Today’s fast paced world can leave even the strongest person feeling exhausted, anxious, and overwhelmed. These can all harm our bodies and minds, causing certain mental and physical sickness like depression, heart conditions, and insomnia. Insomnia, though, can be the most quickly deteriorating and detrimental affliction, because sleep is so important to the life cycle.

Luckily, for those of us who are averse to taking manmade chemicals to induce sleep, there are plenty of natural remedies for insomnia. One of these natural remedies is called Valerian root, which has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for insomnia. Scientists aren’t 100% sure how it causes drowsiness, but they think it might act a lot like prescription sleep aids in that it increases the amount of the relaxing neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. You can expect it to take a couple of weeks, usually 2 or 3, before it starts working properly.

Another popular aid for insomnia, often taken by those whose circadian rhythm is out of whack due to jet lag, is Melatonin. Melatonin occurs naturally in the brain, where the pineal gland converts it from serotonin as light exposure lessens in the evening. It is usually taken within 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, but doctors say that those with depression, schizophrenia, or autoimmune disease should avoid using Melatonin.

Along with taking Valerian or Melatonin supplements, relaxation techniques have also proven quite efficacious in aiding those with insomnia. These techniques range from visualization and meditation to yoga and progressive muscle relaxation. In visualization, one closes their eyes and pictures their self falling asleep, much like meditation, where one sits still and focuses on a sensation (such as the breath) for a period of time. Yoga has also proven to be quite useful in increasing the speed with which you fall asleep, as well as how long you sleep, due to its combination of stretching and meditative breathing. Progressive muscle relaxation is the process by which you tense up a group of muscles for a period of time, then release them, and move to another group of muscles, each group feeling more relaxed after its use.

There are many more natural remedies for insomnia these days than just the ones described above. If you feel like trying something alternative to prescription drugs, or don’t respond to them well either, then Valerian, Melatonin, and relaxation techniques are probably right for you. So take control, don’t wait any longer and let insomnia damage your sense of well being and quality of life, try curing it, the natural way.