Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What is a good over the counter sleep aid?

Resolved Question

What is a good over the counter sleep aid?

I'm in college, and I'm also an insomniac. I have tried several sleep aids over the past 2 years and while they put me to sleep, I also remain drowsy. I wake up feeling just as tired as I did the night before and I end up sleeping in the middle of the afternoon and not being able to go to sleep the next night, so I take another, and it starts the cycle over again.

I don't know what to do. I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in months, and it's beginning to show. I'm getting sick more often, I'm paler and I feel useless for most of the day.

What can I take that won't leave me so drowsy the day after?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Over the counter sleep aids are basically all the same. Sominex, Unisom, Nytol, Benedryl, etc. all contain the same main ingredient for sleep---diphenhydramine HCl. You can even get the drug store generic version and save a few bucks.

There are prescription sleeping pills like Lunesta, Ambien and Sonata. Then there are the heavy duty anti-anxiety meds like Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin. All of the anti-anxiety meds can be addictive and have harsh withdrawal symptoms. If possible, it is best to get at the root cause of your insomnia, so you won't have to deal with dependence on pills.

Below is a long list I once wrote about ways to fall asleep. The list is so long that reading it might put you to sleep :-)

There are herbs that might help you to sleep, eg, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. Probably, valerian root and kava kava are the best. However, what most people don't realize is that it can take a few weeks for some herbs to build up in your system before they work.

The minerals calcium and magnesium might be helpful for sleep. You can also try 5-HTP, trytophan, or melatonin (about 3 mg). I would not take melatonin for over a month unless your doctor says it is ok.

If you have annoying thoughts or personal issues that run through your mind when you are trying to sleep, you might have to deal with those issues first. You might want to talk to a counselor or therapist about that. .

What helped me a lot to fall asleep, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. The combination of voice and music is very soothing. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.

A warm bath is a great way to help you to sleep (depending on the season). If you can't take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.

A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., until your whole body is relaxed.

Of course, guided relaxation methods can help, imagining yourself in the country, the beach, or whatever is most soothing to you.

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Other Answers (2)

  • I have same problem as you, it really sucks. It's also affecting me in my French class also because it's my hardest class and it is also the most credits. I'm getting sick a lot more often and I feel really useless during the day. I'm not gaining weight like I should be and I am unhealthy because of lack of sleep. Sometimes I stay up 48+ hours without any sleep and sometimes I only get 4 hours of sleep after staying up 48+ hours, it's like torture.
  • Just try nytol one a night i use them sometimes and don't feel funny in the morning just feel good that i had some sleep.

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