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otc sleep aids

Insomnia is one of the most common complaints when patients go to their doctors. While it is not a debilitating sickness in itself, insomnia may cause bodily harm in the long run. This condition may cause huge amounts of stress to long-term sufferers which may further lead to stress-related diseases such as cardiac disorders. Furthermore, lack of sleep affects the overall performance of a person’s daily activities including his work, social life and personal life.

While there are many ways to prevent insomnia such as changing your daily habits, sometimes it just wouldn’t work enough for you to get a good night’s sleep. In this article, I will write about over-the-counter or OTC medications which may help you to sleep if you have short-term or transient insomnia.

ANTIHISTAMINES

These medications, which are most commonly used in cases of allergies, are the most common over-the-counter drugs for insomnia. Histamine, a chemical messenger released by the brain during allergic attacks, is also a chemical that promotes wakefulness. By suppressing the action of histamine, antihistamine medications also promote sleepiness. This is why we feel very drowsy every time we take antihistamine medications.

Commonly, the antihistamines sold and marketed today as OTC medications for insomnia normally contains one of these two types:

1. Diphenhydramine citrate or Diphenhydramine hydrochloride. Brand names include Nytol, Benadryl, Compoz, and Sominex.




2. Doxylamine succinate. Brand names include Unisom Sleeptabs and Nighttime Sleep Aid

While these medications are effective in alleviating symptoms of short-term insomnia, it is not proven to be effective in patients suffering from insomnia for 2 weeks or longer. The main reason for this is the side-effects associated with the long-term use of these OTC sleep aids.

Side Effects of Antihistamines as OTC Sleep Aids

1. Prolonged drowsiness that may carry to the next day. This side effect depends on the people who take antihistamines, some of which may display none or severe daytime drowsiness.
2. Headaches and feelings of dizziness.
3. Dry mouth and throat.
4. Reduced alertness and lack of focus, coordination and concentration. Driving is prohibited while you take this medication, as the activity requires you to have mental alertness and coordination.
5. Gastrointestinal side effects such as vomiting and constipation.
6. While the effects of antihistamine in pregnant or lactating women are still under study, medical practitioners discourage its use during pregnancy. Also, these drugs could be secreted into the milk of lactating mothers which may have harmful effects on the newborn.

Furthermore, it is not advisable for the person who is taking these kinds of OTC sleep aids to drink alcohol because antihistamines add greatly to the sedative effects of alcohol. Taking these kinds of medications with medications that cause drowsiness is also discouraged.

Other Problems Associated with OTC Sleep Aids

For patients who have taken OTC sleep aids for a week or more, they will most likely develop a drug tolerance to it. This means that larger doses of this medication may be required to achieve the desired effect.

Another problem associated with taking OTC sleep aids is the eventual drug dependence of the person taking the medications. A person may not be able to sleep anymore without taking the medication. Abrupt stopping of drug intake may also cause withdrawal symptoms.

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sleep well

Want to sleep better? Suffer from insomnia or other sleep-related issues and just cannot seem to get a good night’s sleep, then this article is for you.  Sleep is crucial not only to one’s health, but to one’s emotional well-being and state of mind.  After all, trying to slog through a long day on little sleep is miserable – yet preventable.

One of the biggest reasons why people cannot seem to doze off and stay that way through the night is poor equipment.  Your bed is a piece of furniture, but it is also a piece of equipment – something you use to get a good night’s sleep.  And nothing is more important to a bed than the key piece: the mattress.  Knowing a few things about selecting a good mattress can go a long way in helping you find a night of restful slumber.

Here are 3 secrets to finding the best mattress for you.

Identify Your Posture

Everyone sleeps differently.  You more than likely sleep in a different way than your spouse; if you have kids, they may sleep differently from you.  Generally speaking, though, there are three main sleeping postures:

1. On the back
2. On the stomach
3. On the side

Each of these postures requires different support from a mattress.  Therefore, determining which posture you have can affect the best mattress for you.  For example, many people who sleep on their backs prefer firm mattresses.  On the other hand, people who sleep on the side tend to prefer softer mattresses.  Then there are those who rotate through these positions during a night.  The best mattress for them may be in the middle.

