Insomnia Medications: Pros and Cons

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Friday, October 3rd, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

An ongoing spell of insomnia could lead you to try almost anything to help you get some much needed rest. But before you get desperate, make certain you realize how each alternative works.

Most people who experience a few nights in a row of insomnia will head straight to the pharmacy to get an over the counter remedy. Sleeping aids may be of some use at the outset, but they won’t deal with the actual causes of the problem.

Sleeping aids shouldn’t be considered a cure for insomnia. It might provide some relief initially, but you still need to figure out the cause of your sleep issues. Being forced to rely on a pill to get some sleep is not the most beneficial alternative for your health.

Many individuals become hooked on the medication and can’t sleep without them. Others have undesirable side effects, or experience complications due to interaction with their prescription meds.

Nonprescription sleep aids work against insomnia by employing an antihistamine, which is a common treatment for allergies. They make you sleepy and help to make sure you remain asleep.Some people experience drowsiness the next day, which might interrupt your natural sleep cycle. Other side effects might include memory loss, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth and blurred vision. If you become dependent on them, you will require increasingly larger doses to get the benefits.

You might get a prescription for a more potent medication, perhaps a non-benzodiazephine. This helps you feel sleepy by stepping up the natural chemical process of your brain. Using a sleeping aid for ongoing insomnia relief is generally safer than using over the counter remedies; but it can lead to dependencies.

It’s unusual nowadays, but your physician might give you a prescription tranquilizer if your lack of sleep is severe. This causes drowsiness by slowing your nervous system. It’s a short-term answer that might leave you feeling foggy the next day.

You might be prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications that act as sedatives if your doctor believes it’s the best alternative for you. These are common, but don’t have the same possibilities for addiction as other prescription drugs.

If you want to avoid the medical choices and select something more natural, you could look at an herbal remedy for your insomnia. Some herbs have a reputation for promoting sleep, like chamomile, which can be made into tea.

Some other herbal remedies you could try are melatonin, SAMe and valerian, all of which are reported to be useful for treating insomnia. Be certain to use the proper dosage, because too much of even a good thing can cause undesirable results.

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