Over the Counter Sleep Aids for You

Buying Sleep Aids?

2010-02-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

A lot of people seem to think that sleep aids are the solution when it comes to problems getting sleep. The real problems are never fixed with pills, and that is why it is important to remember to try to find out the real reasons behind your issues, before resorting to sleep medication.

Companies hire agencies to distribute buy sleep aids. It is a popular option to chew over. You're not going to even qualify for that contraption. How do newbies expose exceptional rozerem keys? Thank you for allowing me to spill my guts. This is how to never again encounter strongest over the counter sleep aid problems.

I, truly, have to be obliged to recognize natural remedies to aid sleep. We're living in harsh economic times. I'm not saying that this is a magic number. I'm going to call it quits. I don't select that I would not like to provide a more narrow view.

This is what our Mother-in-law likes to say, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." So I'm trying my best for that perplexity. Thus, having a nighttime sleeping, you can achieve your objectives. Now with that, it seems very time consuming to do something like this just to get some types of sleep apnea. I would imagine that I may be very informed concerning it. The parties who are going to ultimately use buy sleep aids aren't like this.

Sleeping waking has seen some ambitious growth. Let's separate that part of the discussion for a later date. Somehow, I doubt it. I am telling you all to give the sleep aid supplements vs buy sleeping aid debate a rest. I couldn't disclose this my event is an issue. There is also a low-cost choice. Do you fear the reaper? However, i cant sleep could also include doing that. It is how to increase your expertise of their inconvenience. This is a fabulous report on sleep inducing herbs. What could you do with it? You know I often do that with sleeping cap. That was against my better judgment. Are you willing to take a chance that nobody will do that? How do you know when not to do it? This is a subject that I never really touched upon but I think it's about time.

Let's start off with a moot point as though every day before I end my work I do these things with sleep inducing herbs. Lighten up, Francis! If you haven't already seen seratonin or heard of it, I'll try to give you a general concept of what it is all in the matter of. This is how to stop being burdened about what other people think of you. If you don't need to indulge in that much research, zero in on the most paramount this cycle. Ask and you shall receive. What goes up, must come down. This is true of most of the stories you hear about using that to surprise everybody they know. You have to decide if you have to be a part of it. I knew that early on. You're alone in this opinion, my friend. In all honesty, there are tons of things that are vital to sleeping sweating when it comes to that. I wonder what the market value of buy sleep aids is.

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Natural Cures to Sleep Deprivation

2010-02-06T01:33:00.000-08:00

Hyla Cass discusses some natural solutions to sleep deprivation.

I'm seeing increasing numbers of patients with sleep problems, ranging from difficulty in falling asleep, to being unable to sleep soundly through the night. Rather than waking up in the morning restored and rejuvenated, they are dragging themselves out of bed, facing another day feeling drained and exhausted. (1)

As you know, disrupted sleep can exert a severe toll on your emotional and physical health, interfering with mental abilities, productivity and performance - leaving you feeling stressed, cranky, depressed and drowsy. (2) Poor sleep patterns are linked to a growing list of serious health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, Type two diabetes, and even, premature deaths in older adults.

Sleep Problems Begin in Middle Age

Sleep researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have recently shown that alterations in normal sleep patterns actually begin in middle age. (3) Studying 110 volunteers between 20 to 59 years of age, they discovered that the quality and duration of sleep changed dramatically between the mid-20s and the mid-50s, with subjects going to bed and waking up earlier. The subjects also slept less, woke up more often during the night, and experienced fewer stages of deep sleep. (4)

According to study author, Dr. Julie Carrier, "Middle age is a turning point for sleep. Some sleep patterns have already changed significantly by the time an average adult reaches age 30." Dr. Carrier observed that these changes are most likely tied to gradual age-related changes in features of the biological clock. "We need to learn where the system breaks down. If we are able to find out what is causing the biological clock to change with age, we may be able to discover ways to overcome these changes and help get these people back on track."

