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Personal Sleep Kit

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The Personal Sleep Kit lets you try many remedies and find out which works best for you.

Once you know which herb(s) works for you you can buy that herb individually instead of buying generic mixes.

There are two Personal Sleep Kits. Each has two days worth of eleven separate herbs. At the end of 22 days (or 44 days if you use both kits) you will probably find one or more herbs that work well for you.

Personal Sleep Kit 1 contains those herbs generally considered safest.

Kit one contains

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
Cowslip (Primula officinalis)
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. F.D.A.
Chia (Salvia hispanica)
Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
Hops (Humulus lupulus) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. F.D.A.
Lavender (Lavandula officinalis) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. F.D.A.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by U.S. F.D.A.
Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

 

Personal Sleep Kit 2 contains herbs that are widely used, and considered safe, but which may have safety issues for certain people.

Kit two contains
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Eleuthro (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Reishi fungus (Ganoderma lucidum)
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
Fo-Ti (Fallopia multiflora)*
Jamaica Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula)*
Kava-Kava (Piper methysticum)*
Mistletoe (Viscum album)*
Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa)*

*Herbs in red have special safety concerns.
See the individual pages on those herbs for more information.

All of the herbs in both kits are safe for use by most people, but the herbs are divided into two kits, based on their overall safety. You should still do any additional research you feel is necessary and consult with a healthcare professional if you have any health issues.

The main cautions are listed at the top of each herb's page (on the menu to the left), with links to more information. No herbs, nor any other medication, should be taken by pregnant women or people with any severe illness without consulting a professional.


Below are some side effects of common prescription sleep aids prescribed by doctors.

The drugs below are aggressively marketed by pharmaceutical companies with hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising every year.

 

---------- Ambien® (Zolpidem Tartrate) ----------

The habit-forming potential is high. Psychological and physical dependence is possible. Do not stop taking this drug abruptly, this could cause psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms.

Common: Abdominal pain, abnormal dreaming, abnormal vision, amnesia, dry mouth, daytime drowsiness, defective muscular coordination, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, double vision, drugged feelings, euphoria, fatigue, insomnia, lethargy, light headdress, nausea, painful digestion, tenderness/pain in muscles, upper respiratory infection, vertigo, vomiting, headache or confusion.

Rare: Abnormal liver function, abnormal secretion/discharge of tears, decrease of white blood cells, abnormal thinking, abscesses, acne, acute kidney failure, aggravated allergies/hypertension, aggression, altered salivation, anaphylactic shock, anemia, boils, belching, breast pain, breast tumors/growths, bronchial spasm, circulatory failure, decreased sex drive, delusions, dementia, decrease of the lymph nodes, disease of the nerves, eye pain, facial swelling, feeling of unreality, feeling strange, fluid in lungs, flushing, frequent urination, glaucoma, gout, heart attack, hemorrhoids, herpes simplex, high cholesterol, hot flashes, hysteria, impotence, increased appetite, illusions, increased lipids in the blood, increased tolerance for the drug, inflammation of a nerve/tendon/vein/artery/external auditory canal/intestines/middle ear/skin/stomach, intestinal blockage, intoxicated feelings, irregular heartbeat, joint disease, laryngitis, leg cramps, low blood pressure, manic reactions, muscle spasms/weakness, neurosis, nosebleeds, oxygen deficiency, general pain, painful/difficult urination, panic attacks, partial paralysis, persistent desire to empty the bowel/bladder, personality disorder, pneumonia, rectal bleeding/pain, restless legs, sciatica, sensation of sparks/flashes of light, sensitivity to light, severe pain along the course of a nerve, shingles, skin discoloration, sleepwalking, spasm of the esophagus, speech impairment, sudden chill with high temperature followed by a sense of heat/profuse perspiration, suicide attempt, temporary loss of consciousness, thirst, tooth decay, ulceration of the cornea, urinary retention, varicose veins, weight loss or yawning.

 

---------- Sonata® (Zaleplon) ----------

The habit-forming potential is high.

Withdrawal symptoms may occur when sleep medicines are stopped suddenly after being used daily for a long time. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms may include unpleasant feelings. In severe cases, stomach and muscle cramps, vomiting, sweating, shakiness, and rarely seizures may occur. These more severe withdrawal symptoms are very uncommon. Although withdrawal symptoms have not been observed in studies of Sonata so far, there is, nevertheless, the risk of such events in association with the use of any sleep medicines.

There is a chance that you may experience a certain type of memory loss (amnesia). This can usually be avoided by taking Sonata only when you are able to get 4 or more hours of sleep before you need to be active again. If you do have memory problems while taking Sonata, tell your doctor.

Inform your Doctor if:

  • more aggressive behavior than normal.
  • change in personality.
  • confusion.
  • strange behavior.
  • agitation.
  • hallucinations
  • worsening of depression
  • suicidal thoughts

Sonata ( Symptoms or Effects )

Common: headache, drowsiness, dizziness, amnesia, stomach ache, and muscle pain.

Less Common: Abdominal pain, burning, prickling, or tingling sensation, constipation, cough, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness, dryness of mouth, excess muscle tone, eye pain, fever, heartburn, indigestion, or acid stomach, itching, itching or burning eyes, joint stiffness and/or pain, memory loss, menstrual pain, mental depression, nervousness, sensitive hearing, severe headache, shortness of breath, skin rash, tightness in chest, trembling or shaking, troubled breathing, unusual weakness or tiredness, and / or wheezing.

Rare: nosebleeds, hallucinations ( seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not really there ).

See physician NOW: confusion, difficulty breathing, hallucinations ( seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not really there ), hostility, restlessness, excitability, lightheadedness or fainting spells, mental depression or worsening of depression, slurred speech, unusual weakness, staggering, tremors, suicidal thoughts and / or vision problems.