Having trouble falling asleep? I have tried everything under the sun (or should I say moon) I could think of to get some Zzzzz's but only one thing has really worked for me.

We have all had those nights when you just couldn't sleep. Warm milk, read a book, a sleeping pill your doc prescribed you, I've even contemplated knocking myself out with Benadryl or a couple shots of whiskey! We all know desperate times, call for desperate measures! There is an alternative and it's all natural and even beneficial. It is called melatonin!

Naturally as day starts to turn into night the pineal gland starts to secrete a hormone called melatonin but as we get older we start to produce less and less of this stuff! Ah, the joy of aging! The great thing about melatonin is that it can naturally be simulated into tablet form. In my opinion there are many natural sleep aids out there but melatonin alone is all you need.

Prescribed sleeping pills are habit forming and sooner or later you have to take more and more just to get some shut eye, which in return poses a danger to your health. I'll admit sleeping pills work great in the beginning but they just can't be trusted! Oh and don't forget the nasty hangover affect if you just don't get in a full eight hours. With Melatonin there is no hangover affect, nor are they habit forming, just a natural substance our bodies produce for our greater good.

Melatonin is also an extraordinary antioxidant. Researchers have found that melatonin may slow our brain's natural aging process. It also has shown to be effective for those with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, even calming Alzheimer patients who are commonly agitated or confused right before sundown. Studies show that Alzheimer patients have half the blood levels of melatonin as someone else their age. Research is also being done to find just how effective melatonin is at reducing the risk of cancer.  Melatonin can be effective against bacterial infections and even viruses such as HIV. Likewise, if you suffer from migraine headaches melatonin has shown to be very capable of preventing and treating headaches.

While melatonin has many beneficial affects it is also wise to consult your physician as it can affect other medications you may be taking. I take melatonin in a sublingual tablet form (orange flavor) at 2.5 mg. Melatonin is also available in a 1mg, 3mg, and 5mg sublingual tablet and a 2mg nd 3mg time release tablet.