Considering a Sleep Aid? Talk to Your Doctor First.

Sleep aid pills, 3D rendering isolated on white background

Not getting enough sleep and feeling sleep-deprived can make for a rough next day. Many people rush for a quick solution, not considering first talking to their health care providers about their sleeping problems. Yes, it is tempting to get a short answer by bringing over-the-counter pills to fix your sleeping problems, but by consulting your doctor and making a few lifestyle changes and habits, you can quickly improve your sleeping problem. Many over-the-counter sleeping pills do not have a long-term cure for sleep woes.

Most of the over-the-counter pills marketed online or found in stores are used as tools to aid with the occasional sleepless nights. Most medicines or supplements come in different forms, such as liquids, tea, tablets, or capsules. All of them work in different ways. The ingredients found in the supplements will bring the effect. Some will make you feel relaxed and sleepy, while some will alter the way your brain functions by altering the awake part in your brain.

There are many available options if you Google or research online about sleeping pills. But, the most common medicines found in the drug stores include the following:

•Melatonin. What this drug does is regulate and interfere with your sleep cycle. Taking the right amount of dose can make you fall asleep faster. Melatonin will help you get back to your regular sleeping schedule.
•Diphenhydramine. Used as an anti-itching drug and as an allergy medicine, Diphenhydramine can also be used as a sleeping pill.
•Doxylamine succinate. This sleeping pill works with a neurotransmitter part of your brain to bring sleepiness.

As much as these sleeping pills will help you in your sleep, they come with side effects that include the following. Fatigue the next day, increased intolerance the more you take the supplements. Eventually, they may become less effective with time, may cause insomnia in the future, and a drug interaction may occur.

If you read closely into the descriptions box of the pills or supplements, most read that the pills will deliver the best and most relaxed night you have ever had. But, in reality, most of these drugs are not clinically approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to cure or treat sleeplessness. This is why, before purchasing the sleep pills, you should first consider talking to your doctor. Why? Sleeping pills may not be your best choice.

The best and advisable option is to talk to your doctor. Instead of buying the supplements or the sleeping pills, your doctor may refer you to a sleeping medicine specialist who will take some tests to determine whether you have a disorder or offer other suggestions that will help you in your sleep. Some of the tips that the specialist may provide for better sleep may include the following

•Avoid the use of caffeine some hours before bedtime
•Meditation
•Make and create a peaceful sleep environment.’
•Where possible, avoid daytime naps
•Limit the usage of your phone or computer before bed
•Create and maintain a consistent sleeping schedule

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