Sleeping drugs, also known as "hypnotics", come with their own set of side-effects. Most sleeping pills, especially when taken over long periods of time, stay in the bloodstream and give a hangover effect the next day and beyond. They impair memory, reduce performance on the job and at home, and contribute to machine and car accidents.

For those who seek natural options, some recent research studies have uncovered additional food-based remedies for insomnia. In a study from the University of California San Diego, researchers examined the effects of potassium supplementation on sleep quality.

Their results were published in the journal "Sleep", and showed that potassium significantly increased sleep efficiency due to a reduction in "Waking After Sleep Onset." This indicates an improvement in sleep consolidation (less interruption) with potassium supplementation.

One of the highest sources of potassium is the banana, which contains about 400 milligrams. Eating a banana before bedtime or during the night may help reduce the frequency of nighttime awakenings. Other sources of potassium include baked potatoes, sunflower seeds, spinach, almonds and prunes.

Sleep in magnesium deficiency is usually agitated with frequent nighttime awakenings. On the other hand, a high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with deeper, less interrupted sleep. This was proven in a study done at the Human Nutrition Research Center titled “Effects of trace element nutrition on sleep patterns in adult women.”

According to William Sears, M.D., "The best bedtime snack is one that has both carbohydrates and protein, and perhaps some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods."

Natural sleep aids containing highly absorbable, quick acting forms of calcium and magnesium, such as Sleep Minerals II from Nutrition Breakthroughs, can be helpful with both falling asleep and staying asleep during the night.

Sleep Minerals II is delivered in a softgel form with healthy carrier oils, making it more quickly assimilated than tablets or capsules and providing a deeper, longer-lasting sleep. It works well for improving sleep and insomnia, as well as for heart health, restless leg syndrome, bone strength and menopause insomnia. The formula also includes vitamin D and zinc. Click Here.

***** L.R.C. of Massachusetts says: “I had become dependent on sleeping drugs and couldn’t sleep without them. Now I take the Sleep Minerals before bed and I can sleep through the whole night without drugs. I’m also able to easily fall back to sleep if I do have to get up. Another benefit is this helps alleviate my chronic fatigue and aches and pains.” Click Here,