- Over-the-counter sleep medications
- -Doxylamine
- -Diphenhydramine
- Prescription sleep medications
- -Zolpidem
- -Ramelteon
- -Zaleplon
- -Eszopiclone
- -Doxepin
- -Timipramine
- -Mirtazapine
- -Trazodone
- Natural products to help you sleep
- -Triptophan
- -Valerian
- -The passion flower or Passiflora
- -Melatonin
- References
The medicines for sleep soundly, and prescription, are now very common in the population day. There are more and more cases of people, who for different reasons, find it difficult to sleep. Daily worries, stress or anxiety are usually some of the causes that cause insomnia.
Experts agree that the use of drugs to help sleep should be limited in time and controlled by a professional. It is advisable to do it only at specific times and if the difficulties in falling asleep persist, you should consult your doctor or another professional again.
If the reasons for insomnia are anxiety or stress generated by everyday worries, it will be necessary to solve it from its base. Also in many cases it is about establishing healthy lifestyle and sleep habits.
Having a few hours of full and restorative rest is essential for our physical and mental health. Some of the consequences of insomnia are irritability, stress, lack of concentration, extreme fatigue, migraines, disorientation, intestinal problems, among others.
Because the consequences of lack of sleep or problems falling asleep are many and varied, there are more and more medications to help combat them. Next we are going to expose some of them, their characteristics and contraindications.
Over-the-counter sleep medications
In most cases, over-the-counter sleep medications contain antihistamines. This component is used for the treatment of allergies but also induces sleep.
These pills are not addictive, but the body tolerates them very quickly, so if they are used continuously they stop working. Some of the drugs of this type that are commonly used are:
-Doxylamine
It is used to treat lack of sleep or difficulty maintaining it. It is also indicated for the treatment of colds when combined with other components. Some of the side effects that may appear are:
- Dry mouth, nose and throat
- Headache
- Agitation and / or nervousness
- Sickness
- Dizziness
-Diphenhydramine
This medicine is used to treat insomnia. But it is also indicated for the treatment of allergy symptoms such as tearing, irritation, itching or a runny nose. Among the side effects it can cause are:
- Dry mouth, nose and / or throat
- Dizziness
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Headache
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Muscular weakness
- Nervousness and / or agitation
Prescription sleep medications
These types of drugs are mostly called hypnotics and antidepressants are also used. Its main function is to help you fall asleep in less time. In all cases they must be prescribed by a doctor and often create dependency. Some of the most commonly used drugs of this type are:
-Zolpidem
It is used only for the treatment of insomnia. Its action is to slow brain activity to facilitate sleep. This medicine can have multiple side effects, including:
- Exhausted
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Sickness
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Gases
- Heartburn
- Pain and / or tenderness in the stomach
- Changes in appetite
- Tremors in certain parts of the body
- Pain, tingling, or burning in the hands, feet, arms, and / or legs
- Redness, burning, or tingling on the tongue
- Ringing, pain, or burning in the ears
- Joint, back, or neck pain
- Heavy menstrual bleeding than usual
- Difficulty breathing and / or swallowing
- Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Hoarseness
- Chest pain
- Strong palpitations
- Blurred vision or other vision problems
-Ramelteon
This medicine is used only to help you fall asleep more quickly or keep it off. It works like melatonin, a natural substance in the brain that is essential for sleeping. Some of the side effects it can cause are:
- Exhausted
- Dizziness
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Irregularity or breakthrough of menstruation
- Decreased sex drive
- Fertility problems
-Zaleplon
This medicine is used to help you fall asleep. But it will not increase sleep time or decrease the number of times a person wakes up at night. Its action slows down brain activity which facilitates sleep. Among the side effects it can cause are:
- Excessive sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Daze
- Loss of appetite
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and / or feet
- Lack of coordination
- Excessive sensitivity to noise
- Headache
- Vision problems
- Eye pain
- Painful menstrual periods
- Increased sensitivity to odors
- Skin rash
- Urticaria
- Swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, and / or eyes
- Difficulty swallowing and / or breathing
- Hoarsely
-Eszopiclone
It is used only in the treatment of insomnia. Like two of those mentioned above, its function is to slow down the activity of the brain to facilitate sleep. Among the side effects that may appear after ingestion we find:
- General pain
- Headaches
- Excessive sleepiness during the day
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Daze
- Dizziness
- Heartburn
- Bad mouth taste
- Lack of coordination of movements
- Dry mouth
- Decreased sex drive
- Painful menstrual periods
- Breast growth in men
- Skin rash
- Urticaria
- Feeling that the throat is closing. Difficulty to swallow
- Swelling of the eyes, face, lips, tongue, throat, feet, and / or ankles
- Hoarsely
-Doxepin
This medicine belongs to the so-called tricyclic antidepressants and is indicated for the treatment of depression and anxiety. But taken in small amounts it is also used to treat insomnia. Among the side effects that its consumption can cause we find:
- Sickness
- Excessive sleepiness
- Excessive weakness or tiredness
- Disturbing dreams, nightmares
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Overly sensitive skin to the sun
- Difficulty urinating and / or frequent urge to urinate
- Blurry vision
- Loss of sexual desire
- Excessive sweating
- Muscle spasms in certain areas of the body (especially the jaw, neck, or back)
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing and / or swallowing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Rash
- Yellowing of the skin and / or eyes
-Timipramine
Like the previous one, it belongs to the group of medicines called tricyclic antidepressants. It is used to treat depression but in small amounts it is prescribed to help you fall asleep. Some of the side effects that may occur are:
- Nausea and / or vomiting.
