Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30-50% of the general population is affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia. Many physicians have prescribed sleep medications, only to find out that they were associated with significant side effects. These drugs may cause morning drowsiness or sleep that lacks natural rejuvenating properties. So what is one to do?

There is a method to sleeping through the night without having to rely on heavy medication.There are a few natural aids sleep aids are safe and can be used with confidence. In our annual review of natural sleep aids, we highlight some of these naturopathic products.When taken properly and for the right reasons, natural supplements can be very effective in improving the quality and quantity of your sleep, with little or no side effects.

Are Prescription Sleeping Pills Worth The Potential Risks?

With so many types of prescription sleep aid medications on the market today how do you choose? Are they even right for your particular sleeping problem? Will you risk the potential dangerous side effects by using them? For millions of Americans the answer is a resounding NO! They have decided that the risks for dependency and worsening of the insomnia are far too great and they are turning to natural sleep aid products.

The truth is, some products contain subpar ingredients and ineffective amounts to be really effective. There are a few, however, with research and ultra grade ingredients in them that prove that they work and are extremely effective. I offer an insightful look at these products, so that consumers can make better informed educated decisions when purchasing sleep aid products.

There are over 150 natural sleep aid products available on the market today. When I researched the available natural sleep aid products on the market, I focused mainly on those products that showed the potential to:

• Normalize sleep patterns.
• Promote "deep sleep".
• Relax muscles and calm nerves.
• Reduce restlessness and feelings of anxiety..
• Promote fast and satisfying sleep.

I further examined each product's ingredients/percentages/formulation properties contained within. After review of the scientific literature, I chose only safe, natural products that had studies showing sleep aid support. Only those products that met this criteria are listed in the results.

Rank		Product	Improve Sleep Pattern	Support and Maintain Natural Sleep Patterns	Promote Relaxation and Sleep	Increase Quality of Sleep	Total Score	Learn More
1		Somulin™	5 of 5	5 of 5	4 of 5	5 of 5	96/100
2		Restaid™	4 of 5	4 of 5	4 of 5	5 of 5	94/100
3		Melatrol™	4 of 5	5 of 5	5 of 5	4 of 5	94/100
4		Sleeping Easy™	5 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	93/100
5		Ambiatol™	4 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	91/100
6		Alteril™	4 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	91/100
7		Dormanex SR™	4 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	91/100
8		Sleep Quick Strips™	4 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	91/100
9		Sleep MD™	4 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	91/100
10		Somnapril™	4 of 5	3 of 5	4 of 5	3 of 5	88/100

• Superiority of nutrient levels- this is based on the percentage of actual ingredients contained in the product. (Quality of Ingredients)
• Expected overall effectiveness of the formulation.
• Safety-are there any safety concerns for the product, or the recommended dosage.
• Value compared to other products.

A total score was derived, and products ranked.

A word about overall effectiveness. Based on the available literature, I rank ordered nutrients based on expected efficacy. This is a subjective assessment based on the strength of the available information and my estimation of efficacy.