How to Choose Your Over the Counter Sleep Pills
There are dozens of different over the counter sleep pills available today. How do you even begin to choose between the different types of OTC medications? I had no idea where to start when I was plagued with insomnia. I didn’t know if herbal was best, or if it didn’t matter if there were non-herbal ingredients. I also wondered if I should just see a doctor and buy expensive, prescription sleep aids.
It turns out that a lot depends on the type of insomnia you have. And I didn’t even know there were different types. I thought that if you couldn’t sleep well for more than a few days, you had insomnia, period. This isn’t all there is to it.
The insomnia that many people have at some point or another is called transient insomnia. Transient fits, I suppose, because it comes and goes. It can last one night or several, but is usually related to a current stressor. And once the stress goes away, so does the insomnia. Haven’t we all been bothered by this at least now and then?
Acute insomnia lasts longer, usually for at least three weeks. This is a longer-term problem that can rob you of sleep for up to six months. There will be nights that you do sleep with this type of insomnia, but the majority of nights will find sleep elusive.
Chronic insomnia can go on for months or years. Chronic fatigue, depression, distractibility, lack of concentration and general fuzzy-headedness occur with this type of problem. Chronic insomnia is something you should talk about with your doctor, instead of looking at over the counter sleep pills. Usually with chronic insomnia, there’s a medical problem that’s the reason for the lack of sleep, and it should be dealt with.
For transient and acute insomnia, over the counter sleep pills are a valuable option. Some opt for prescription pills, but this carries some risks you might not be aware of. In today’s world where some people talk sleeping pills to sleep, wake-up pills to get up in the morning and a variety of mood-altering pills throughout the day, people look at sleeping pills as something pretty harmless. But prescription sleep aids are highly addictive. It’s not difficult to become dependent on them, and unable to fall asleep with the pill.
Over the counter sleep pills, on the other hand, don’t have the heavily addictive ingredients you find in sleep aids that are prescription only. OTC pills are usually less expensive, as well. And because the herbal over the counter pills have natural ingredients, there’s a bit less chance that you’ll have any kind of problem with the pills.
There are over the counter pills to help you sleep that aren’t herbal, as well. These can work just as well as herbal remedies, but still skip the tendency to addict users and make them unable to sleep without a pill. If you just need help sleeping occasionally, then these over the counter pills can help you finally get some rest.
How to Choose a Herbal Sleeping Pill
If you’ve ever considered an herbal sleeping pill but not yet tried one, you might want to really thinking about how lack of sleep can affect your health. More and more the effects of sleep on health are being studied, with the general belief being now that too little sleep can harm your health, even over a fairly short period of time.
There are many different things you can try to get some sleep, and many of them don’t involve an herbal sleeping pill at all. But when all else fails, most people will turn to pills to help them sleep. There are a wide variety of herbal remedies available today. And there are other over-the-counter pills that aren’t herbal, but work very well in helping you get the sleep that you need.
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- You can try other methods first, if you wish. Some people try drinking a small glass of warm milk before bed so that the tryptophan in the milk will naturally make them sleepy. Others opt for an adult beverage like wine, because of the way alcohol makes them sleepy.
- You could also try cutting out all caffeine for at least 6 hours before bed to avoid that caffeine rush that can keep you awake. Drink herbal tea about a half an hour before bed to let the natural herbs start to relax and soothe you.
- Develop a bedtime routine that starts after dinner. You don’t have to be actively planning for bedtime that early, but a ritual can help you fall asleep easier. A bath after dinner, reading or doing some other relaxing activity in your pajamas or nightgown can become a habit and signal your brain that it’s time to go to sleep.
- Make a point of avoiding anything potentially exciting before bed. Avoid things like action-packed, violence-filled movies. Don’t play video games or do activities that get you revved up. Save those things for earlier a day. Instead, choose soothing relaxing things like ready, listening to music, or anything that’s quiet and calm.
- Avoid eating foods that can keep you awake for several hours before bedtime. In addition to the caffeine that you’ll want to avoid, stay away from things that are high in sugar or carbohydrates. These give you energy, which is the last thing you need since you’re trying to fall asleep.
