Melatonin or Valerian? What is the best to use for insomnia?!
Question: Melatonin works for me very well, but I wake up groggy (5MG). It was sugjested to me to try Valerian. Anyone with experience, please advise.
Answers: Melatonin works for me very well, but I wake up groggy (5MG). It was sugjested to me to try Valerian. Anyone with experience, please advise.
Try a lower dose of the melatonin - halve the pill. Usually when using melatonin you should start with the lowest dose possible and work up to just the right amount for you. It also should NOT (major edit after rereading, sorry for the typo - that was bad) be used long term, just to reset your clock. You need to find the right amount for you for it to work optimally though.
Valerian would be good to try. We never have, but heard glowing reports about it. It won't hurt at all to try it if you don't want to try adjusting the melatonin dosage.
Chamomile is also an excellent relaxant and will help you sleep. That is what we prefer here when needed, in the form of tea, with honey.
If sleep issues are more than infrequent, you should try to find the root cause and address that. Routine, low light in the evening, no excess stress in the evening, all will help.
Valerian really makes me feel drugged, worse than melatonin...I read some doctor's advice on the stuff....he said that 5 mg of melatonin is WAY too much....after a while your body becomes dependant on it and it stops producting it on its own...he says to cut it into thirds or fourths and take it every couple of days only....
What has worked really well for me lately is exercising (not too late) eating an alright sized meal (don't cut back too much, you'll stay up hungry) a couple of hours before I sleep, taking a shower, and reading something positive for at least an hour before bed (NO TV for a couple of hours before).....I also bought a sleeping mask and earplugs.....I've been getting really good sleep again...
GOOD LUCK!
I have no experience with any of these drugs. How do you feel about getting to the root of the insomnia?
Valerian is used when you are suffering from anxiety. It works on the nervous system. Melatonin works on the internal clock. It's supposed to bring your sleep/awake cycles back into order. I don't think that either substance is meant to be used all of the time. Recently I've been having trouble with sleep. I am not stressed out but I find it difficult to fall asleep and when I do I wake up after about two hours. Then, I'm very tired after being awake for two or three hours. This is has happened for the last two nights. I'm thinking of trying melatonin.
Lady, listen to Zam..........
I am a big fan of 5-HTP. Look Here:
http://www.5htp.com/
I am NOT endorsing this guy's products it is just the first site I came to when I googled...
5-htp and generic benadryl will probably work wonders...actually almost ALL OTC sleep aids ARE generic benadryl...I have usedeither one, the other or both depending on my issues and have had great success with all three off and on for decades...
I'm plagued with terrible insomnia and neither have saliently helped me, but i've tried both--and they both exert effects.
Melatonin is a hormone your body produces at night time, or rather, when no light hits the retinas. This conveniently makes people tired and ready for sleep. Melatonin is also found in rice, bananas, corn, tomatoes, and some other plant sources. When I took it, I found it to induce an effect similar to ambien, but that was only on the first time i took it and it was a hefty amount.
Valerian, on the other hand, promotes relaxation and encourages sleep. In fact, it is known as the "valium of the rainforest." It stultifies the central nervous system, inducing an anxiolytic effect. Studies suggest taking 400-900mg of valerian over an extended period of time would be most useful to insomniacs.
Perhaps you'd like to try aromatherapy. The scent of lavender is shown to enhance alpha brain waves at the back of the brain, inducing drowsiness and relaxation. I've found this to be true! While ingesting lavender orally is ineffective(note: swallowing a teaspoon of lavender oil could prove fatally toxic!), compounds in lavender are able to cross the blood-brain barrier when inhaled, and thus are effective. Try aromatherapy! =) I have found it does indeed induce such calming effects.
I hope the info proferred assists you somehow.
Melatonin. Take less than you usually do and take it a little earlier in the evening
Valerian didn't work very well for me and I couldn't get past the smell of the tea. You can find Valerian in a capsule form to avoid the smell. You could also try lowering you Melatonin dose, that is a pretty high dose. And some health food stores sell products with a combo of BOTH Valerian and Melatonin..that might be something to try too!
Good luck!