Virtually all natural products that promise to promote better sleep use a combination of time-proven ingredients such as Valerian Root, Kava Kava, Chamomile, Lemon Balm, St. John's Wort, Passionflower and L-Tryptophan.

However, the effectiveness and safety of these products have not been documented. Whatever studies that have been done on these ingredients are often hard to interpret.

Consider these:

Kava Kava: The long-term use of kava has reportedly lead to "kawanism", characterized by dry, flaking, discolored skin; reddened eyes; a scaly skin rash; puffy face; muscle weakness; blood abnormalities; and feelings of poor health. Symptoms of a kava overdose have been reported to include tiredness, sleepiness, and poor coordination. Kava Kava is banned in Germany and Switzerland where it caused serious liver problems. France, South Africa and Canada have also prohibited the sale of kava kava. In the UK, the herb has been removed from shelves.

St. John's Wort: The active ingredient in St. John's Wort is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) which slows down the actions of a protein in the brain called monoamine oxidase. This works as an antidepressant and keeps you feeling better. But the MAOI also cleans uptyramine, a molecule that affects blood pressure. When monoamine oxidase is blocked, the levels of tyramine increase quickly. You feel better, emotionally and psychologically, but your blood pressure can rise so much and so quickly that the blood vessels in your brain can burst.

The use of St John’s Wort has created controversy in Australia and throughout the world, where it is consumed in dried herb,
tablet, capsule, tea or liquid form. Users have complained of a dry mouth, dizziness, increased sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitisation), gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue. The FDA has issued a long list of additional medications which
St. John's Wort can interfere with - medications used to treat conditions like HIV infection, heart disease, seizure, and cancer.
It even affects drugs used to prevent transplant rejection and pregnancy.

L-Tryptophan: L-Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (obtained through dietary sources as the body cannot manufacture it
on its own) which is a precursor for serotonin. Serotonin levels affect your mood, helping induce relaxation and naturally
enhancing sleep. But it also leads to something less calming: L-tryptophan can trigger a disorder of the immune system called Eosinophila-Myalgia Syndrome, or EMS. In 1990, over 30 deaths occurred as a result. Today in the U.S., tryptophan is a
banned substance. But 5-HTP, a byproduct of tryptophan, is sold over the counter and has been linked to nausea, vomiting,
cramping, constipation, diarrhea and other various forms of intestinal discomfort.

With so many uncertainties surrounding these natural ingredients, it's no wonder that most of the 40 million Americans who suffer from chronic insomnia are still depending on prescribed medication. Popular tranquilizer-like drugs like Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata will knock you out faster than Mike Tyson's punch. These can, and will, put you into a comatose-like, deep sleep within 30 minutes... but you'll have a very hard time waking up.

And these quick-fix drugs only provide temporary relief and are addictive.

Common side effects include:

  drowsiness the next day

   dizziness

  forgetfulness

  constipation

  urinary retention

  blurred vision

  dried mouth and throat

  withdrawal symptoms

  rebound insomnia