Deep sleep all night long: most nights, I fall asleep normally but wake up at 3 a.m. and can't fall back to sleep. What can I do to make it through the night? - Ask the experts: answers to your questions from the leaders in natural medicine - Brief Article

CAROLYN DEAN, M.D., N.D., RESPONDS: First, take a natural sleep aid. It will help you sleep through the night until you figure out why you're waking up. I recommend calcium and magnesium supplements, the herb hops (Humulus lupulus), and the homeopathic remedy Argentum nitricum. Try any one solution for four nights, and if it does not work add another. You can safely take all three remedies together. Calcium and magnesium relax your muscles, easing you into sleep; take 300 to 500 mg of each an hour before bed. Hops mildly sedates you; take 600 mg one hour before bed. Argentum, made from highly diluted silver nitrate, calms your nerves; take 5 pellets of the 12C dose after dinner and again before bed. Natural food stores carry these remedies.

Next, address common reasons for sleeplessness. Late-night heavy meals can disrupt sleep, so eat light dinners, like soup and a salad, and dine at least three hours before bed. Reduce your caffeine intake to 150 mg per day (4 ounces of coffee) or eliminate it altogether. After you implement these changes and sleep through the night, gradually reduce your dosage of the sleep aids until you no longer need them at all.