Natural Sleep Aids Slideshow

Natural sleep aids can assist people in falling asleep and staying asleep long enough to get adequate rest. There are plenty of prescription sleep aids available, but many people would rather try a natural sleep aid before visiting a doctor to get a prescription written for a sleeping pill.

Some people fear a potential addiction to prescription sleeping pills, but some people can find themselves highly reliant on natural sleep aids too.

It's important to remember that even herbal supplements and other sleep aids labeled as natural can have contraindications with other medication you're taking. For this reason, always disclose to your doctor any sleep aids you use, even if it's an herbal supplement that you can buy without a prescription.

Natural sleeping pills usually contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Valerian Root
• Jujube Seed Extract
• Melatonin
• Tryptophan
• Hops
• Chamomile

There are a variety of natural sleeping pills available, so it's a good idea to experiment with different pills to find the pill that is most effective in getting you to sleep.

Many people find that soothing scents help them to gently fall asleep and stay asleep. The trick is to find a scent that relaxes you enough to assist you in falling asleep. Common scents used to aid sleep include:

• Sandalwood
• Lavender
• Chamomile

You can purchase these scents in many different forms, but it's not a good idea to burn a scented candle while sleeping.

Eye masks can help some people fall asleep because the mask blocks any light from interrupting sleep. Masks are also available with additional features to enhance sleep:

• Scented masks
• Heated or cooled masks
• Masks made from special materials

Many people use eye masks as an alternative to medicinal sleep aids.

Although natural sleep aids can be a good alternative to prescription medication, there comes a time when medical intervention may be necessary. There may be a physiological reason for your sleep problems that may not be treatable with natural aids.

Contact your doctor when you have no success with natural aids for getting a good night's sleep.