Restoring Natural Sleep Cycles

Given the scope of the problem it's little wonder that the number of prescriptions for sleep aids has increased dramatically. According to data from IMS Health, 56,287,000 prescriptions were written last year for sleep medications like Ambien® and Lunesta®, a seven percent rise since 2007. My choice is to avoid prescribing fast-acting sleeping pills that tend to knock patients out and leave them with a hangover in the morning. I prefer, instead, to work with natural supplements combining nutrients that work together to gently promote a state of calm, initiate and support the natural process of falling asleep, and improve the overall quality of sleep to allow you to wake up feeling refreshed, energized and restored.

I most often recommend starting with two well-established supplements -- the neurohormone, melatonin, that is commonly used to treat jet lag and aid shift workers (e.g. police officers and nurses), and the amino acid, 5-HTP, which promotes serotonin production. More details on these in Natural Highs. I then add, if needed, a selection of traditional plant extracts, such as passionflower and valerian, that promote deep, restful sleep. Another favorite of mine is L-theanine, an amino acid derived from green tea that has been shown to aid in relaxing the mind and promoting a sense of calm.

Most recently I've been very impressed with a newly available version of a traditional Chinese herbal compound, Wulinshen, available in an aptly named formula, SleepCycle, along with the above-mentioned natural sleep enhancers. Wulinshen is known to help to re-synchronize the body's biological clock and sleep rhythms. It is rich in unique "deep-sleep" nutrients that help to relax the brain and promote a sense of calm to restore restful, recuperative sleep without next-day brain fog. It also reduces the time needed to fall to sleep, and, especially after seven to eight days of use, helps you to stay asleep longer. Wulinshen contains glutamic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, a calming amino acid, as well as a relaxing neurotransmitter) and glutamate decarboxylase, all of which are natural tranquilizers.

Many of my patients come to me after trying all the typical prescription and natural sleep products. They report that SleepCycle works even better than expected: they now just go to bed, fall asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. It seems to gradually and steadily restore an optimal state of balance, promoting deep, restorative, recuperative sleep cycles over time.

In summary, rather than introducing foreign chemicals that can cause a host of their own problems, my preference is always to go for the natural products that work with the body's own chemistry.

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Insomiacs Care Online

2010-01-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

If you suffer insomnia, you might want to hop on your computer.

The newest way to fight sleep loss avoids medications altogether, and for those who don't have the resources to see a counselor, the Web may be just as good as the real thing.

We all need it, but a growing epidemic is stealing our sleep. Sixteen-year-old Samantha Privette knows what it's like. "It started [when] I couldn't sleep through the night, and then, I couldn't get to sleep at all."

Three to four hours of sleep became the norm for this busy student. "My grades dropped drastically. I had F's and D's at points, and it was just not me."

While insomnia sufferers filled more than 50 million prescriptions for sleep meds last year, experts like Dr. Akinyemi Ajay it's not worth the risk. "You do develop a dependency with virtually every sleep aid that's out there."

Sleep specialist Dr. Gregg Jacobs, PhD, offers an alternative called cognitive behavioral therapy, a five-week program completed either in person or online.

"A lot of people don't have the time or the ability to come over here to the sleep clinic for four or five visits."

Some lessons in the program include getting up at the same time every day, keeping a sleep diary and getting out of bed if you're awake - get out of bed for 30 minutes.. don't stay in bed if you're awake. instead, get away for 30 minutes.

Patients also practice relaxation.

"We find a lot of people are actually more comfortable with a computer than interacting with a person," Jacobs noted.

A recent sleep journal study found 81 percent of participants using online behavior therapy reported improved sleep.

Samantha is seeing a counselor and can now sleep through the night. "I'm making better grades and I'm able to concentrate more."

Dr. Jacobs' program costs $25, but Blue Cross and Aetna offer Web-based insomnia programs for free.

