If sleep has plunged to the bottom of your to-do list, you're not alone. Although the National Sleep Foundation recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, the average American logs only six hours and 40 minutes. What gives? Blame crazy schedules and, of course, sleeping woes. Before you rush to the drugstore to buy an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep medication, try one of the following natural sleep remedies. "These are safer and have fewer side effects than OTC medications," says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic and medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers. Many of these can not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep, but they may also promote muscle relaxation.

    Magnesium and calcium

    Magnesium and calcium are both sleep boosters, and when taken together, they become even more effective. Plus, by taking magnesium, you cancel out any potential heart problems that might arise from taking calcium alone. Take 200 milligrams of magnesium—lower the dose if it causes diarrhea—and 600 milligrams of calcium each night.

    Wild lettuce

    If you've suffered anxiety, headaches, or muscle or joint pain, you might already be familiar with wild lettuce. It's also effective at calming restlessness and reducing anxiety—and may even quell restless legs syndrome. When using a wild-lettuce supplement, take 30 to 120 milligrams before bed.

    Hops

    Beer fans will no doubt be familiar with the calming effect of hops, the female flowers used in beer making. For sleep purposes, though, this extract has been widely used as a mild sedative for anxiety and insomnia. Take 30 to 120 milligrams before climbing under the covers.

    Aromatherapy

    Lavender is the trick here, as studies have proven that it aids in sleep. It's also a cheap, nontoxic way to slip into a peaceful slumber. Find a spray with real lavender and spritz it on your pillow before bedtime. Or buy a lavender-filled pillow.

    Melatonin

    Melatonin is the hormone that controls sleep, so it's no wonder that it naturally induces sleep. Although some experts recommend taking higher doses, studies show that lower doses are more effective. Plus, there's concern that too-high doses could cause toxicity as well as raise the risk of depression or infertility. Take 0.3 to 0.5 milligrams before bed.

    Yoga or meditation

    Choose gentle yoga or stretching, not vigorous power or ashtanga yoga, which could energize you instead. Try easy yoga stretches in bed followed by simple meditation. Close your eyes and, for 5 to 10 minutes, pay attention to nothing but your breathing.

    如果睡眠已經(jīng)變成了你要做的最后一件事情，你并不是唯一的人。雖然國家睡眠基金會建議每晚睡眠七至九個小時，但是一般的美國人只睡六小時40分鐘。該歸咎于什么？是瘋狂的時間表，當(dāng)然還有睡眠困難。在去藥店買非處方（OTC）催眠藥之前，試一下以下任一種自然催眠療法。《從疲勞到幻想》一書的作者和國家纖維肌痛和疲勞中心的醫(yī)學(xué)主任醫(yī)學(xué)博士雅各布·泰特鮑恩說：“這些療法與非處方藥比起來安全且副作用小。”許多療法不僅有助于入睡而且能夠保持睡眠狀態(tài)，但是它們也有可能促進(jìn)肌肉的放松。

    鎂和鈣

    鎂和鈣都有助于失眠，同時服用，甚至更加有效。另外，服用鎂就排除了任何因單獨服用鈣而發(fā)生的心臟問題的可能。每天晚上服用200毫克鎂——如果導(dǎo)致腹瀉就減少用量——和600毫克鈣。

    野萵苣

    如果你經(jīng)受過焦慮、頭痛或肌肉或關(guān)節(jié)痛，你有可能已經(jīng)熟悉野萵苣了。它在使人安靜和減輕焦慮方面也是有效的——并且甚至可以減輕不寧腿綜合征。當(dāng)服用野萵苣補給品時，上床前服用30到120毫克。

    啤酒花

    喜歡喝啤酒的人無疑熟悉啤酒花的鎮(zhèn)定作用。啤酒花是用于啤酒釀造的雌花。然而，出于睡眠的目的，這種提取物被廣泛應(yīng)用于作為應(yīng)對焦慮和失眠的溫和的鎮(zhèn)靜劑。入睡之前服用30到120毫克。

    香薰療法

    薰衣草在這兒是個訣竅，因為研究表明它有助于睡眠。它也是一種世人、進(jìn)入平靜睡眠的廉價無毒的方式。找一種帶有真正的薰衣草的噴液，在入睡前把它噴到枕頭上。或者購買一個填有薰衣草的枕頭。

    褪黑激素

    褪黑激素是控制睡眠的激素，所以無疑它會自然地引起睡眠。雖然有些專家推薦服用較大的劑量，但是研究表明較低的劑量更有效。另外，人們關(guān)心的是太大的劑量會引發(fā)毒性和增加患抑郁和不育的風(fēng)險。入睡前服用0.3到0.5毫克。

    瑜伽或冥想

    選擇溫和瑜伽或拉伸瑜伽，而不是動力瑜伽或阿斯湯瑜伽，因為后者相反會使你變得興奮。在床上試著做簡易的瑜伽伸展動作，然后進(jìn)行簡單的冥想。閉上雙眼，在隨后的5到10分鐘內(nèi)，除了呼吸之外別的一概不注意。