Melatonin
Many people consider melatonin to be herbal but it’s not a plant; it’s a hormone. Your body produces it naturally to help control your sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms. Levels of melatonin increase as bedtime nears which makes you feel sleepy. Much of the research on melatonin supplements is devoted to examining the effects on sleep. But sleep is the body’s way of de-stressing physically and mentally every day. So it makes sense that if your sleep is suffering, your stress will skyrocket and finding a way to get back into a good sleep schedule can help combat stress, Knapp says. Getting sunshine during the day is one way to boost melatonin but you can also take synthetically produced melatonin in the form of supplements, she says.
Warnings: high doses are known to interfere with a wide variety of prescription and over the counter medications, including those for diabetes, heart conditions, insomnia, depression, allergies, and others. While interactions are typically mild, it’s wise to talk to your doctor before using.
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Source: RD Canada
