Best Natural Sleep Aid Without Melatonin
The causes of sleep problems can be so diverse that addressing them can become a challenge, one that traditional sleep remedies can’t always overcome.
Many have turned to melatonin as a natural remedy, but there are also many people with concerns about melatonin's potential side effects or interactions with other medications.
This is where natural sleep aids without melatonin come in.
There is a long list of herbs, teas, mushrooms, minerals, supplements, cannabinoids, and terpenes with impressive potential to help you sleep better. In this post, we will look at the best of them.
We’ll also give you a list of the best Mellow Fellow products for better rest.
Key Takeaways
- Natural sleep aids fall into various categories like botanicals (or herbs) such as chamomile or valerian root, minerals such as magnesium, or amino acids such as glycine. Many have different effects, ranging from promoting relaxation to reducing anxiety before sleeping.
- Natural sleep aids are generally safe as long as they are taken appropriately, following dosage recommendations, and paying attention to your body's response to avoid side effects.
- Without a doubt, we can say that CBD is the cannabinoid that has revolutionized the cannabis scene the most in recent years. One of the reasons for its allure is its potential relaxing qualities that could greatly help improve rest.
- CBD gummies are a convenient form of dosing CBD, as you know exactly how much your body is getting.
What Are Natural Sleep Aids?
Natural sleep aids are substances derived from plants, minerals, and amino acids, believed to aid sleep without using synthetic compounds. Because these products naturally derive from things found in nature, they tend to require lower doses than synthetic sleep aids and, therefore, may be a gentler form of improving sleep.
Natural sleep aids fall into various categories like botanicals (or herbs) such as chamomile or valerian root, minerals such as magnesium, or amino acids such as glycine. Many have different effects, ranging from promoting relaxation to reducing anxiety before sleeping.
Natural sleep aids rely on the power of nature and focus on influencing sleep in targeted ways that have been used in different cultures throughout human history. Furthermore, they offer a natural alternative with fewer associated risks, making them ideal for those who want to improve their sleep from a more holistic approach.
Are Natural Sleep Aids Safe?
Natural sleep aids are generally safe as long as they are taken appropriately, following dosage recommendations, and paying attention to your body's response to avoid side effects.
Natural sleep aids generally have fewer side effects than their synthetic counterparts, but this doesn’t mean they’re entirely risk-free.
Some individuals who use natural sleep aids may experience digestive upset, while others can have allergic reactions, depending on the type of supplement and individual predispositions.
If you have a preexisting health condition or are taking medications, it is always a good idea to talk with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements.
For example, a healthcare professional can guide you toward natural sleep aids that are ideal for your needs and health conditions.
When we prioritize safety and reach out to qualified professionals to guide our health decisions, we ensure that we can use natural sleep aids in a way that will work for our needs and health circumstances without posing any risk.
12 Best Natural Sleep Aid Without Melatonin
Now that we have a clear idea of what natural sleep aids without melatonin are and that we should use them responsibly and under professional guidance, let's take a closer look at how each of these remedies could help us improve our rest.
1. Cannabidiol (CBD)
Without a doubt, we can say that CBD is the cannabinoid that has revolutionized the cannabis scene the most in recent years. One of the reasons for such allure is its potential relaxing qualities that could greatly help improve rest.
Acting through the endocannabinoid system, CBD might have a general calming effect that naturally promotes a good night’s rest by lessening anxiety. Studies show that this relaxation effect helps individuals fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, less fitful sleep, and is effective in dealing even with insomnia.
While CBD's legal status varies across states in the US, it's federally permitted and accessible for most users. Nonetheless, there's ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness and safety of cannabinoids like CBD and CBN vs. melatonin for improving sleep.
Many users report that, when used correctly and at the proper dosage, CBN can help you sleep without the daytime drowsiness associated with melatonin, especially when combined with CBD relaxing properties.
That’s why we have developed products such as our Rest Blend Softgel Capsules that combine CBN's sedative power and CBD's soothing relaxation. So, do you want to know how CBD can help you sleep better? Click order and try it now!
2. Lavender
Lavender aroma is synonymous with aromatherapy and has long been known as a helpful remedy in calming the mind and body.
Gaining its medicinal properties is as easy as using a diffuser with lavender oil, adding it to bathwater, or simply stuffing sachets with dried lavender flowers and placing it near pillows for a soothing aroma.