- Diarrhea
- Stomach ache
- Excessive sleepiness
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Excitement or nervousness
- Excessive weakness or tiredness
- Difficulty urinating
- Constipation
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Disturbing dreams, nightmares
- Difficulty urinating or needing to urinate frequently
- Blurry vision
- Excessive sweating
- Ringing in the ears
- Pain, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
- Muscle spasms in some areas of the body
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty breathing and / or swallowing
- Convulsive crisis
- Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
- Chest pain
- Skin rash
-Mirtazapine
Like the previous drugs, it belongs to the group of antidepressants. Its usual use is for the treatment of depression although it can also help you fall asleep. Among the side effects that can derive from its consumption we find:
- Excessive sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Confusion
- Dry mouth
- Increased weight and appetite
- Chest pain
- Fever and / or chills
- Sore throat
- Mouth wounds
- Convulsive crisis
- Faster than usual heart rate
-Trazodone
This drug is also among antidepressants. Its action consists of regulating the levels of serotonin in the brain, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep. Its consumption can cause different side effects. Among them are:
- Headache
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Bad mouth taste
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Nervousness or agitation
- Changes in appetite
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Feeling unsteady when walking
- Reduced ability to concentrate or to retain information
- Confusion
- Disturbing dreams, nightmares
- Generalized muscle pain
- Blurry vision
- Excessive sweating
- Skin rash
- Numbness or burning of the legs, feet, arms and / or hands
- Ringing in the ears
- Tired, red, or itchy eyes
- Lack of coordination in movements
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Convulsions
- Fainting
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
- Loss of consciousness
- Prolonged or painful erections for men
In the case of prescription sleep medications, it is important to note that most of them cause dependence. Some indications to follow with this type of medication are:
- Always take them under prescription and medical supervision.
- Do not take them for longer than indicated by the professional. If insomnia persists, it is advisable to consult your doctor again but not continue the treatment on our own.
- Do not stop treatment abruptly as withdrawal symptoms may appear and cause discomfort in addition to increasing the difficulty in falling asleep.
- Do not mix the taking of these medications with others that may also cause drowsiness.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you have any of the side effects that can cause the intake of these drugs.
Natural products to help you sleep
Research in this field has increased in recent years. Some natural products seem to have the same benefits as medicines but without the side effects.
Although studies have yielded positive data in this regard, it is necessary to continue research in this field. Some of the most used natural products are:
-Triptophan
It is an amino acid precursor of serotonin, a substance necessary for falling asleep. This component can be taken as a supplement but it can also be increased by eating foods such as turkey, milk, or brown rice.
-Valerian
It is one of the most used products to reduce anxiety, nervousness and / or sleep. Taken in high doses to produce a series of side effects such as:
- Sickness
- Headache
- Extreme weakness
- Paralysis
Ingested at recommended doses, it is considered a safe herb and does not have to cause side effects.
-The passion flower or Passiflora
This herb was already used by the Aztecs because it is a powerful calming and sedative. These effects help induce sleep. It is one of the most used natural methods since it does not present side effects and its use is valid for both adults and children. Helps reduce tension and the effects of stress.
The only contraindication is that in high doses it can cause excessive drowsiness.
-Melatonin
One of the natural ways to sleep that has spread the most in recent years is taking melatonin as a dietary supplement. It is a hormone that the pineal gland secretes and one of its functions is to regulate the biological clock.
When the amount of melatonin increases at night it induces us to sleep, and when the amount of it decreases it causes us to wake up in the morning.
But many experts are warning of the danger of this use. It is possible that with continued consumption our body detects that it is not necessary for it to continue producing this hormone since we ingest it artificially. In this way we can be causing hormonal disorders in our body that affect us physically and mentally.
In any case, it is always advisable to consult a doctor or health professional to help you find the causes that are causing the insomnia and thus treat the root problem.
Likewise, it is always advisable to maintain a healthy lifestyle, having a balanced diet and physical exercise helps to rest fully and restoratively at night.
References
- Chokroverty S, Avidan AY. (2016) Sleep and its disorders. Philadelphia.
- Krystal AD. (2017) Pharmacologic treatment of insomnia: other medications. Philadelphia.
- Walsh JK, Roth T. (2017) Pharmacologic treatment of insomnia: benzodiazepine receptor agnosists. Philadelphia.