5 Best Over The Counter Sleeping Pills
Over the counter sleeping pills are a popular alternative to prescription sleep aids for sufferers of short-term or transient insomnia. As opposed to the significant dangers inherent with beginning any new regimen of prescription medication, over the counter sleeping pills have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use without a doctor’s authorization. There are several types of ingredients in over the counter sleeping pills common on the market. Treatment of insomnia and sleep problems associated with pain or discomfort are the aim of manufacturers of the most popular and effective brands.
Sleep aids available without prescription will almost always contain either diphenhydramine hydrochloride, diphenhydramine citrate or doxylamine succinate. Each of these antihistamines has been proven effective for minor to mild insomnia, and are active ingredients in all of the products considered in the elite class of over the counter sleep medications. Unisom, Sominex and Benadryl all contain antihistamines. These medications are not necessarily intended for use as a sleeping aid, though their effectiveness has been proven to the extent they are sometimes recommended as such. The side effects of antihistamines, which are taken for a variety of ailments from allergies to nausea, can last well into the day following their ingestion.
An additional form of sleep aids may have a sedatiing medication working in conjunction with pain relief to solve sleep problems commonly associated with minor pain. Advil PM and Tylenol PM are extremely popular sleeping aids available over the counter and affiliated with pain relief. Most users of these medications do not experience the grogginess often affiliated with straight antihistamines or other products which inhibit sleep more as a side effect than as the intended use.
Natural remedies and supplements have been growing in popularity as over the counter sleep aids, though there is disputable evidence as to their effectiveness. The products named above (Unisom, Sominex, Benadryl, Tylenol PM, Advil PM) and their generic equivalents have proven effective and safe for the majority of the population. Antihistamines promote sleep quickly after entering the body, and the restful sleep they give should rectify short-term sleep disorders. Stores will often carry store-brand products containing the same active ingredients as the brand sleeping pill, though side effects from these less-expensive products can vary due to the lower quality ingredients used as a vehicle for the chemical ingredient.