The natural chemical that gives lavender its calming aroma is linalool – a terpene commonly present in many of the best indica strains for sleep. At Mellow Fellow, we incorporate lavender essential oil into our Relief Blend Roll-On, offering localized relief for discomfort that could otherwise disrupt our restful sleep.
3. Herbal Tea
Herbal teas are one of the most used methods to obtain the benefits of herbs with possible sleep-promoting qualities. Most people have tried one of them at some point, and some people even drink chamomile tea daily.
Teas from other sleep-promoting plants like valerian root or passionflower are also well known. Chamomile tea, when drunk warm, relaxes muscles, lowers the body’s core temperature, and reduces anxiety.
Valerian root infusions act as a mild sedative and reduce anxiety too, with studies revealing that it also helps with insomnia. Tea made from the passionflower calms the nervous system and helps to stabilize sleep.
These infusions have been used for this purpose for millennia. However, these are just some options among many natural plants with sleep-promoting effects, herbs that can be used to make infusions and teas and help us take care of sleep in a more natural, gentle, and less invasive way.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium is known to help promote sleep and calm with its ability to relax muscles. It helps reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) release, which overarouses the body, calms the nervous system, and makes it easier for people to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Magnesium-rich foods or supplementation can help support a night of quality and deeper sleep.
5. Passionflower
Passionflower’s ability to calm both the mind and the body should lower anxiety and help you fall asleep quicker. This is important because night waking and trouble falling back to sleep are both a common part of anxiety disorders.
Passionflower could enable you to fall asleep on your own, rather than just taking a sleeping pill or sleep aid such as Tylenol PM or Nytol, and it supports both your mental and physical health.
6. Hops
Hops, while well-known for helping in brewing beer, appear to be nature’s answer for people seeking improved sleep. Its main constituent, humulene, is a terpene with recognized anxiolytic properties.
Hops is, therefore, a key ingredient in herbal blends aiming to alleviate anxiety and induce John Keats’ ‘calm sleep.’ When combined with other calming herbs, hops offer a serene and revitalizing night’s sleep because of their natural anxiolytic properties.
7. German Chamomile
German Chamomile has a long history as a bedtime herbal tea; it has a well-earned reputation as a traditional remedy for quieting the mind and body; the underlying effects that make it useful as a gentle sleep aid also make it a good choice for stress reduction.
You might enjoy German Chamomile to settle your nerves early in the evening or to help you drift off to a soothing, regenerative slumber.
8. Glycine
The amino acid glycine is an excellent sleep aid as it can relax muscles and help decrease time to sleep onset by inhibiting neurotransmitters that help to maintain wakefulness.
It also facilitates the transition to sleep, making it easier for the body to recover from the effects of wakefulness and allowing sleep to come more readily.
Taking glycine is as easy as taking a glycine supplement or can be accessed naturally by ingesting glycine-rich foods, such as poultry, fish, and legumes.
9. Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is another cognitive enhancer with an indirect, potentially beneficial impact on sleep. Ginkgo Biloba can indirectly influence sleep quality through its ability to improve blood circulation and reduce stress.
In these ways, this natural cognitive enhancer could also indirectly improve sleep. Sleep enables the brain to flush away toxic stress-related chemicals and promote better cognitive function.
Experts believe Ginkgo Biloba could reduce anxiety by enhancing brain functioning and reducing stress.
10. Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a sleep-supporting amino acid shown to help the body synthesize serotonin, a neurotransmitter that calms the nervous system and influences the sleep-wake cycle.
When serotonin levels go up, it’s easier to drift off and experience a better sleep quality overall. In addition to tryptophan supplements, chicken, turkey, dairy foods, nuts, and seeds are all good sources of this sleep-supporting amino acid.
11. L-theanine
Thanks to the so-called ‘nature’s Valium’ compound l-theanine (l-theta-num; pronounced ‘tee-ahan’).
This amino acid naturally occurs in tea leaves. L-theanine has long been known for its calming effects. It increases alpha brain waves, promotes relaxation without drowsiness, and supports REM sleep by reducing anxiety and agitation.
Data shows l-theanine promising use in addressing insomnia thanks to its ability to calm the mind.
For individuals experiencing sleep issues such as anxiety-induced insomnia, nighttime waking, or difficulty falling asleep, the ideal dose of l-theanine is typically 100 to 200mg. Some people consider anxiety their ‘wake signal,’ and it’s crucial to find the right balance when using l-theanine.
One could treat oneself to a cup of green tea or seek out l-theanine supplements.
