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.
1 Bipolar depression typically lasts 2 - 3 months -- not as long as in major depression (although left untreated some bipolar disorder episodes can last 6 - 12 months or longer). 2  People with unipolar depression can still experience a variety of other moods, but none meet the criteria for a manic state.