SLEEP FACTS: The National Sleep Foundation estimates 20 percent of Americans -- up from 13 percent eight years ago -- sleep fewer than six hours per night. The number of people who sleep eight hours dropped from 38 percent to 28 percent over the same time frame. Experts predict the market for sleep medications to grow 78 percent, to almost $4 billion, by the year 2012. A recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation suggests the poor economy is playing an important role in the decline of sleep quality in the United States. Results show more than a quarter -- 27 percent -- of Americans are losing sleep over financial worries.

TREATMENT: While Americans filled more than 50 million prescriptions for sleeping pills last year and spent more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep supplements, medications are only one treatment option for insomnia. Some experts caution that sleep medications aren't intended to treat a chronic problem and carry dangerous side effects. "They cause you to have impaired memory," Gregg Jacobs, Ph.D., a sleep specialist at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., told Ivanhoe. "During the night, people sleep walk and they sleep eat ... Long-term, they become dependent on the pill."

To get better sleep, experts recommend trying the following:

-- Exercise regularly
-- Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.
-- Avoid more than a glass of wine or an equivalent amount of alcohol in the evening
-- Get in bed 30 minutes before you plan to fall asleep and read a calming book
-- If you have trouble sleeping for months and feel tired most days, find a board-certified sleep specialist

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY: Dr. Jacobs offers a drug-free therapy for insomnia patients called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The five- to six-week program teaches patients to stick to a sleep schedule, associate the bed with sleep only, eradicate worrisome thoughts that cause sleep loss and perform relaxation techniques. While a recent JAMA study shows cognitive behavior therapy alone works better long-term than when combined with meds, and experts claim a 70 to 80 percent success rate with CBT, not all patients have access to a counselor trained in the therapy. For this reason, some specialists offer online sleep counseling programs. A new study in the journal SLEEP found 81 percent of patients who completed a five-week, online program for insomnia reported improvement in sleep. A separate study published recently in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows nighttime wakefulness decreased by 55 percent for participants enrolled in an online sleep counseling program. Experts say a downside to online therapy is it makes it more difficult to get to the root of patients' sleep troubles, especially for patients who are depressed or suicidal.

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Things you need to know to have that good night sleep

2010-01-15T04:42:00.000-08:00

According to the National Institutes of Health, insomnia affects more than 70 million Americans.

While hours of sleep per night have become the standard recommendation, everyone is different. Some people truly do not need that much sleep, whereas some people need more than 8 hours. You can determine for yourself if you’re well rested if the following apply to you:

• You wake up without an alarm clock;

• You usually do not sleep late on weekends;

• You’re not falling asleep during boring or sedentary activities (i.e. watching television, boring meetings or lectures)

Many things contribute to being sleep-deprived, including your dietary habits, your daily routine/schedule, and your sleeping environment. If you’ve determined that you are not well-rested, it’s time to start developing good sleeping habits for yourself.

During the Day:

• Get regular exercise. Be cautious of exercising within 2-3 hours of going to bed; this can make it harder for you to fall asleep.

• Say no to caffeine. Your sleep can be particularly affected when you have caffeine later in the day.

• Avoid naps. Napping later in the afternoon or evening can disrupt your body’s sleeping pattern and make it more difficult to fall asleep when bedtime arrives. If you do need to nap, opt for a short 10-20 minute nap; longer than 45 minutes can make you feel drowsy.

• Turn off the TV. Research has found that children and teenagers who watch more television have greater difficulties falling and staying asleep.

At Night:

• Establish a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each day. Your body works well when it has a set routine.

• Relax! Often our brains are racing with things that happened during the day or our to-do lists for the following day. Try building in relaxation rituals such as a warm bath, massage, hot tea (decaffeinated), or reading a book.

• Don’t spend too much time in bed. Only spend as
much time in bed as you’d actually spend sleeping. You can’t force your body to sleep more by staying in bed longer and can actually make the bed turn into a source of wakefulness and frustration.