12. Tart Cherry Juice
While this is not a melatonin-free sleep aid, the fact that it produces it naturally, and at the concentrations it does, may already be a positive contribution.
Tart cherry juice has natural melatonin – the hormone that controls sleep-wake cycles – so drinking tart cherry juice may help you sleep better by keeping your body on track.
In tandem with this juice's natural sleep-regulating properties, the melatonin content may also help you fall asleep faster at night and sleep more restfully.
Using tart cherry juice as a natural way to get a better night’s sleep and improve your health is an alternative to taking sleep supplements that include synthetic melatonin.
Best CBD Products to Help You Sleep
After reading about how CBD can help you get deeper, longer, and better sleep, you’re probably eager to experience the benefits of this compound. If you are, here are some of the best CBD products for sleep in today's market.
CBD Gummies
CBD gummies are a convenient form of dosing CBD, as you know exactly how much your body is getting. The best thing is that there is a huge variety of CBD gummies on the market and flavors you couldn't even imagine.
When it comes to improving sleep, not all CBD gummies may be equally effective. The presence of other compounds in the gummies, such as cannabinoids or terpenes, can greatly influence the effectiveness of certain products in meeting their goal of improving sleep.
In this sense, our rest-blend gummies lead the way. Our rest-blend gummies are a great way to take CBD and feature a clinically studied blend of sleep-inducing cannabinoids, namely CBD, CBN, and CBG, specially crafted to improve rest quality.
Order a 30-serving 1,500mg pack for a month’s supply, or choose our 2-pack for a trial run.
CBD Oil
CBD oil is a very versatile way of taking CBD, as you can reap the benefits of fast absorption for quick relief and take it on its own or add it to food or beverages – or even both. The precise and recognizable dropper also lets you take whatever dose is right for you at any given time.
Another great way to use CBD oil is through tinctures – this means you can take CBD oil while also being able to measure precise dosages each time. CBD oil tinctures can be used on their own for easy and convenient dosing anytime and anywhere.
If you want to test the effectiveness of CBD tinctures in improving sleep, play it safe! At Mellow Fellow, we offer our tasty Mint and Berry Tinctures with 1,500mg of our Rest Blend, a cannabinoid mix specially designed to help you rest well.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds contain nutritional compounds like omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium, which play a role in good health, although they’re not directly sleep-promoting.
Instead, a diet of foods that support wellness in other ways might indirectly improve sleep. In this sense, the nutritional value of hemp seeds could be a great addition to promoting a more balanced, restful lifestyle.
Hemp seeds can be added to one’s diet as a salad or yogurt topping, in smoothies, or baked into brownies.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, finding the right natural sleep aid for you is vital. As we saw, there are many options, from cannabinoids such as CBD or CBN, terpenes such as linalool or humulene, to herbal teas, amino acids, and many more.
However, each of these supplements has qualities that can be more or less effective depending on the specific needs of each user. This is why it’s always best to seek professional help to obtain the best possible guide in determining which of all these natural sleep aids without melatonin could be the perfect fit for you.
Finally, remember that at Mellow Fellow, we have all the help you need to rest better!
Go for our rest-blend CBD Gummies, Softgel Capsules, and Tinctures to get you relaxed and comfy, or for our Relief Blend Roll-On for localized relief. The best thing is that these products are just one click away. So, order now and don't miss the chance to sleep better!
Best Natural Sleep Aid Without Melatonin: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Melatonin Really the Best Natural Sleep Aid?
Melatonin can be effective for some individuals, but it's not necessarily the best natural sleep aid for everyone. Some may seek alternatives due to concerns about side effects or preferences for a more holistic approach to sleep.
What Sleep Aid Is Safe to Take Every Night?
You should talk to your doctor before taking any sleep aid regularly. Still, there are general considerations, including safety, side effects, and how much it might affect sleep quality and overall health over time if taken daily.
Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
Magnesium might help to promote a restful night’s sleep, at least partly by relieving tension and lowering stress. Those with magnesium deficiencies or those who suffer from sleep problems associated with muscle tension or mental stress may see the largest benefits.
Is CBD Better For Sleep Than Melatonin?
CBD and melatonin offer different approaches to improving sleep. While melatonin directly influences the sleep-wake cycle, CBD's effects on sleep are more complex and may involve relaxation and anxiety reduction. The choice between CBD and melatonin depends on individual preferences and needs, with some finding CBD a better fit for their sleep concerns.
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