess about their condition. Help nurture peace and tranquility rather than anxiety and brooding.

Don’t debate anything controversial with your partner late at night. Agree to discuss it earlier in the day, or wait until the next day.

Don’t put your own sleep at risk by adopting or allowing yourself to overly disrupt by your partner’s routine. It will make you irritable and them guilty. And two insomniacs are definitely not better than one.

Don’t say you have a bad night too, just because you only got seven hours instead of your usual eight. Missing the odd hour or two occasionally is not the same as only getting two or three hours for nights on end.

Don’t accuse them of not being romantic, affectionate or positive. It’s hard to be anything other than a shadow if you haven’t slept for weeks.

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Insomnia is a single person’s disorder. How often we wish we were on our own and could organize our lives as selfishly as we need to give us the space to do all the things to help ourselves get better. Advice about when you eat, what you eat, how you relax, what you do and don’t do in the evening all of it becomes infinitely more complicated when there are two or more to consider.

Living with someone adds to the burden, often creating huge strains for both. However supportive your partner may try to be, seeing someone at their worst for much of the time is hardly a recipe for a happy, harmonious domestic life.

Having children to consider as well is an added complication. Family relationships are never easy at the best of times, and adding insomnia into the mix makes normal family life impossible at times. How many insomniac mothers, for example, beat themselves up for being irritable with their children?

Insomniacs can at least confide in each other: your sleeping partners (and children) have to put up with it and, even if they sleep, they suffer the daily side-effects that sleep-deprivation causes. In short, when insomnia hits hard, you get the guilt but they get the misery full on.

It would be wrong to pretend that insomnia causes intolerable burdens in every case. That’s not true at all. I know one couple, for example, who are both insomniacs and blissfully happy together. But I absolutely believe that managing your insomnia or sleep-deprivation in the context of the people you love is as important as tackling the demon itself and deserves its own shout. Sleep books naturally focus on the insomniac, and usually deal with insomnia in isolation.

It’s as if the people you share your life with either don’t exist, or are at best incidental. The reality for many of us is very different. Having insomnia is like having an uninvited, wholly on you unwelcome and unpleasant guest in your home.

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Insomniacs come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Statistically the only two groups who are more prone to insomnia are middle-aged women and the elderly. On the whole, too, we’re pretty nice, normal bunches who happens to have got ourselves into a sleepless mess and who have to cope with the consequences. We are not necessarily neurotic, maladapted, sad people who find life difficult or stressful (though sleeplessness itself can have this effect).

In fact, about a third of the population are programmed to be poor sleepers should life go temporarily pear-shaped, and it’s estimated that, at any given time, up to 15 per cent or more of the population some estimates put it as high as 25 percent experience insomnia, 4 million of us in the UK and US share complaining of chronic insomnia right now.

Though we’re all very different, there’s no doubt we have a lot of behavioral traits in common. For example, have you ever met anyone who is proud to be an insomniac? On the contrary, we all feel bad, mad or boring about it and most of us feel guilty in some way we see it as sort of letting the side down.

As a result, many of us find talking to normal sleepers generally embarrassing: this is because we either feel bad for talking about it, or they feel bad because they are powerless to help. Put two or more insomniacs together and, hey presto, the floodgates open.

All of a sudden we can bore each other stupid over how much sleep we haven’t had, go into endless detail about last night’s lack of sleep, how we are feeling (usually crap), how tired we are, our current theories of why we can’t sleep this week but could last week, the latest miracle cure, and so on.

We are all acutely aware, too, that unless our insomnia is caused by, for example, a physical sleep disorder, medical problem or one of life’s regular hiccups, we alone are responsible: we do it to ourselves.

So, sorry, but no excuses that this section makes for pretty dismal reading: not sleeping is pretty dismal. But there is one bright note. On good days, insomniacs really shine. It’s like being let out of prison: your appreciation of life, however ordinary and humdrum, is doubled. The world tastes sweet and full of promise again, and you relish every single minute. Sounds daft, but I have literally experienced bliss on occasion.

How common is insomnia?

Insomnia is more common than you think. It is reckoned to be the most common complaint after headaches. Almost all (95 per cent) people will experience the odd bout of insomnia at some time in their lives. Most people who have insomnia don’t seek medical help. Insomnia is also on the increase. This is no comfort for an insomniac, but at least we know we are not alone, and are much more normal after all.

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Millions of us don’t sleep well, but have no idea whether we have insomnia or not, and therefore whether we should make an effort to resolve it, or struggle on hoping for a better night’s sleep tonight again.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is not being able to sleep normally, by which I mean not being able to have an extended period of uninterrupted sleep that leaves you refreshed. It’s finding sleep a struggle, instead of something that comes naturally. Though insomniacs can spend whole nights awake, this does not mean no sleep.

