Herbal remedies: efficacy in controlling sleepiness and promoting sleep.

Difficulties with sleep and daytime sleepiness are common complaints among adults in the United States. During the past decade, the use of herbal preparations among adults increased from 2.5% to 12.4%. This article presents relevant aspects of the 1994 Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act that stimulated the proliferation of herbal medicinals and reviews the pharmacological properties of the most commonly available herbal wake-promoting and sedating products. Given the rapid increase in use of herbals, health care professionals need to educate themselves and their patients about the use of these preparations.