Two of the most popular dietary supplements used for insomnia are: 1  Melatonin, a hormone produced by the brain. You can also buy it as a supplement. 2  Valerian, an herbal sleep remedy. Valerian appears to be safe, and it may improve sleep when taken for a week or two.
The average spell of clinical depression, if left entirely untreated, will last around 8 months. During a depression, the sufferer will normally be convinced that it will never go away, but this is a classic feature of the way depression makes us think.
Without treatment, depression lasts from six months to several years for most people. Symptoms of mild depression may persist for longer periods of time. Most types of depression can be treated with medications, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), if needed.