Insomnia is a state of being seriously sleepless to the extent that it impacts negatively on your waking life; for many of us, not sleeping well dominates our lives. Whether you experience insomnia most of the time or only intermittently, it feels the same and sets off the same vicious circle.

It’s important to realize from the outset, too, that though countless books have been written on the subject, despite the impression given insomnia can’t be neatly pigeon-holed. Its causes and the way it expresses itself are too varied to bear absolute generalization.

They said, working out whether you are officially an insomniac is easy. In a nutshell, if you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, can’t get back to sleep, and feel deprived of the benefits of sleep, you’re an insomniac.

The three prime symptoms of insomnia recognized by sleep scientists are:

• Difficulty getting off to sleep (sleep-onset insomnia): Normal sleepers take anywhere from 1-20 minutes to fall asleep. Insomniacs habitually take longer: 30 minutes and upwards, the average time bring about 1hours 15 minutes. Moreover, we can find it extremely difficult to get to sleep irrespective of how tired we are, or how little sleep we may have had the previous nights. If your insomnia is confined to not being able to fall asleep, the cause (or one of them) is likely to be that your body clock is running too late.
• Persistent waking up (sleep-maintenance insomnia): During the course of normal sleep, everyone wakes up momentarily but we are not aware of this, so sleep seems unbroken. It’s quite natural, too, to wake up if you’re too hot or too cold, need to visit the bathroom, there’s a dog barking, you’ve got a plane to catch, an important exam the next morning, etc. For an insomniac, however, waking up, and the inevitable tossing and turning and frustration because we can’t get back to sleep, is the norm. For some of us, myself included, we can either be awake for hours, or we can wake so often that sleep seems like an extended period of short naps and a perpetual state of being half-awake and never quite asleep. Sleep scientists reckon that being awake for 30 minutes or more during the night is enough to qualify for sleep-maintenance insomnia; again, the average is about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Early morning waking: Waking up early is not a symptom of insomnia. Millions of larks, and people who have a good night’s sleep, do so daily. Millions of people, too, choose to get up early and generally compensate by going to bed earlier than most of us. Waking early and not being able to go back to sleep as the norm, however, after sleep-deprived nights, and persistently waking up earlier than you feel you need, are symptoms of insomnia. If your insomnia is confined to persistently waking up earlier, two common causes are depression or a body clock that is running too early.

If you experience any, all or any combination of the three symptoms above, you have insomnia. In the US, to ‘qualify as an insomniac you must typically take at least 30 minutes to fall asleep, sleep fewer than six hours and/or wake up frequently, though increasingly sleep doctors rely more on the subjective diagnosis of the patient.

If the symptoms are temporary and lasting less than a month, due to whatever cause don’t be unduly concerned, though do make an effort to do the simple things outlined in Part 3 to help you sleep better and restore your natural sleep patterns sooner. If your symptoms persist for more than a month, you qualify, medically speaking, as a chronic insomniac and you must do something about it.

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Serotonin and melatonin are words that you may have heard bandied about. Both are natural hormones produced in the brain, and are the two vital chemicals associated with sleep. They are intimately linked – serotonin is the precursor of melatonin. Without enough of either, we don’t sleep. It’s as simple as that.

Serotonin
Serotonin is one of the most important brain chemicals. You need it to sleep and to be happy. Indeed, serotonin is our very own Prozac (Prozac and other anti-depressants are all specific serotonin-boosters). Lack of serotonin not only results in insomnia but also anxiety and depression these are two of insomnia’s most common bedfellows and various mood disorders from panic attacks, irritability, anger, PMT, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and more. People with low self-esteem or guilt complexes, or who worry or are obsessive (sound familiar?) often have low serotonin levels.

There is an important gender difference here, with men getting the better deal. Men produce serotonin twice as fast as women, which mean they have the ability, generally, to recover from any shortfall more quickly. Women produce up to a third less than men: it seems we are programmed to be moody, which statistics confirm. In addition, low serotonin in women is associated with depression and anxiety; in men it’s associated more with aggression and alcoholism. Add to this the fact that low estrogens levels also result in low serotonin levels

Although serotonin is produced in the brain, around 90 per cent is found in the gut. It plays a role in appetite control, and if you suffer from carbohydrate cravings, this may indicate low serotonin levels. Your heart is also partly dependent on serotonin, so that lack of serotonin can affect both your digestion and your heart.

Serotonin is produced in the brain from tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids you need to take in via your diet. Light affects its levels (more light, more serotonin). Exercises and oxygen also help to boost its production. A poor diet, alcohol, caffeine and the artificial sweetener aspartame all rob you of your precious serotonin, as does stress.

