Reddit reviews Eclectic Institute Valerian Passion Flower, 250 mg, 90 Non-GMO Veggie Caps

Sleep is incredibly important in recovery. An old sponsor was a firefighter and I used to work shift work, so we'd frequently talk about sleep deprivation and how that plays out in recovery. Sleep deprivation can directly lead to relapse, so it's of paramount importance to get regular and sufficient sleep.

Back around 2000, I was working straight graveyards and found myself unable to sleep. I was in my local health food store and spoke with the owner about my problem. She asked me, 'Was I having trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep ?' I told her both. So I left with some Melatonin and some Valerian Root. Melatonin is, I believe, a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland, and it helps me to get to sleep. The Valerian Root—which helps me stay asleep—I would take, usually on weekends, so that I could get some extra sleep.

There's a lot of shitty Melatonin and Valerian Root suplements out there. I have a brand that's sub-lingual, meaning it's absorbed under the tongue, and it works fantastically. Here are links to the preferred products off of Amazon, although you'll likely be able to find them in one of your local health food stores—even Whole Foods for that matter.

Melatonin - I prefer this brand 'Source Naturals' and I usually get the 2.5mg dosage, which comes in either peppermint or orange flavor.

Valerian Root - from 'Eclectic Institute' also contains Passion Flower.

Typically, I would pop a Melatonin under my tongue every night and only on weekends would I do both Melatonin and the Valerian Root/Passion Flower cocktail. What's funny is I don't think I've touched a Melatonin in more than a few years. Folks in recovery are going to have a lot of opinions about this stuff, but this is really between you and your sponsor and god. I had a period some years ago, coming off of graveyards, whereby my body would only let me sleep for two hours (nap time !) and then I was up, waiting for my next shift. Between the anxiety and the exhaustion, I was ready to crack—and this is a very dangerous place for the recoverying addict to be in. Anyhow, I ended up getting some Ambien from my doctor, and it worked. It allowed me to get the sleep I so desperately needed and also to find a routine and rhythm that wouldn't result in relapse or suicide or both. So once I no longer needed the Ambien, I stopped taking it; it had served its purpose beautifully.

Good luck and PM me if you wanna chat about any of this.