Natural Remedies for Insomnia

If you are like most people you are worried about the possibility of addiction that can come along with prescription sleeping pills or drugs. At the same time, you want to find a way to treat your insomnia so you can finally get the restful, refreshing sleep that you need.

There are a variety of natural remedies for insomnia that may help you to fall asleep without the need for prescription medications. Here are some of the most common natural or alternative insomnia remedies.

Lemon Balm & Valerian. Lemon balm in an aromatic herb that gets its name from its lemony smell. The leaves, stems and flowers of lemon balm are all utilized for their medicinal properties and as an herbal supplement lemon balm can help with a variety of ailments. Valerian is a plant that was originally brought to America on the Mayflower.

For helping with insomnia, studies and clinical trials have shown that lemon balm is most effective when it is used in combination with valerian. Often times you will find these two herbs already combined and packaged as an herbal sleep remedy at health food stores. A combination of lemon balm and valerian also is reported not to make you feel drowsy, groggy or "hung over" in the morning like many popular sleeping pills do.

Passionflower. Passionflower is a very unusual looking plant whose extract is reported to have stress reducing effect and is said to work well to battle insomnia. Passionflower is often combined with valerian or lemon balm to create an herbal blend to help treat insomnia.

Chamomile. Chamomile has been used for centuries as a powerful sleep aid and is often brewed into a warm, soothing tea. It can also be placed into a sachet and put under your pillow before going to sleep.

Warm Milk. Your grandmother may have known best! This age old remedy has been helping people to fall asleep for centuries. Best of all, as long as you are not lactose intolerant, there are no bizarre or harmful side effects to drinking a glass of warm milk. No one has a definite answer as to why exactly this remedy works, but for children and adults alike warm milk can comfort and calm and assist in falling asleep.