What They’re Not Telling You About Sleep Aids

Dear Health Conscious Reader,

You’ve probably never heard of this even though it’s from our own government’s National Institutes of Health. Guess what they found out. On average, sleeping pills give you only 11 extra minutes of sleep a night.1

And they come with lots of dangerous side effects. Sleepwalking; driving in a trance in the middle of the night; binge eating while unconscious; headache; dry mouth; dizziness … they can even worsen your insomnia.

Americans spend $4.5 billion a year on expensive, unsafe sleep aids.2 This is more than a waste. They’re also robbing you of your health. Losing sleep is dangerous.

Clinical studies show that getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis…

  • Supports cardiovascular health3
  • Supports weight management and metabolism
  • Supports normal blood sugar levels4
  • Supports strong immunity5
  • Promotes an overall healthy outlook
  • Improves poor work performance

But you don’t need to take expensive, dangerous sleeping pills.

There are potent alternatives that can deliver deep, refreshing sleep every night. You won’t need a prescription. They are 100% natural, and you can get them at most supplement stores.

Melatonin. The Harvard Health Letter calls melatonin a natural sleep aid that reverses insomnia. It does this by resetting your clock.6

The problem with melatonin is absorption. Pills get destroyed in your gut and you never get the full effect. The best way to take melatonin is in spray form. And watch the dose. Many folks take too much, killing its effectiveness. Make sure you only take 500 mcg to 1 mg of melatonin.

Valerian Root and Hops. Valerian root has a calming effect on the nerves. And hops relieve anxiety and tension. Clinical trials show a mixture of the two makes an effective sleep aid without the grogginess and withdrawal of sleep aids.7 You can make a tea out of valerian and hops.

Tryptophan. Tryptophan is the amino acid found in sleep-inducing foods milk and turkey. I use a starting dose of 250 mg by mouth one half hour before bedtime. If that doesn’t produce good quality sleep, I increase the dose to 500 mg. You can enhance its effect by taking it with a glass of warm milk.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

  1. Stephanie Saul, “Sleep Drugs Found Only Mildly Effective, but Wildly Popular.” New York Times. October 23, 2007.
  2. Eguchi et al. “Short Sleep Duration as an Independent Predictor of Cardiovascular [Health] in Japanese Patients.” 2008. Archives of Internal Medicine. 168(20):2225-2231
  3. University of Chicago Medical Center. 2008. “Lack Of Deep Sleep [and Blood Sugar.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 31, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com? /releases/2008/01/080101093903.htm
  4. Savard et al. “[Sleeplesness]and immune functioning.” Psychosomatic Medicine. 2002. 65(2): 211-221.
  5. See http://health.learninginfo.org/melatonin.htm
  6. Schmitz M., et al. Comparative study … exogenous sleep disorders treated with a hops-valerian preparation and a benzodiazepine drug. Wein Med Wochenschr 1998; 148(13): 291-8