Doctors prescribe sleeping pills to one in two people who suffer from insomnia. Sleeping pills do have an effect. They calm you down. They make you drowsy. Sometimes you suddenly sleep through a few hours again. That can feel like a relief. You might sleep better, but the confidence that you can do this on your own gradually fades into the background.

I want to focus on 5 commonly used sleep supplements that you can easily find at your local drugstore: valerian, L-theanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, and zinc. Each of these has its unique properties, but, as always, it's important to take a critical look at supplements before fully relying on them

I will elaborate a bit more on popular sleep supplements. This is based on an article in The Washington Post, which evaluated recent scientific research on the possible positive effects of five supplements often used to improve sleep: melatonin, magnesium, probiotics, vitamin D, and ashwagandha.

I sometimes see people turn to cannabis to help them sleep better. Some are enthusiastic about it—they sleep more deeply, feel calmer, and function better during the day. Others notice little difference or even feel worse. Why does it work for some but not for others?