Top 3 Supplements for Insomnia

Trouble sleeping? Most of us struggle to fall asleep occasionally, but if you regularly fail to get enough deep, restorative sleep, it might be a sign of something more serious. According to Cleveland Clinic, one in three adults struggle with insomnia symptoms. In this article, we’ll explore common signs of insomnia as well as three supplements for insomnia that can help you sleep through the night. 

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is more than just trouble sleeping. Insomnia sufferers may struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up too early. This condition may be acute, and last for a few days or weeks, or it may be chronic. Insomnia is considered chronic when symptoms occur at least three nights a week for more than three months. 

Insomnia may also occur on its own (a type of insomnia called “primary insomnia”) or as a result of another health condition, such as depression, anxiety, cancer, chronic pain, or sleep apnea. This is called secondary insomnia.

Insomnia Patterns

Sleep needs vary throughout our lifetimes and from person to person. For example, infants require a whopping fourteen to seventeen hours of sleep a day! However, for most adults, seven to nine hours is considered ideal. 

Just like sleep needs and patterns may vary between individuals, insomnia can present differently from one person to the next. There are three major insomnia patterns: 

• Sleep Onset Insomnia - Trouble falling asleep.
• Sleep Maintenance Insomnia - Trouble staying asleep, with periods of wakefulness throughout the night. 
• Early Waking Insomnia - Waking up too early in the morning without falling back asleep. 

These patterns are not exclusive and may overlap or shift throughout your life as life circumstances and sleep patterns change. 

Common Signs of Insomnia

In addition to trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, common signs and symptoms of insomnia include: 

• Feeling tired, drowsy, or unwell during the day
• Slowed reaction times or reflexes
• Memory problems
• Brain fog or impaired concentration
• Changes in mood, including irritability, depression, and anxiety

Over time, insomnia can also increase your risk for other health conditions including mental illness, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

Top Three Supplements for Insomnia

Looking for supplements for insomnia? The causes of insomnia can vary. Stress levels, sleep conditions (bedding, room temperature, lighting), lifestyle factors (alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine consumption, physical exercise, illness), and sleep hygiene (exposure to blue light, excessive napping, irregular bedtimes) can all play a role. 

When selecting an insomnia supplement, it’s important to take the cause of your insomnia into account. For example, if your insomnia stems from chronic stress, you might consider a regular supplement like magnesium, which has been shown to boost calmness, lower cortisol, and relieve anxiety. If you struggle with uneven bedtimes due to a chaotic work schedule, valerian can offer fast-acting, short-term relief on the nights you need it. However, lifestyle and environmental factors such as a cold bedroom, too much light, or drinking caffeine too close to bed time should also be addressed. 

MediHerb Valerian Complex

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a flowering perennial native to Europe and Asia. Well-known for its sedative and anti-anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects, valerian root has been used to treat insomnia, stress, and other ailments since ancient Greece.

In one study, valerian proved as effective as the benzodiazepine oxazepam in treating insomnia, with fewer side effects. In another, valerian significantly outperformed a placebo, helping participants fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer when administered on non-consecutive nights.

Valerian is a great option for occasional sleeplessness caused by: life stress, anxiety, and unalterable lifestyle factors like loud neighbors.   

MediHerb Valerian Complex combines the soothing properties of valerian root with passionflower, another superstar herbal sleep aid. Passionflower contains GABA, an anxiety-fighting neurotransmitter that inhibits excitement and stress. In fact, a two week clinical study of the effects of passionflower on insomnia, showed significant improvement in sleep quality for participants who took one 60mg capsule versus placebo. Want to learn more? Check it out here in our shop. 

Standard Process E-Z Mg

Did you know: almost 50% of American adults are deficient in this key mineral? Magnesium is an essential nutrient found in nuts, grains, and dark leafy greens. Not only is magnesium a great sleep aid if you struggle with pain, restlessness, or anxiety–it’s both the nutrient our body uses to counteract cortisol, the stress hormone, and a key precursor to melatonin, the neurotransmitter that triggers sleepiness. 

In fact, magnesium is so central to our body’s sleep cycle that insomnia is one of the hallmark symptoms of magnesium deficiency. The only downside? Choosing the wrong magnesium supplement can have unwanted and uncomfortable side effects, since certain formulations are also excellent laxatives. 

Our recommendation for better sleep? Standard Process E-Z Mg^TM. Specifically formulated to support longer, deeper sleep, as well as restore magnesium levels depleted by stress and chronic exhaustion, Standard Process E-Z Mg^TM is an organic, plant-based magnesium supplement with a higher absorption rate and gentler digestion profile than synthetic magnesium supplements. Get it here in our shop.

Standard Process Cataplex D

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin that our bodies make in response to sunlight, is critical to regulating our sleep/wake cycle. When Vitamin D is low, sleep disorders are more likely, with low levels of Vitamin D linked to interrupted sleep, shorter sleep, and fatigue during the day. Vitamin D has also been linked to sleep apnea, and other sleep disturbances outside of insomnia.

Our top Vitamin D supplement pick is Standard Process Cataplex D. While our bodies make Vitamin D in response to sun exposure, getting enough can be difficult if you’re frequently indoors, especially if you live somewhere with intense winters. Standard Process Cataplex D makes getting enough Vitamin D easy with 200% DV of the “sunshine vitamin” in each two tablet serving. Buy it here in our shop.