Over the Counter Sleep Aids – A Guide to the Most Used Over the Counter Sleep Aids
Over the counter sleep aids give you a fast and effective solution to prolonged lack of sleep due to stress and other lifestyle factors. However, you really have to ask yourself a number of questions about these pills and supplements. How effective are they? Are they safe? Do they cause addiction? Read on to find out the answers.
Antihistamine
This is the main active ingredients of some of the most widely used over the counter sleep aids. In general, this chemical compound is used for the treatment of allergies. It suppresses the production of histamine, a body chemical that causes wakefulness and alertness. That is why its sleeping aid properties are considered a side effect.
Antihistamine is effective for promoting good night sleep in the short run. However, it can also cause serious side effects. You may feel drowsy and tired not only in the morning, but all day long. In addition, the drowsiness can be extremely severe and cause you to fall asleep while doing work or driving. For this reason, patients taking antihistamine medications are advised not to work with large machinery and equipment during treatment.
Diphenhydramine
This drug belongs to the antihistamine group as well. The over the counter sleep aids that contain it have the same positive effect that generally lasts for a short time. This drug has a wider range of side effects rather than just drowsiness. It can cause dry mouth and dizziness. It is known to cause memory problems, such as short-term memory loss, in some patients.
Diphenhydramine is not recommended for patients who have glaucoma and heart problems as well as to those with enlarged prostate and Parkinson’s diseases. Breast-feeding women and children should not use such medications as well.
Doxylamine
This is another chemical compound that belongs to the antihistamine class. Unlike its other counterparts, its main use is to relieve insomnia symptoms. Despite this, it has the same side effect like all other antihistamine over the counter sleep aids. It can cause long-lasting and severe drowsiness. In general, the doxylamine medications are not recommended to patients suffering from glaucoma, asthma, bronchitis, enlarged prostate and peptic ulcer.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that the human body produces naturally. It is produced during the night when you are asleep. That is why it is considered to aid and promote sleep.
The melatonin over the counter sleep aids come in the form of supplements. They contain manufactured chemical compound versions of the natural hormone. These supplements have good results, but they tend to be not as powerful and consistent as their antihistamine counterparts. In general, melatonin supplements are recommended primarily for people who work irregular night shifts and for people who are jet lagged.
Even though melatonin is not known to have serious side effects, people who take it report experiencing drowsiness during the day, dizziness and headaches, stomach discomfort and irritability. In general, such sleep aids are not recommended to pregnant and breast-feeding women as well as to individuals younger than 20 years of age.
Now you know all about the most popular over the counter sleep aids.