Natural aid to improve sleep quality?

[Lunar]

A high dose of 5-HTP always makes me pretty sleepy. I call it "The Thanksgiving Affect"

What do you consider a "high dose"?

I ask because I've had mixed results with 5-htp.

[Lunar]

2x capsules of store brand natrol

I just did a quick google search and found that Natrol comes in several sizes, 50mg, 100mg and 200mg. What size do you take two caps of?

Thanks

[UncleSam]

I really think the best natural sleep aid (at least for me) is Kava. I buy it at Sprouts (a natural grocery store in US) and 2 caps which is 150mg of Kavalactones works super well and doesnt leave me drowsy in the morning

[Linville]

Good to know froggy1717 , thanks for posting this information .

If you have any more on natural sleep aids please post it too.

Or even ideas that might help

[cutstack]

I'm so unlucky. Everything I have tried to put me to sleep has failed other than the harshest scheduled drugs. Please pray for my health everyone.

[OldBoy]

It's been mentioned in this thread already, but I'm one of those people for whom Melatonan (at a nightly dosage of only 5mg!) works wonders for.  It doesn't help me get to sleep (my newly beloved clon@zepam does that), but it certainly keeps me asleep once I'm out...I've been taking the "Nature's Own" brand for 7 years or so, and have never had a need to increase the dosage.  No grogginess in the morning either, which is very nice.

The problem with Melatonan seems to be that it works wonderfully for some people, and not at all for others - And it's not an inexpensive supplement, a good brand name, though it can be found at the grocery, runs $13 plus for 60 5mg tablets.

[Rafterman]

It's been mentioned in this thread already, but I'm one of those people for whom Melatonan (at a nightly dosage of only 5mg!) works wonders for.  It doesn't help me get to sleep (my newly beloved clon@zepam does that), but it certainly keeps me asleep once I'm out...I've been taking the "Nature's Own" brand for 7 years or so, and have never had a need to increase the dosage.  No grogginess in the morning either, which is very nice.

The problem with Melatonan seems to be that it works wonderfully for some people, and not at all for others - And it's not an inexpensive supplement, a good brand name, though it can be found at the grocery, runs $13 plus for 60 5mg tablets.

My wife also favor's Melatonin. She has told me that if she had to choose any two sleep aides, they would be that and Benadryl (but not at the same time). And she was a hard core insomniac for so many years. I wish that other people would give those a try. Could be that one of the other would do it for them and then they would been in a great place. They would have control over their ability to sleep using something inexpensive and OTC. I wish that it was that easy, however, and I know that it seldom is.

[OldBoy]

It's been mentioned in this thread already, but I'm one of those people for whom Melatonan (at a nightly dosage of only 5mg!) works wonders for.  It doesn't help me get to sleep (my newly beloved clon@zepam does that), but it certainly keeps me asleep once I'm out...I've been taking the "Nature's Own" brand for 7 years or so, and have never had a need to increase the dosage.  No grogginess in the morning either, which is very nice.

The problem with Melatonan seems to be that it works wonderfully for some people, and not at all for others - And it's not an inexpensive supplement, a good brand name, though it can be found at the grocery, runs $13 plus for 60 5mg tablets.

My wife also favor's Melatonin. She has told me that if she had to choose any two sleep aides, they would be that and Benadryl (but not at the same time). And she was a hard core insomniac for so many years. I wish that other people would give those a try. Could be that one of the other would do it for them and then they would been in a great place. They would have control over their ability to sleep using something inexpensive and OTC. I wish that it was that easy, however, and I know that it seldom is.

Agree, RM.  My PCP prescribed Ambi3n CR for me when it first came out, but even with blue chip insurance, that medication was upwards of $80 per month for 30 tablets - More than I'm willing to spend on prescriptions (unless they are for life-threatening conditions).  I'm sure it works wonderfully, I know many people who use it, and have heard no complaints, and the patent hasn't yet run out, so the pharma firm that manufactures it is still rolling in dough from the prescriptions.  I'm certainly not what anyone would classify as a clinical insomniac, it isn't every night that I have trouble getting to sleep (understandable, since for all but two months of the last seventeen years I've been prescribed a benz0diazepine), but even on nights when I am able to fall asleep easily, I have difficulties staying asleep...RLS, frequent need to urinate, the usual old man stuff.  A single 5mg Melatonin at 10PM relieves all of that, once I'm asleep, I stay asleep until 5:30AM (my customary awakening time - Don't even need an alarm clock).

Also agree with your wife.  Melatonin and Benadryl together (I say from experience, suffering from the occasional cold or allergy and availing myself of Nyquil or Benadryl) will make me sleep until noon even if I go to bed at 10PM, and still be groggy for the rest of the day.  Neither have that effect when used by themselves.

Insomnia is a serious condition.  My father suffered horribly from it, neither Ambi3n or Ambi3n CR (much less generic Z0lpid3m) were available while he was alive, and he couldn't handle Benadryl or Nyquil, even by themselves, they made him so groggy the day after taking them that he found himself having difficulties at work.  I can remember waking at 6AM to get ready for school to find him in his home office loading up on coffee, having been up the entire night, unable to sleep.  I feel awful for those who suffer from insomnia, but for those of us who merely have occasional, normal difficulties getting to sleep or staying asleep, I far prefer OTC solutions to prescription ones.

[yellowdog]

Nutmeg and warm milk.

[Fairlady27]

I take 900mg of magnesium before bed to stay regular, and a nice side effect is that is good for relaxation too. I take it 30 min before bed and seems to work for me.