National Institutes of Health • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Sleep Disorders and CAM

December 2010

People who have trouble sleeping may try dietary supplements, relaxation therapies, or other forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in an effort to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and improve the overall quality of their sleep. Research on CAM and insomnia has produced promising results for some CAM therapies. However, evidence of effectiveness is still limited for most therapies, and additional research is needed.

This issue summarizes what is known about some of the CAM approaches that people use for insomnia, including herbs, melatonin and related supplements, and other CAM approaches.

Clinical Guidelines

Psychological and Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia (Sleep) [279KB PDF]
Nonpharmacologic Treatment of Insomnia (Sleep)

Scientific Literature

Systematic Reviews/Reviews/Meta-analysis (PubMed®)
Randomized Controlled Trials (PubMed®)

Research Spotlights

The Intensity and Duration of Exposure to Light Can Affect the Circadian Rhythm
(05/12/10)
Tai Chi May Help Heart Failure Patients Sleep Better
(07/01/08)
Tai Chi Chih Improves Sleep Quality in Older Adults
(07/01/08)
New Findings on Sleep Disorders and CAM
(09/18/06)

Information for Your Patients

NCCAM Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NIH, DHHS. NCCAM Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on CAM, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCAM-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll-free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov. NCCAM is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the National Institutes of Health, the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States.

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Content is in the public domain and may be reprinted, except if marked as copyrighted (©). Please credit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as the source. All copyrighted material is the property of its respective owners and may not be reprinted without their permission.

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