This is because in an effort to keep you calm, your brain releases more serotonin, diverting its precious supplies to cope with the stress rather than to promote sleep. Apart from a lack of tryptophan, Patrick Holford in Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, identifies the main causes of serotonin deficiency as: lack of oestrogen (women) or testosterone (men), not enough light, not enough exercise, too much stress (especially for women) and finally, not enough co-factor poor vitamins and minerals.

Nor does it end there. As one sleep scientist explains, serotonin is talked about as if it were a simple neurotransmitter, when in fact it’s a lot more complicated. It has at least 8-12 different receptors, with different associated control mechanisms. Simple increases and decreases in serotonin also have different effects on bodily systems. No wonder your sleep suffers. It’s easy to see, too, how an insomniac quickly succumbs to other negative side-effects of an imbalance of serotonin let alone whatever is happening with your melatonin and stress hormones.

Melatonin
Anyone who has insomnia or who has tried to alleviate jet-lag will have heard of melatonin, nature’s soporific sleep-inducing hormone, produced in the tiny pineal gland at the base of the brain, and which was only discovered 50 years ago. Melatonin orchestrates sleep by preparing the body to sleep. As already discussed, its production is regulated by light. It’s produced at night, triggered by the fading light as the sun sets.

When dawn comes, melatonin level drop quickly, and are virtually undetectable during the day. Overnight urine contains a high concentration of melatonin, which is why some Indian Holy men drink it (to keep themselves calm). Not surprisingly, we produce more in winter than summer. A rise in melatonin signals a decrease in body temperature (which promotes, sleep) a decrease in melatonin signals a rise in body temperature (wakefulness).

How much light affects melatonin production differs from person to person for example, some people shut down production virtually immediately if exposed to unexpected bright light during the night; for others this takes up to an hour. Children produce most melatonin; this drops at puberty and wanes with age, dropping sharply at the onset of middle-age. Increasing your melatonin levels, usually by supplementation, is a well-known ‘cure’ for jet-lag and insomnia, and has also been hailed as a means of combating the ageing process, as it is a potent antioxidant and scavenger of free radicals, and a powerful immune system-enhancer. In short, we all need lots of lovely melatonin.

Melatonin is produced from serotonin. The only sure way to know whether you are making enough is to pay for a private saliva test. Caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, dark chocolate, certain drugs – aspirin, antidepressants and tranquillizers – and being close to electrical appliances will all rob you of melatonin.

There are four ways to try and boost melatonin levels (and hence improve your sleep):

• Using light to stimulate production
• Taking melatonin supplements
• Taking serotonin supplements
• Increasing tryptophan (which converts to serotonin, which converts to melatonin) either in your diet or by taking supplements

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Prenatal care consists of three interrelated, but equally important, focus points: care for your self, care and support from friends and family members, and regular visits to a midwife or physician. Below are Sleep Smart Strategies that you should include in your self care throughout your pregnancy, either on your own or with the help of sleep specialist.

Sleep on your left side. During the third trimester, try sleep on your left side, to allow for the best blood flow to the fetus and to your uterus and kidneys. Avoid lying flat on your back for long period, since the increased pressure on your back and intestines can cause discomfort and make it difficult to sleep. You can place a pillow between your knees to help your sleep more comfortably on your side.

Take naps. Naps may be beneficial. Research suggests that a planned thirty to sixty minute nap during the day can improve alertness and memory and can reduce symptoms of daytime sleepiness. It is noteworthy that in the National Sleep Foundation’s Women and Sleep Poll 1998, just over 50 percent of pregnant women reported taking at least one weekday nap and 60 percent reported taking at least one weekend nap. However, that taking naps may not be advisable for people who experience insomnia.

Eat nutritious foods. Unquestionably, it is crucial to eat and drink well when you are pregnant. What you eat and drink can affect the quality of you are pregnant. What you eat and drink can affect the quality of your sleep, particularly during pregnancy. Drink lots of fluids during the day, especially water. However, try to decrease your intake of fluids before bedtime so that you do not exacerbate your need to use the bathroom during the night. To prevent heartburn, avoid eating large amounts of spicy, acidic, or fried foods. You will find that it is also beneficial to eat several light meals throughout the day rather than a large meal close to bedtime. Foods high in protein and iron recommended. Also if you experience nausea while you’re trying to sleep, try frequent bland snacks throughout the day.

Exercise regularly. Regular activity will help you stay healthy improve your circulation, and reduce leg cramps. It will help you sleep better. However, finish your vigorous exercise activities within three to four hours of bedtime. Working out too close to your bedtime may make it more difficult to fall asleep.

