Non Prescription Sleep Aids
At one time or another almost everyone has a bout of insomnia. It is not until it happens more than a few times and starts to interrupt your daily life that you will realize that something has to be done. At this point you know that this is going to take more than a cup of warm milk and a hot bath to cure. The good news is that you no longer have to go to the doctor’s office to get a sleep aid. The market is full of non prescription sleep aids and some are better than others.
Naturally, you will want a non prescription sleep aid that does not leave you feeling sluggish the next morning or one that does not have any addictive properties to it. Over the counter sleep aids have come a very long way and many of the concerns that used to plague people are no longer an issue. Insomnia is very prevalent in today’s society as it is a result of so many different factors such as stress, anxiety, depression, certain medications that people take, and pain. There are also environmental factors that prohibit a good night’s sleep.
Insomnia can last for a short period of time or it can last for a longer period. When it lasts longer than three weeks, it is considered chronic insomnia. Almost half of the people in the US suffer from insomnia and half of them suffer from chronic insomnia. Also, women are more likely to have insomnia than men are. This places a great significance on non prescription sleep aids and there are several classes of them because of this. They range from herbal based sleep aids to sedatives and there are several in between.
When taking a non prescription sleep aid it should only be used as a last resort after you have tried everything else and the lack of sleep is affecting your daily activities. Also, you should always take the medication at the lowest recommended dose, at least initially. Many of the common household brands of pain relievers have now added a line of their products that contain a sleep aid property that many are finding relief from.
These are designed to be taken on a short term basis only and can actually cause the opposite of what it was intended for if taken for a longer period of time. Antihistamines are the main active ingredient in over the counter sleep aids and because of this they can have some adverse effects including constipation, dry mouth and eyes, grogginess the next day, and a tendency to forget things.
If you are taking any other medications then you should consult a doctor first because it could be the medication that is causing the insomnia or there could be a negative reaction when mixing certain medications with sleep aids. Additionally, it is proven that the sleep that is promoted from these sleep aids does not allow a deep sleep which is considered to be the healthiest sleep possible.