An uninterrupted night’s sleep of seven to eight hours is absolutely essential for your body to recover and recharge. Getting enough sleep is especially important to enable the adrenal glands to produce sufficient anti-stress hormones every day. Many people with chronic fatigue suffer from sleep problems (a general lack of sleep) or sleep disorders (such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up repeatedly during the night, and so on). This problem is therefore one of the first that needs to be addressed.

There are various non-medicinal methods that can help you sleep better. Sometimes you’ll notice an improvement after trying just one, while other times a combination of different methods works more effectively.

– Relaxation therapy (based on daily meditation).

– Natural herbal remedies such as valerian, lemon balm, and passionflower. These are available as extracts (tablets or drops) or dried herbs (which you can use to make an herbal tea to drink just before going to bed).

– The amino acid tryptophan, or 5-hydroxytryptophan, is converted into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect.

– Melatonin: The recommended dose can vary widely. Some people only need half a milligram, while others require up to 10 mg. Melatonin is available only by prescription. Circadin® is often prescribed. It is pure melatonin that is released very slowly.

– The neurotransmitter GABA works very well for many people. GABA facilitates the transmission of signals between different brain cells. Dosage: up to 500 mg.

– If the above methods don’t help, you might consider a medication that mimics natural sleep as closely as possible. Trazodone® is the best choice. It rarely causes side effects (mild headaches and dizziness). My advice is to start with half to one tablet before bedtime.

Take sleep medication (benzodiazepines) only as a last resort. In most cases, sleep medication induces deep, uninterrupted sleep, but over time it disrupts your natural sleep pattern and is addictive.