Look Into Memory Foam

Some sleepers enjoy a firm mattress; others like a soft one.  But, even if you prefer one or the other, you still may not be getting enough sleep because the mattress you “like” doesn’t support your frame very well.  One way to help avoid this is to look into memory foam mattresses and mattress covers.

Memory foam works by adhering to your frame, supporting it and molding itself to your body.  Over time, the foam adapts to you and provides snug comfort.  It also reduces back pain by giving you more stability.  Instead of a traditional, flat-top  mattress, try a memory foam one if you are having pain related to sleeping, insomnia, or other problems.

Know The Types

Finally, you should look into the various types of mattresses out there and learn what works and what doesn’t. Most mattresses are your typical coil/spring varieties.  There are other types, though, such as feather or down mattresses, water beds, air mattresses, and foam mattresses.  Not all of these are recommended.  For example, water beds contribute to back pain and insomnia because they do not offer adequate support to your body.  The same could be said for feather mattresses (although feather mattress covers that go on top of the mattress generally are fine).

I recommend testing each before buying, because the type of mattress goes a long way to determining if it will be a good match for you. Finding the right mattress sure can help you sleep better.

Health & Fitness

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Calm down

Insomnia has been a problem for people throughout the ages, and continues to plague humanity today.  We need sleep, desperately – our bodies and minds do not function well at all without it.  Yet, in today’s fast-moving society, there are a lot of obstacles to a full seven or eight hours worth of sleep.  To get around these obstacles and sink into a restful sleep, we resort to many treatments and cures – such as over-the-counter sleeping aids.

OTC sleeping aids are relatively new, and are constantly generating buzz in the news as new products are developed and released.  With hundreds of products out there, and company after company promoting their line of sleep aids, the market is completely saturated with potential treatments.  Here is the latest buzz about OTC sleeping aids and whether or not they really work.

Melatonin And Side Effects

Melatonin, a hormone found in your brain that regulates your day-night cycle, has been used widely as a OTC sleeping aid for the past couple of decades.  In the United States, it is classified as a food supplement and therefore isn’t regulated, but in the United Kingdom, it is classified as a hormone and is available only as a prescription.  This is because of the potential side effects associated with melatonin.

Melatonin became very popular because it is viewed as an all-natural, completely safe way to help one get to sleep.  But, while melatonin is effective at regulating sleep, it is not free from side effects.  Researchers have found that using melatonin can cause headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, low sex drive, and grogginess, among other effects.  This isn’t to say that melatonin doesn’t work, but one should be aware of side effects, even if they are not universal.

Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Treatment

One popular misconception is that OTC sleeping aids are good for long-term use, i.e. over several months or years. While the problems that cause insomnia may persist, OTC sleeping aids shouldn’t be used for long-term treatment.  The reason is because these products are designed to treat the symptoms of short-term insomnia, not the causes.  The causes usually have to be treated through other means (some of which are medical).

photo credit: darkpatator

Calm

You do not want to get in the habit of taking an OTC sleeping aid on a regular basis in order to get sleep, even if it is natural. Eventually you have to fix the problems and causes of chronic insomnia if you want lasting solutions.  But, it is okay to use OTC sleeping aids in short-term situations, and to deal with bouts of insomnia that pop up every now and then.

Sleeping Aids And Restorative Sleep

One of the main functions of sleep is to give the body a chance to rest and recuperate.  This is called restorative sleep, and it is vital to life. There is evidence that OTC sleeping aids can interfere with restorative sleep and prevent the therapeutic effects that sleep brings to your body.  This means that you may very well feel worse than you did before you started the medication!

For this reason, make sure to consult with a physician before beginning a course of treatment that involves OTC sleeping aids.

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