The medical term "insomnia" was given for the symptom that involves a severe disability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It may result in numerous health disorders caused by a lack of sleep, and can leave you feeling chronically fatigued. Though prescription medications can help treat insomnia, several all-natural herbs can also combat insomnia and help you relax and fall asleep.
Primrose
Primrose, a European native flower also known as Primula vulgaris—not to be confused with evening primrose, another common herbal supplement—acts as a sedative, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Primrose helps you fall asleep by alleviating tension.
Lavender
Aromatherapy with herbal essential oils like those from the lavender plant can help you relax and fall asleep, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Add a drop or two of lavender oil to a vaporizer to fill your entire room with soothing smells or use a lavender spritz on your bed sheets and pillowcases before you go to bed.
Sweet Woodruff
Sweet woodruff, also known as Galium odoratum, works as a natural tranquilizer. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says it's often used to treat insomnia. It's often brewed as a tea and consumed in that manner, though more potent extracts may be available in supplement or pill form.
Kava Kava
The University of Maryland Medical Center lists kava kava, or Piper methysticum, as helpful for the alleviation of insomnia symptoms. The herb relaxes the body and mind and may make sleep easier to achieve.
Chamomile
Chamomile is widely prescribed to relieve tension and anxiety and promote sleep among those suffering from sleep disorders like insomnia, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It may be used in several ways, such as an herbal tea brewed from chamomile flowers, or as an essential oil for sleep-inducing aromatherapy.
Valerian
The National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements ranks valerian as one of the most popular herbal products marketed to help with insomnia. It may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep and is often found as the active ingredient in natural sleep pills. The ODS reports that valerian supplements may work as effectively as such prescription sleep medications as oxazepam.
