I have spent a long time looking for a cure for insomnia, and I’ll share my experience with you.

First of all, if you've just had a baby and are dealing with being a parent , don't even read this. Just wait for 5 years! ;-)

So what did I try first? Drugs!  As a tax paying American, I worship pharmaceuticals as much as everyone else.  Fast acting and effective, drugs can certainly help you get to sleep, but are they a cure for insomnia?  Perhaps, but not a very healthy one.  The drugs you take to help sleep fall into two basic categories; prescription and over the counter.  Unfortunately, none of them are without some side effects.  I find that most of the over the counter drugs leave me feeling funky and irritable the next day.  The only non-prescription chemical I think even comes close to being a cure for insomnia is melatonin.  Melatonin is a hormone secreted naturally by your pineal gland. 

What melatonin does isn’t exactly fully understood, but it seems to have something to do with regulating sleep patterns.  I find that taking a melatonin supplement knocks me right out without any noticeable symptoms the next day.  Unfortunately, it only seems to have this effect for me if used once in awhile. 

Using melatonin even twice in a row doesn’t seem to work as well, and the third consecutive time I take it does nothing.  Additionally, since it is so unclear about what melatonin may do, I’m a little cautious about using it too often.

Prescription drugs are generally extremely effective remedies for insomnia.  However, they are not without drawbacks and serious side effects as well, and shouldn’t be thought of as a cure for insomnia.  The most commonly prescribed drugs for insomnia fall under the benzodiazapine family of chemicals, which are all very addictive. 

It is very easy to become dependent on these drugs, and once you are you wont be able to sleep at all without them.  

In the long run, the best cure for insomnia I’ve found is regular and vigorous exercise.  Once I got more serious about my workout routine, I found myself sleeping like a baby at night.   Just 3-4 times a week I got for a short 20-30 minute run, and on the off days I do some push-ups, sit-ups, and lift free weights.  Most people can’t stand the thought of exercise, but just 20 minutes of a day is a very small price to pay for better sleep!