If you are having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night, you may want to look into medicines that could help your insomnia. Some people may be worried about developing a drug dependency and/or other side effects. Thankfully, there are natural sleep medications out there that can improve your sleep hygiene without becoming habit-forming drugs. Here are four natural sleep medications to try.

L-theanine Supplements

L-theanine is a type of amino acid that can help improve relaxation so that you can get to sleep. One great benefit of L-theanine is that it doesn't promote daytime drowsiness, so you could take the medicine at any time and not have to worry about messing up your sleep schedule. L-theanine medicines are great at helping people with anxiety. Some people may also want to take l-theanine that's combined with Gamma-aminobutyric acid supplements (GABA), as GABA can reduce excitability in the nervous system and help ease the anxiety that's keeping you from sleep.

Tryptophan Supplements

Like L-theanine, tryptophan is an amino acid that helps to maintain your body's muscles, proteins, and neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, your body cannot produce it, so you must either get it in your diet or from medications. Tryptophan is an important amino acid that gets converted into another chemical called serotonin. Low serotonin levels could cause depression and insomnia. You should take a look at your diet; if you aren't getting enough foods with tryptophan, then a tryptophan supplement may be worth looking into.

Magnesium Supplements

One study found that people with inadequate micronutrients—vitamins and minerals that the body needs in small quantities—tended to experience poor sleep and other negative health outcomes. Magnesium is an important mineral that your body needs to regulate sugar levels, blood pressure, and nerve function. Magnesium plays an important role in regulating the hormone melatonin, which is involved in maintaining proper circadian rhythms.

Melatonin Supplements

While your body produces melatonin naturally, some people may want to take melatonin supplements to re-balance the body's release of this hormone. Ideally, melatonin levels should naturally rise in the evening and fall in the morning when you wake. However, some people may develop melatonin imbalances due to jet leg or night-shift work. One study found that some people may experience impaired cognition or side effects with medications like benzodiazepines, antidepressants, or anxiolytics, so melatonin is a great pharmaceutical alternative since it can help sleep disorders with fewer side effects.

These are just a few natural sleep medicines that you could try. Reach out to a health and medical provider in your area for more details.

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