Other herbal remedies that are helpful in relieving insomnia include [23]:

Dietary supplements such as Vitamins B₆, B₁₂, and D, and Calcium and magnesium may also be helpful.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone associated with sleep. According to a recent randomized controlled study, melatonin supplements may help improve sleep in people with high blood pressure (hypertension) who take beta-blockers [10]. Beta-blockers are prescribed to treat a number of health problems and are the most commonly prescribed class of drugs for hypertension. However, frequent side effects of these drugs are difficulty sleeping and daytime fatigue, which may result from their suppression of melatonin; a hormone that promotes sleep. Since beta-blockers are taken typically for life in these patients, melatonin supplements would be highly beneficial [11, 12]. However, larger effects of melatonin are observed in patients whose sleep problems are caused by a circadian rhythm abnormality (disruption of the body’s internal “clock”) and may be helpful in decreasing sleep disturbance caused by jet lag. Dietary supplements containing melatonin “precursors”—l–tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5–HTP)—are also used as sleep aids. (The amino acid l-tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP, which is converted to serotonin and then melatonin.) However, these supplements have not been proven effective in treating insomnia, and there are concerns that they may be linked to eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome (EMS), a complex and debilitating systemic condition with multiple symptoms including severe muscle pain.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine usually treat insomnia as a symptom of excess yang (positive) energy. Either magnetite or “dragon bones” are recommended for insomnia associated with hysteria or fear.

Dietary factors: It has been proved that intake of some nutrients is associated with sleep problems [13]. Those nutrients include alpha-carotene, selenium, dodecanoic acid, calcium and hexadecanoic acid, salt (OR = 1.19), butanoic acid, carbohydrate, vitamin D, lycopene, hexanoic acid, vitamin C (OR = 0.92), cholesterol, moisture, theobromine, and potassium. Avoiding taking these nutrients in excess may be beneficial. Some naturopaths recommend Vitamins B₆, B₁₂, and D for the relief of insomnia. Calcium and magnesium are natural sedatives, which help to explain the traditional folk recommendation of drinking a glass of warm milk at bedtime. Tryptophan may relieve insomnia; as turkey is high in tryptophan, a turkey sandwich as a bedtime snack may be helpful. Melatonin is widely used to induce sleep although adequate studies of its effectiveness are lacking [14].

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine which is shown to have improved the sleep quality. This procedure involves the insertion of very fine needles sometimes in combination with electrical stimulus or with heat produced by burning specific herbs into the skin at specific acupuncture points in order to influence the functioning of the body [15, 16].

Reflexology: Reflexology is a form of touch therapy in which pain is relieved by stimulating certain pressure points on the feet and hands. Reflexologists work from maps of certain pressure points that are located on the hands and feet. These pressure points are believed to connect directly through the nervous system, affecting the body’s organs and glands. The reflexologist manipulates the pressure points according to specific techniques of reflexology therapy. By means of this touch therapy, any part of the body that is the source of pain, illness, or potential debility can be strengthened through the application of pressure at the respective foot or hand location. The use of the reflexology points for the diaphragm, pancreas, ovary/testicle, pituitary, parathyroid, thyroid, and adrenal gland helps to relieve insomnia. However there is no clear evidence of its role in insomnia [17].

Chiropractic is also a kind of holistic medicine. Chiropractic is derived from Greek words meaning done by hand. It is grounded in the principle that the body can heal itself when the skeletal system is correctly aligned and the nervous system is functioning properly. To achieve this, the practitioner uses his or her hands or an adjusting tool to perform specific manipulations of the vertebrae. Chiropractic care includes adjustments, massage, and physical therapy that can all be beneficial to aid with sleep problems. Spinal manipulation can reduce stress upon the nervous system, thus allowing relaxation. Further studies are needed to prove its efficacy as minimal evidence is available [18].

Exercise: Physical activity [19] has been shown to have beneficial effects on sleep in the general population. Results of the study by Andrews et al. [19] in patients with chronic pain suggest engagement in high intensity activity and high fluctuations in activity is associated with poorer sleep at night; hence, activity modulation may be a key treatment strategy to address sleep complaints in individuals with chronic pain. Regular exercise [20, 21] deepens sleep in young adults with or without sleep disorders.

Massage. Therapeutic massage can relieve the muscular tension associated with chronic insomnia.

Homeopathy is a system for treating disease based on the administration of minute doses of a drug that in massive amounts produces symptoms in healthy persons similar to those of the disease. Homeopathic remedies are chosen according to the specific causes of insomnia [24–26]). They may include: Nux vomica (alcohol or substance-related sleeplessness), Ignatia (emotional upset), Arsenicum (anxiety), Passiflora (mental stress, aches, and pains), and Lycopodium (talking and laughing during sleep).

Progressive muscle relaxation is a therapy in which the therapist instructs patients to contract and release different muscle groups. Studies suggest that relaxation techniques may help people with insomnia, although, the effects appear to be short lived. Cognitive forms [27] of relaxation such as Meditation have slightly better results than somatic forms such as progressive muscle relaxation. Regular meditation practice can counteract emotional stress. Several studies have shown that regular meditation practice either alone or part of yoga practice results in higher blood levels of melatonin. Yoga is a mind–body approach that has components of meditation, breathing, and postures. Preliminary studies [28, 29] suggest Yoga can promote relaxation by releasing muscular tension and improve quality of sleep. When these forms of relaxation are combined with other components of cognitive-behavioral therapy (e.g., sleep restriction and stimulus control), lasting improvements in sleep have been observed.

Music therapy uses music prescribed in a skilled manner by a music therapist. Wang et al. [30] found that Music has significant impact in improving sleep quality of patients with acute and chronic sleep disorders. For chronic sleep disorders, music showed a cumulative dose effect and a treatment duration of more than three weeks is required to assess its effectiveness. There is scientific evidence that music therapy can have sleep benefits for older adults and children [31, 32].

Tai chi is a Chinese exercise system that uses slow, smooth body movements to achieve a state of relaxation of both body and mind, thus strengthening cardiovascular and immune systems [33, 34]. Recent studies have shown that it improves sleep quality in older adults and in patients with heart failure who experience insomnia and impaired breathing during sleep. It is not yet proven as to which component of tai chi meditation, relaxation or physical activity, is responsible for its beneficial effects on sleep.

Light/dark therapy involves making the bedroom very dark at night and exposing the patient to early morning sunlight (or a light box). It also helps to treat depression. Bright Light Therapy is used to manage circadian rhythm disorders such as delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), a condition which shifts the normal sleeping pattern outside what is considered the social norm. Treatment with true green light can balance the nervous system and may relieve insomnia. Low-energy emission therapy (LEET) is a clinically proven treatment for chronic insomnia [35–37]. LEET treatment involves delivering electromagnetic fields through a mouthpiece.

Naturopathic medicine is a multimodal therapy including diet, herbs, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, physical medicine, and counseling. It emphasizes prevention, treatment, and optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods and substances that encourage individuals’ inherent self-healing process. It has been used for treatment of insomnia in adults as well as children [38].