Sleeping Pills Compared (Ambien & Lunesta)
If you have occasional problems getting to sleep, two of the prescription drug options you and your doctor can consider are Ambien and Lunesta. There are those who swear by Ambien and those who think Lunesta is the way to go. Each of these sleep aids have side effects, particularly Ambien, but not everyone suffers from them.
Both Ambien and Lunesta are in a family of drugs that are hypnotics. The ingredients in zolpidem tartrate, brand name Ambien, work in unison with a chemical that the body makes naturally called Gaba. Gaba is one of numerous neurotransmitters that controls the way the brains cells communicate with each other. Gaba weakens activity in surrounding brain cells, and when combined with Ambien, they keep specific cells from being active enough to keep someone awake. Ezsopiclone, or Lunesta, also works in unison with brain chemicals to help you sleep. The makers of Lunesta believe that it helps you stay asleep longer than Ambien does.
People who take Ambien say it is much more effective than Lunesta. But because it is more effective, this can produce more serious side effects and, unfortunately, the chance of becoming dependent on the sleeping pill. In fact, over one-third of those people who use Ambien in a clinical study became addicted, while only 5 percent of Lunesta users reported dependency.
Both of these drugs are hypnotics and this is the reason that they both can have some significant side effects. If Ambien is taken too long before going to bed, it can cause hallucinations. Some people have even reported bouts of binge eating. Ambien has also been known to cause sleep walking with no memory of it the next day. Some people report a hangover feeling in the morning after taking Ambien, more so than with Lunesta. Lunesta’s reported side effects include leaving a metallic taste in the mouth, so prominent that many users have quit taking Lunesta. Lunesta can also bring on panic attacks.
Approximately 20 percent of those who take Ambien develop a tolerance, which means it may not be as effective after awhile and dosage must be increased. Far fewer Lunesta users have this problem. These tolerances usually occur in people who use either Ambien or Lunesta on a regular basis.
Ambien comes in two strengths and comes in a cheaper, generic form. Lunesta is not yet available in a generic, but it is available in three different strengths.
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.
Ambien and Lunesta – Prescription Sleeping Pills
Ambien and Lunesta are two of the most widely used prescription sleeping pills. The market for prescription sleeping medications has exploded in recent years with the development of pills such as Ambien and Lunesta that cause little or no adverse side effects. The two medications are slightly different in their composition and effect, but each boasts a restful sleep without the grogginess that accompanied older sleeping aids. As opposed to the tranquilizing sedatives commonly prescribed in years past, Ambien and Lunesta leave the user feeling more crisp and aware once the medication has run its course.
Ambien, chemically known as zolpidem, is considered a hypnotic sedative. The aim of an hypnotic is to manipulate the chemicals in the brain, as opposed to slowing body systems. Insomnia is due in part to a chemical imbalance that can be rectified, or at least tempered, by the use of hypnotic sedatives such as Ambien. The medication is manufactured in both an immediate release and extended release form. For sufferers of insomnia who find relief from immediate release pills only to wake later in the night or very early morning, an extended release formula would provide greater benefit. The extended release form, known as Ambien Cr, releases a dose of fast acting medication to instigate sleep, followed by a steady dose of the chemical for continued restful sleep.
Lunesta is also a hypnotic sedative, known chemically as ezopiclone. Lunesta will work in the same manner as Ambien in the sense that the aim is to balance chemicals causing insomnia. The differences between Lunesta and Ambien, aside from differences in dosage, seem to be minimal at this point in research. Ambien has proven among many patients to lose its effectiveness after approximately 35 days of continuous use. Lunesta has proven effective for as long as 6 months when used in the same fashion. For either medication, continuous use is only recommended for the most severe cases of insomnia. The medications are generally prescribed for short-term use to fix temporary insomnia.
Though the reported side effects of Ambien and Lunesta are far less significant than those from the last generation of sleep aids, there are still occurences in a small number of users. The most common negative effects reported from Ambien are activities similar to sleep-walking, where patients execute tasks they would normally perform during waking hours, and have no recollection of the task. Instances of sleep-walking have not been reported in significant numbers by patients on Lunesta, though users of Lunestsa report night-waking more often than those on Ambien.
