Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. The inability to attain restful sleep in adequate amounts exacts a heavy toll. Conventional treatment for insomnia includes drugs that exert a depressant effect on the CNS, and psychological therapy. Most of the drugs prescribed for insomnia involve some risk of overdose, tolerance, habituation, and addiction. As alternative therapies, herbal products and other agents with sedative-hypnotic effects are being increasingly sought after by the general population. These therapies are less likely to have the drawbacks of conventional drugs. How the efficacy of alternative therapies compares to conventional therapies warrants further investigation.