Tag Archives: natural sleep aids

In this era of news reporting, sleeping pills have been getting a bad rap lately. We never favored drugs to get sleep but desperate folk need something. Here are our suggestions:

L-Tryptophan which is an amino acid (actually the thing in turkey and warm milk that makes you drowsy) that is safe and effective. Great to use unless you are taking antidepressants (warning).

Melatonin, a hormone naturally produced by the body that normally helps you sleep, but we recommend a hormone test (saliva or blood) that can tell you if you are deficient. We never advise taking any hormones unless you know you need them. The one we use is in a cream. There is an easy saliva hormone test kit at http://www.foreveryoungcooperative.com/testing-kits.html

Magnesium. An Australian study found that a combination of magnesium and zinc was effective especially when used with melatonin.

Gaba (gamma aminobutyric acid) is a relaxant especially for folk with anxiety or panic attacks. This neurotransmitter is made in the brain from the amino acid glutamate with the aid of vitamin B6. Best used in a supplement with 4-amino-3-phenylbutyric acid because its better able to cross the blood-brain barrier. We recommend getting a neurotransmitter test (saliva) to determine if your brain chemicals are out of balance and if that is the reason for your insomnia and anxiety. We have a test kit that can do this that in most cases is covered by insurance. Call Kristine at 617-360-1929 for more info.