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Most of us have experienced nightmares at one time or another. They’re very common in children and particularly between the ages of three and four and seven and eight and still about 5-10% adults get them once a month. You’ll normally have your nightmare during the second half of the night when you’re REM dream sleep.

Suddenly you’ll be woken up by a particularly harrowing episode or just before you’re shpt or pushed over the cliff, for instance. You’ll be scared, anxious, and very alert and will probably be able to recall your nightmare in great detail. Then you’ll trouble getting back to sleep.

They’re different from night terror. Which suddenly appear out of deep non-dreaming sleep and normally happen in the first half of the night. In a night terror, you’ll sit up suddenly and scream, but you probably won’t wake up even though, rather scarify for your bed partner, your eyes might be wide open. You might sweat and your heart rare could shoot up three times its normal rate and much higher than with nightmares.

Amazingly, you’ll probably have no memory of it in the mornings. Even if you are woken up when you’re having a night terror, you won’t be able to recall what happened. Although studies have shown non REM dreams are repetitive and thought like, with little imagery.

Action Plan To Counter Strike
After you’ve had a nightmare, write down any factors that may have contributed to the bed dream. What did you eat yesterday? Did you have any alcohol? Are you stressed? Did you go to bed at a different time from usual? Did you watch a scary film? Are you ill or are you taking medication? All these factors can influence what you dream about.

Fatty and spicy food as well as cheers is thought to increase the chance of nightmares. Stress is also a common trigger whether it’s work, financial difficulties, moving house, relationship problems, bereavement or even pregnancy. Drinking and medication increase the risk too. The same factors influence night terrors particularly stress and being overtired.

you find what‘s causing the nightmares or night terrors, deal with the trigger. That said, it’s not always as easy giving up cheese before bedtime and avoiding late night horror films. Sometimes you won’t know the cause. With nightmares, talking through them even drawing images from them can be help. With night terror, talking often doesn’t help because you can’t remember the content. If they’re really severe and happen often, talk to your doctor about medication such as tranquillizer.

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Like conventional drugs, herbs cause straightforward biochemical reactions in your body. In fact, many of today’s drugs are based on substances found in herbs. But unlike most conventional drugs, herbalism uses all of the plant like root, stem or leaf in a variety of ways from pills and teas to tinctures, which are concentrating made by leaving the herb in alcohol.

So how can herbs improve your sleep? Sleep disorder and depression are linked with an imbalance in the brain chemical serotonin, which your body makes from the amino acid tryptophan. Certain herbs can help restore proper serotonin levels in the brain. Other herbs work by triggering your brain’s calming chemicals.

You can buy herbs from health food shops and chemists or, if you’ve got green fingers, you can even grow your own and all you need is a window box. Just stick to the recommended doses as some herbs can be pretty potent. Alternatively, consult a practitioner preferably someone who’s been recommended to your or is a member of respected professional association.

The quality of herbs varies among manufacturers. Poor quality herbs may contain contaminations or only small amounts of active ingredients, so always ask your practitioner for assurance on safety and quality. They should be able to tell you the name of the supplier and all products should be clearly labeled and ideally have a batch has been checked for quality and ensures that it can be traced back to source if there are any problems.

Herbs That Help You Sleep

Chamomile - your grandmother was probably a big believer in chamomile tea. And she was right. Studies have found chamomile has a sedative effect and unlike some herbs it’s safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Put it in your bath in the evening. To make a calming tea, add one teaspoon of flower to boiling water and steep in the pan with the lid on for five to ten minutes.

Hops - Yes, it’s a same hop that’s in beer but no, it doesn’t mean you can have a pint before bedtime. Instead, fill a pillow with dried hops like a traditional remedy for sleeplessness and nervous conditions. Tea made from hopes is an acquired taste. It’s pretty bitter, but a spoonful of honey can take the edge off it. You can also buy freeze dried extract in capsule form.

Lavender - One of the most calming herbs, lavender will help you deal with stress related insomnia. Make a calming herbs, lavender will help you deal with stress related insomnia. Make a calming tincture of the herb by steeping it in vodka for a month, then straining. Take a teaspoonful three times a day until your tension lifts. Or make a sachet of lavender to leave under your pillow at night. For headache, rub the essential oil on your temples.

Lemon balm - Also know as Melissa, lemon balm is a sedative and stomach soother often used in combination with other sedative herbs. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of the dried herbs to a cup of freshly boiled water and let it steep for 5 to 15 minutes for a soothing tea that actually taste nice too.

Valerian - This speeds up the time it takes to get to sleep and reduces night time walking and without the hangover type side effects of Valium and other synthetic sedative. Put 2 to 3 droppersful of tincture made from fresh valerian roots or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried valerian root in hot water for a bedtime drink. Take no more than one cup a day. Too much can cause headache.

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