Sleep Aids
Are They Right For You?
You’ve been struggling with your sleep lately. As completely exhausted as you are when you finally drag yourself to bed, you just can’t fall asleep. Maybe getting to sleep isn’t the problem. Instead you’re out as soon as your head hits the pillow, but you wake up two or three hours later and it seems like it takes you forever to get back to sleep. Or you slumber away solidly through the night…until two hours before the alarm is set to go off. And you know it the second you look at the clock — there won’t be any more sleep for you this morning.
We all have an occasional night or two like this, and it’s nothing to worry about. Yes, you feel worn out the next day, but you know you’ll make up for the lost sleep over the weekend, so you don’t get too worked up about it.
But what if that night or two turns into six or seven; what if it goes on for more than a week? That kind of sleep loss is tough to make up for, and can seriously affect your performance at your job, at home, and in all the other commitments you have in your life.
So you begin thinking about whether you should take something to help you sleep. After a few more nights battling the problem, you decide you simply can’t keep on like this, night after night. You want to take something — but what? There are so many products and claims floating around out there, it’s easy to become confused and overwhelmed about what’s right for you.
A good starting place is to determine exactly what your sleep problem is. Do you:
- Lie awake for an hour or longer trying to fall asleep?
- Wake up in the night and can’t get back to sleep for a couple of hours?
- Wake up long before you have to get up and watch the time you should be sleeping pass by?
- Feel like you’re in and out of a light doze all night, never really getting into that deep sleep you need so badly?
Next, find out whether your current health situation may rule out some sleep aids for you. Talk to your doctor about how various sleep aids may affect you. Your pharmacist is also an excellent source of information and can help you identify interactions with any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal/natural products you currently take.
With this information in mind, you can start thinking about your options and decide what you need from a sleep aid. Simple, accurate information will help you sort through the wide array of choices, the claims, the hype, and the gobbledegook.
What Are My Choices?
When it comes to taking something to help you sleep, there are three basic types of products to choose from:
- Supplements: Melatonin and valerian are probably the most well-known of the natural sleep aids, but there are also other vitamin, mineral, and herbal products available at your local drug store or health food store. Supplements are not required to undergo FDA review and approval, but more and more clinical studies are being conducted to assess their safety and effectiveness. Their more natural, less synthetic approach appeals to many people. To read more about natural sleep aids, click here.
- Over-The-Counter (OTC) Sleep Aids: Available without a doctor’s prescription, these products can provide you with good, temporary relief when you’re having trouble sleeping. Convenience is the major benefit — you can drop by your corner drug store, or pick them up when you’re at the grocery store. They’re FDA tested and approved, and many doctors recommend trying an OTC before using a prescription drug. For more on over-the-counter sleep aids, click here.
- Prescription Medications: These are the heavy-hitters when it comes to helping you get to and stay asleep. A trip to the doctor’s office is necessary, but if you’re having so much trouble that you’re ready to seek a prescription, it’s smart to have a conversation with her anyway. She will ask you questions about your sleep problems and evaluate your health history so she can determine the best medication for your situation.
After spending just a little time figuring out what your needs are, talking it over with your doctor or pharmacist, and reviewing your options, you’ll be able to confidently make a decision on whether taking a sleep aid is for you, and if so, which one is right for you. With this knowledge, you’ll sleep better, feel better, and live better.