- Eat well. A nutritious diet helps everything from sleep to sex to how quickly you can think on your feet. Be sure you get enough B-12 and fatty acids in your diet. These help induce sleep.
If you’re practicing as many of these as possible and still aren’t getting anywhere, don’t worry, there’s something else to try. Try an herbal sleeping pill to help you doze off. And don’t be fooled by over the counter medication. Just because something is labeled as “herbal,” that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. You can opt for an herbal sleeping pill, just don’t forget there are other options out that aren’t herbal, but that will work better.
We have reviewed the best options for OTC medication in an unbiased way. Check out this post to find out our recommendation.
Over the Counter Sleeping Aids: Your Best Options
There are lots of different reasons that a person might want to purchase over the counter sleeping aids. Some people are just chronic insomniacs, who lay in bed for hours every night because they just can’t seem to get to sleep. Others are frequent travelers, and need a way to reorient their sleep schedules after suffering from jet lag. Others might be suffering from some sort of pain that prevents them from sleeping normally.
Which sleeping aid to buy can be confusing!
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Whatever the reason is for needing sleep aids, it can be a hassle to have to get a prescription from a doctor for them. Maybe you don’t have a chronic sleeping problem, but just really need to get to some sleep before a big day tomorrow. The only real option then is something that you can get over the counter. There are many different brand-name and store-brand versions of sleeping pills available at drug stores and department store pharmacies.
Which to choose?
There are basically just two options when it comes to over the counter sleeping aids. You have your antihistamines, and you have your herbal-based aids. Antihistamines work by affecting your central nervous system, making it slow down and thus causing you to feel drowsy. It is the same sort of medication used for many anti-allergy medications, which is why some of those cause drowsiness.
For herbal remedies, few people really understand how or why they work, but many people swear by them. Some of the herbs used in herbal sleep aids include passionflower, chamomile, and valerian root.
The big concerns for most people when it comes to sleep aids are a) does it actually work, and b) does it leave you overly drowsy the next day? A lot of antihistamines have this problem – they seem to dwell in the system for a very long time. It is as if they work too well, leaving people struggling to get out of bed when they do wake up.
Most people will tell you that the antihistamine-based over the counter sleeping aids work well, but they aren’t without their problems. They are the biggest culprits when it comes to people feeling drowsy the next day. Another problem that can crop up with these sleeping aids is that people eventually can become dependent on them, and unable to sleep without them. That problem is then made worse because the body grows used to the pills and so it takes more and more of them to get the same effect.
As far as herbal sleeping aids are concerned, the results are often mixed. For the same product, you may find one person saying it works wonders, and another saying it doesn’t work at all. It’s hard to tell if some of these claims might be based on the placebo effect.
For isolated uses, sleeping aids with antihistamines are probably the best bet. You can at least be sure they’ll work most of the time. Try to take them early so you aren’t drowsy late into the next day. Also, if you have long-term problems sleeping, you should contact a doctor for a more permanent solution.
Best OTC Sleeping Pills to Help You Sleep
Sometimes, it seems that insomnia just strikes completely randomly. One night, you just find that you’re unable to get the rest that you need. Or, maybe there’s an external cause, such as a stressful day at work or a noisy party next door. Whatever the reason, over the counter sleeping pills can really come to your rescue in these situations. A lot of convenience stores and late-night pharmacies carry sleep aids, so they’re easy to get a hold of.
Before you decide to use sleeping aids, you should know what the best OTC sleeping pills are. Which ones will give you the best nights sleep without any nasty side effects? Unfortunately, the situation is not that cut-and-dried. The truth is that most over the counter sleeping pills you’ll find will do pretty much the exact same thing, whether they’re the store brand or a well-known name brand.
Most common sleep aids work because of the antihistamines in them. Antihistamines work by suppressing the body’s central nervous system slightly, which causes you to feel drowsy. The main problem that occurs is that it takes awhile for your body to process the antihistamines, which often leads to prolonged drowsiness the next day. Sometimes, once a person finally gets to sleep with the help of sleep aids, they find they have trouble waking up and end up sleeping in later than they’d like.
