Over-the-counter sleep aids can be helpful, but they can also be risky. You need to determine if they will help you, or hurt you. In general, they aren’t that great for chronic insomnia. Changes in your lifestyle are much more likely to work for that. If, however, you are beginning a new shift at work or are traveling to a different time zone and suffering from jet lag, these nonprescription medications can be highly useful.

Start by making an appointment with your MD, particularly if you are taking any other medicines or have a severe medical problem. Don’t think that just because something doesn’t require a prescription that it will be safe for you. Speaking with your physician will also help you determine if you are doing the right thing. You might decide you would be better off attempting lifestyle changes first or getting a prescription.

The two main types of over the counter sleep aids are diphenhydramine and doxylamine. Doxylamine is unisom. There are many individuals who should not take this, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and individuals who presently have or have a history of enlarged prostrates, peptic ulcers, asthma, glaucoma, and bronchitis. The other type, diphenhydramine, includes products such as Tylenol PM, Sominex, and Bennadryl. Again, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid this, as should individuals with a history of enlarged prostrate, glaucoma, or heart problems. If you do take one of these kinds of pills, you should avoid driving and other tasks that require wakefulness afterwords.

If you are looking for something with less side effects, you may have thought about natural sleep aids. Unfortunately these can also interfere with prescription medicines and are not suited to people with some underlying medical conditions. So, again, you’ll want to begin by talking to your MD. While natural dietary supplements do need more research, there are two that are thought to be both generally safe and effective.

Valerian is one of the dietary supplements you should look at. It is simple to find this as a tea or in pill form in almost all grocery stores. Melatonin is the other one. Melatonin governs your internal clock and is something that your body creates naturally. As you grow older, however, your body begins to make less. Some individuals have trouble making enough on their own. For these people, synthetic melatonin can be quite helpful. It also seems promising in aiding people get over jet lag or adapt to shift work.

It is critical to remember that these are only tools to help you get a great night’s sleep. They are not cures. They should be used smartly. This means that you should work with your Dr.. Don’t take more than the recommended dosage of anything and don’t mix them with alcohol or other pills. Be aware of any side effects that you have, and be sure that you are using them as a short term aid.

Since this problem can affect many areas of your life, it is vital that you do everything you can to defeat insomnia.If you are one of the millions who are kept awake at night, go to cure for insomnia to learn about strategies you can use to overcome your sleep problems.

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