Through the night

Q: I don't have a problem with insomnia, but I can't seem to stay asleep once I get there. I wake up every few hours and toss and turn for awhile before falling back asleep. Is there anything I can do to sleep through the night?

Dr. Wright: While you may not be struggling with the typical sleep-onset variety that most people associate with the word "insomnia," your situation could be a subset of this condition -- one called "sleep maintenance insomnia." A few years ago, my colleague and regular Nutrition & Healing columnist Kerry Bone shared an herbal remedy for this type of insomnia called chaste tree.

Research shows that this herb can actually increase the body's own natural production of melatonin, which helps you have more restful, uninterrupted sleep. In one study, researchers examined melatonin secretion in 20 healthy males ages 20 to 32 after the intake of placebo or various doses (120 to 480 mg) of chaste tree extract for 14 days. The chaste tree caused a dose-dependent increase of melatonin secretion, especially during the night. Total melatonin output was approximately 60 percent higher in the chaste tree group.

They speculated that chaste tree may have value in the treatment of insomnia and jet lag. Since reading about this research, Kerry tells me that he's tried the chaste tree approach with his sleep-maintenance insomnia patients. So far, they've all reported back with good results.

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