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For the most part, the majority of the over the counter sleep aids you’ll find have a similar or the same exact makeup. That means that any one that you use will likely give you the same results. There’s really no way around the excessive drowsiness. Some people just aren’t affected by it, but others should try to plan around it. It’s a good idea to take a sleep aid as early as possible so it’s out of your system by early the next day.
While the pharmaceutical sleep aids are mostly very similar, there is always the natural option. Some people swear by natural sleep aids and claim that they are the best type of OTC sleeping pills that you can find. They are a little trickier to find, however, and you may need to visit a nutrition or health supplement store to find what you’re looking for.
Two of the most popular natural sleeping aids are the hormone melatonin and the herb valerian. Melatonin naturally exists in the human body, and it’s thought that it helps to regulate our internal sense of time. Boosting the melatonin in your system may help your body “sync up” it’s internal clock and get you back on track for a good night’s sleep.
Valerian is an herb that is believed that help people fall asleep faster and remain asleep for longer. However, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of scientific research to back up this claim, and no one seems to know why it has this effect. A natural solution may or may not be the best type of OTC sleeping pills for you. You may just have to test it out and find your own results.
How to Select the Most Effective OTC Sleep Aids
No matter what’s keeping you awake at night, be it stress, jet lag or just random insomnia, an over the counter sleep aid can be a real life saver. If you’ve been staring at the TV trying to get to sleep for hours, you can always just run to a nearby convenience store or all-night pharmacy and get some OTC sleep aids. Before you do that, you should learn more about them so you can choose the right ones.
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It’s important to understand the implications of sleeping aids, and what they should and should not be used for. Basically, they should only be used in isolated situations. For example, if you normally have a good sleeping schedule, but one night find yourself unable to get any sleep.
The trouble with OTC sleep aids is that the more you use them, the more dependent you become on them. After a while, you may not be able to sleep without them. Plus, your body adapts to them so you need to take more to feel the same effect. That’s why you should always see a doctor if you have trouble sleeping for more than a couple days.
The other issue with sleep aids is that they can cause you to feel extra sleepy the next day. You might even find yourself wanting to take a nap the next day, throwing off your schedule even more. So how can you find a sleep aid that’s effective without totally knocking you out?
There are basically two types of OTC sleep aids. There’s the pharmaceutical types, which most people are familiar with, and then there are the somewhat rarer natural and herbal supplements. Most pharmaceutical sleep aids have antihistamines, which help to slow down your nervous system and make you drowsy. They may also cause a number of side effects, such as dry mouth or dizziness. Most of these types of sleep aids are basically one in the same in terms of effectiveness and after-effects.
On the natural and herbal front, the two main types of sleep aids use melatonin (a hormone) valerian root (an herb). It is believed that melatonin regulates the body’s internal clock. Valerian supposedly can make people fall asleep faster and sleep better overall. However, supplements based on either of these have produced mixed results.
Sometimes, these natural supplements don’t seem to have much effect at all. Other times, they work but have similar side effects as pharmaceutical sleep aids.
Unfortunately, this means that there is really no good answer when it comes to over the counter sleeping pills. There is no choice that is going to both provide you with a good night’s sleep and produce no side effects. Your best bet may simply be to test out different brands and different natural compounds to see what works best for you. You may find one that just meshes well with your body chemistry and gives you optimal results. We have identifed two over the counter sleeping aids which in our opinion represent the best option of what’s current;y available on the market.
Best Sleeping Pills to Help Your Insomnia
Almost everyone has suffered through the occasional night of sleeplessness, but most people don’t know what it’s like to suffer from true insomnia. Insomnia can last for weeks, months, or even years. It can mean that you either can’t sleep, or that you wake up in the middle of night or too early in the morning and can’t get back to sleep. Over time, this can really impair a person’s ability to function in everyday life.
