First of all, pharmaceutical sleep tablets are simply too much for me. I tried a couple of different ones and felt more like I was knocked out than got a good night's sleep. I also had to shake off a lot of grogginess in the morning. Somesta seems to be a good alternative to sleeping tablets although, truthfully, I still regard so-called natural remedies as chemical even if the source is natural. The difference lies in the practical effect, and that's what makes Somesta a good choice for me. Rather than knocking me out, it really just *lets* me fall asleep. The physical feeling is one of relaxation rather than induced sleepiness. I can feel when it starts to work and find myself comfortably drifting off rather than losing consciousness. The only downside, and it's a minor thing, is that if I sleep less than 7-8 hours, I wake up feeling just a little foggy. Compared to regular sleeping tablets, the hangover is negligible and really just a matter of getting up and moving around to shake it off. For me, it's perfect for occasional use and highly preferable to harsh chemical equivalents.