I Have Used Melatonin In The Past . . .

Has Anyone Else? What Are Your thoughts On The Following?

Would You Consider Any Of These Options ? ? ?

THE SUPPLEMENT

Despite its rep, melatonin isn't nature's knockout drug. "It's mostly effective in treating sleep loss related to your circadian clock," says Russell Rosenberg, Ph.D., director of the Northside Hospital Sleep Medicine Institute, in Atlanta. So if you're lagging from a transatlantic flight or logging a 7-to-3 shift, pop a small dose of the hormone when you need to sack out (3 milligrams is plenty). But if all you want is a better, longer night's sleep, you'll need to swallow something else. We tried several supplements purported to provide quality shut-eye, then woke up and reviewed the research behind each.

Best in class: Only valerian root left us refreshed and had sound science to explain why. The root contains valerenic acid and valepotriates, two chemicals that have powerful sedative properties. In fact, a study in the European Journal of Medical Research found that valerian is comparable to Oxazepam, a medication sometimes used to treat insomnia. Look for the version from Nutrilite ($25, nutrilite.com), which not only contains the most-studied formulation--450 milligrams, plus hops--but also, according to tests by Consumerlab.com, is free of contaminants.

THE SLEEPING PILL

Popping a supermarket sleeping pill is a lot like whacking your head with a mallet: Both strategies will send you into la-la land, but it won't be a restful trip. "Over-the-counter products will change your sleep architecture," explains Gary Zammit, Ph.D., of the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. In other words, OTC sleep meds shorten the time you're in the deep stages of sleep, leaving you exhausted in the a.m. What's more, the effects can last long after the alarm goes off, and may make your head feel fuzzy. So if you try everything else and your sleep is still subpar, talk to your doctor about a pharmaceutical fix. "Prescription pills are appropriate for both chronic and occasional insomnia," says Zammit.

Best in class: Ask your M.D. about Lunesta, a sleep drug that was approved by the FDA in late 2004. Unlike its chemical cousins Sonata and Ambien, which tend to lose their potency toward morning, Lunesta is effective throughout the sleep cycle--without disrupting the critical deep stages. It put our guinea pig to sleep in record time, kept him there for 8 hours, and left him feeling wide-eyed and alert the next day. And, according to Rosenberg, "your insomnia won't return twice as bad when you stop taking it," a common complaint about other prescription sleeping pills.