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The truth about insomnia is that it is most often linked to more problems. It can be linked to current problems in ones life, like stress at work or at home. In many people, insomnia is also linked to clinical depression. For that reason, it’s important that anyone experiencing long-term insomnia seek a doctor’s help. The doctor may prescribe sleeping pills to help you sleep, but it’s important to try and get to the underlying cause.
Sleeping pills can potential be dangerous or addictive, so it’s important to know which are the best sleeping pills for you. By learning more about the different types of sleeping pills, you’ll be better equipped to discuss the options with your doctor. Prescription sleep aids are divided into three categories: ones that help you fall asleep, ones that help you stay asleep, and ones that are tailored specifically to depression-related insomnia.
The most common type of insomnia is the first type – trouble falling asleep. There are many different drugs for treating this condition. You may have heard the names Lunesta or Ambien.
Which are the best sleeping pills for you?
Some sleeping aids in this category do not have significant side effects, but they can only be taken for a couple of weeks before they lose effectives. Also, some of these sleep aids can be dangerous if mixed with alcohol or certain other things.
Others may last longer, but carry other side effects with them. One of the worst side effects comes from developing a dependency on the drug. This can result an inability to sleep without them, and worse, can also cause various withdrawal symptoms. If you have an addictive personality, these types may not be the best sleeping pills for you.
Drugs of the second and third types generally share the same risks as the first category. In fact, some of the drugs are same. For example, eszopiclone is the active ingredient in Lunesta, which can be used both for getting to sleep and staying asleep. Your doctor will be able to tell you more about which sleep aid might be best for you.
When taking prescription sleeping pills, it is important to always be careful. If you start to experience severe side effects, you may want to talk to your doctor about changing your medication. Also, it’s important to only take sleeping pills when you’re actually planning to sleep. Trying to drive a car or perform any other reasonably complex task can result in disaster when under the influence of sleeping aids. Be careful and follow the doctor’s instructions and everything should be fine.
Best Over the Counter Sleep Aid to Help You Rest
If you’ve ever lain in bed for hour after hour, unable to get a single wink of sleep, then you know what a maddening experience it can be. You feel far too tired to do anything else, yet you still can’t seem to fall asleep. Sometimes it’s someone or something else that’s keeping you up, but either way, you’re stuck. So you just lie there and stare at the ceiling for a while. It’s situations like these that over the counter sleeping pills were designed for.
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While it’s possible to get prescription sleep aids from a doctor that may be more effective, this isn’t really an option for most people. Many people have very occasional insomnia, or only need to use sleep aids when they’re traveling long distances or when there is some outside factor keeping them awake. You can’t go to a doctor and ask to get a prescription for something you’ll only use once a month.
So, instead you run to the local drugstore or browse the Internet and pick up the best over the counter sleep aid you can find. The question is, how do you know which one is the best? Well, if you take the time to really look at what’s in them, it’s not too hard to find an answer. By and large, most sleep aids work on pretty much the exact same principle. They inhibit the nervous system; slowing it down and making you feel drowsy.
If you were to pick out five or six different types of sleep aids, you would see that they probably share a lot of ingredients in common. Generally, your best bet for finding the best over the counter sleep aid is just to buy the one that’s the best value. That said, every person has their own unique body chemistry, and some people find that one type just works better for them than another. That’s something that you just have to figure out for yourself.
In addition to the standard pharmaceutical sleep aids, there are also more natural options for those who want a more organic solution. There are two very popular options that you can find in alongside the vitamins or other herbal supplements in any store that sells them.
The first is melatonin, a hormone that supposedly has the ability to help people fall asleep and stay that way. The second one is valerian root, which an herb with similar properties. Many people will tell you that one of these two is the best over the counter sleep aid you’ll find. However, scientific studies have not had conclusive results about how effective these natural solutions are or how exactly they work.
Some other herbal options that you might try include chamomile, lavender and kava kava. Some of these may require more work to use than others. For instance, some people recommend aromatherapy with lavender, which requires more than just swallowing a pill. Again, everyone is slightly different and reactions to certain sleep aids will vary from person to person.
