Natural Sleep Aids

Everyone experiences occasional difficulties in being able to fall asleep or to remain asleep all night. The stress of life and daily activities, too much caffeine consumption during the day, working too hard or for too long, and problems within the family can all contribute to short-term sleep problems. Sometimes if these problems are not addressed and corrected early when solutions are relatively simple, they develop into full-fledged insomnia. Seeking help for sleep disturbances from a health care professional may lead to a prescription for sleep medication. Before filling and taking this medication, consider carefully the pros and cons of doing so.

When you have difficulty with falling asleep night after night, the simplest solution seems to be taking a pill to help you sleep. Prescription medications will certainly help you do that on a short-term basis. Most contain antihistamines which will make you sleepy. Even over-the-counter sleep medications contain antihistamines as their key active ingredient. Some of the other chemicals included in prescription sleep medicines may be anti-anxiety drugs and relaxants. Many of these ingredients carry a cost to their use. They can leave you feeling very groggy the next day after you use them. They may even trigger headaches and nausea. You will sleep, but may not feel adequately rested the next morning.

There are several potential problems with taking prescription sleep medication as a long-term sleep aid for those reoccurring nights when you are unable to sleep. One is the so-called “hang over” effect already mentioned. Another is the possibility of the body becoming dependent on the medication to be able to sleep at all. They can become addictive. A further potential problem to investigate is whether or not the recommended medication might interact negatively with other medications you are already on or with any pre-existing medical conditions you already have. Your main health care provider and your pharmacist can provide these answers for you.

Before taking a prescription medication, consider the ease and efficacy of using herbal sleeping pills instead. Herbal supplements or sleep aids such as melatonin and valerian are sold in capsule form and provide a homeopathic alternative treatment for sleep problems with very few, if any, side effects. When taking any sleep supplement, plan to use it only for the short term until diet, health and lifestyle changes can be made in your daily routine to solve sleep difficulties naturally.

The key to using any oral medication, whether prescription or holistic, is to start with taking a small dose under the supervision of your health care professional. At the same time, begin to make any needed changes in your lifestyle to create a better sleep environment for you and to better prepare you physically for the restful effects of a good night’s sleep. Take responsibility for changes you need to make in order to change from being unable to sleep to being well-rested and raring to go each day.