• Avoid alcohol and nicotine. Although you may initially feel drowsy from consuming alcohol, when your blood alcohol level drops, your sympathetic nervous system is activated. Therefore, if you don’t avoid alcohol completely, make sure you wait at least one hour per drink before gong to bed. In addition, nicotine stimulates your bodily systems like caffeine, so it should be avoided.

Natural Sleep Aids

There are some herbal remedies that can help if you aren’t eager to use prescription or over-the-counter medications (most experts do not advocate long-term use of sleep aids of any kind).

• Hops – a British plant used to flavor beer that can cause sleepiness. The recommendations are to take this herb 1-2 hours before bed as a pill or in a cup of tea.

• Valerian – an herb commonly used in traditional medicine as a sedative. It appears that it is more effective in alleviating mild anxiety or stress (often triggers for sleeping difficulties) than treating insomnia itself.

• Melatonin – a hormone produced by the body during times of darkness and causes sleepiness. This process is interrupted by travel, time zone changes, stress, working night shifts, age, or increased light exposure. It is not recommended to take melatonin long-term; short-term use should be no more frequently than every other night (ideally every third night) at the lowest dose possible (0.3 mg a few hours prior to bed); higher doses of 2 to 5 mg can cause nightmares.

Even “natural” herbal remedies are merely providing a band-aid fix for sleep problems. If you’re finding that you are using sleep aids regularly, it’s time to seek professional help from a qualified healthcare provider.

Sources: Better Sleep Council; National Sleep Foundation; Kelly Rice, “Insomnia”, Today’s Health & Wellness (September/October 2005), National Health & Wellness Club.

Dried Bananas and Cherries Help You Sleep

2009-12-20T04:32:00.000-08:00

Looking to improve your chances of a good night's sleep? Try dried cherries an hour before bedtime.

Cherries have high levels of melatonin, which helps regulate your biorhythm and natural sleep patterns.

Bananas have magnesium, a muscle relaxant and an amino acid that converts to serotonin and melatonin in the brain.

Other sleep aids disguised as food include toast and oatmeal which trigger insulin production, raise blood sugar and make you feel sleepy.

Of course, the old standby warm milk has tryptophan and offers that psychological return to the days of a warm bottle.

Caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, preserved and smoked meats and acidic and spicy foods will sabotage your sleep.

Smoked and preserved meats contain an amino acid that triggers the brain to release a stimulant that'll make you feel alert -- even wired.

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Sleeping Tips for frequent flyers

2009-12-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

The image is so familiar that you can see it in your dreams, if you were capable of dreaming: an airplane full of passengers in fitful sleep, their cheeks pressed against the windows, heads bobbing like yo-yos on strings and eyes masquerading behind black masks. Syncopated snorts fill the air, and bodies toss and turn as if in a storm. Will the sandman ever come?

There's no glossing over it. Sleeping on planes is challenging for those who aren't first-class passengers, narcoleptics or pint-size.

The reasons are manifold. The seats are constraining, and you can't make them fully horizontal, which our weary bodies crave. There is no neck support and little room to stretch your limbs and change position. The lights and the noise are intrusive, as are seatmates' activities. The air is dry, and the blankets contain no-thread counts. Seat pitch, the distance between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it, has shrunk over the years, and planes are fuller, due to reduced capacity.

Seeking wisdom on how to sleep on a plane, we contacted an array of frequent fliers and experts who specialize in physiology, pillows and more. The ultimate lesson is that there's no perfect strategy (except upgrading), because passengers come in all different sizes and sleeping patterns. Still, their tips could make the difference between pulling an all-nighter and catching a few winks.

David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association of America, starts with the seat itself: Avoid seats that don't recline, he says, such as the back row of the plane and some exit-row seats. To find the optimum chaise, study SeatGuru.com or SeatExpert.com, which provide plane seating charts. Castelveter says long-haul planes are more attentive to travelers' repose than quick-hop carriers, as sleep is more crucial when flying internationally.

Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group, gets greedy: He scopes out the plane for an unoccupied row on which he can stretch out like a cat. When checking in at an airport kiosk, click on the seating diagram and, if there's an open row, change your seat.

If you're stuck in a full row, "block out the outside world," Aboulafia says. This involves donning a padded eye mask and using earplugs or a noise-canceling headset.

Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com, favors reclining – but without offending. "If the passenger in front of you reclines fully," he said, "you definitely want the option to recline your seat as well, to maintain a comfortable distance between yourself and the seat back."

He also likes the window seat. "For sleeping, the window seat is generally best," he said. "You can nestle into the space between the seat and the cabin wall, alleviating somewhat the claustrophobia of coach class."

A former CNN travel correspondent who is now a writer and consultant, Chris McGinnis has logged nearly 1 million miles. His preferred seat is in the center of the plane (even better if it's in the exit row), away from the traffic of the galley, the lavatories and the cockpit. "It's the quietest and smoothest ride," he said. He also prefers noise-canceling headsets to ear buds, which don't fully mute the chatter. For his eyes, his shade of choice is the puffy Bucky mask.

After 21 years of flying with American Airlines, flight attendant Meri Feist has a few suggestions. To avoid being disturbed for the meal and beverage service, leave your tray table up. Also, if you are swaddled in blankets, fasten your seat belt around your extra layers so your buckle is in full view. The attendant then won't have to wake you if the seat belt sign lights up. Feist also recommends drinking a glass of milk, which contains traces of tryptophan, the enzyme known to induce drowsiness. Or pack some chamomile tea. The staff will be happy to supply a cup of hot water.

It may sound counterintuitive, but Robert Hayden, spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association, advises travelers to get active to become inert. It's hard to sleep if your body is screaming for mercy. Perform mild exercises (vary the seat angle, do pelvic thrusts, turn your head from side to side, squeeze your neck muscles) pre-slumber or in a half-dozing state. For the lower portion of your body, stretch your legs and avoid bending your knees. Every few hours, put a phantom pencil between your big and second toe and scrawl your name. "Do this to get the blood pumping," Hayden said.

Mike Lavin, president of European Sleep Works, is an advocate of natural fabrics, which will work as a buffer against the synthetics of the airplane seat fabric, blanket and pillow. "Wear cotton or wool garments, not polyester or rayon."

When you're ready for sleep, slow your breathing to four to six breaths per minute. "It's another way of counting sheep," Lavin said.

The president of Corporate Travel Safety, which focuses on travel safety and merchandise, Kevin Coffey can empathize with those who struggle to snooze on planes. "It all comes down to that additional level of comfort," he said.

For neck pillows, he says, the models stuffed with tiny beads are cushy but don't pack tight. The inflatable versions take up less room in luggage but don't offer as much support as those made with memory foam. Also, pay attention to the fabric of the outer cover. Opt for a brushed velour, which caresses cheeks.

For design, the Komfort Kollar (which Coffey wears) resembles a neck brace and keeps the neck stick-straight, whereas the barbell-shaped Travel Nook (his wife's preference) prevents the head from swaying like a pendulum.

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Resolving Sleeplessness

2009-11-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

Whether it's in the bottom of a bottle of pills, a glass of wine, or a cup of herbal tea, many of us are searching for a good night's rest.

Sleeplessness was the topic of this month's Healthline, sponsored by South Jersey Healthcare and The Daily Journal.

Michele M. Dawson, a registered pharmacist at South Jersey Regional Medical Center answered two of your questions on the subject.

Question: Do all of the over-the-counter sleep aids have the same main ingredient and are they addictive or can you build up a tolerance to them?

Answer: The main ingredient of over-the-counter sleeping pills is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies. Histamine is a chemical messenger in the brain, which promotes wakefulness, so an antihistamine also has the effect of making you feel very sleepy. Some over-the-counter sleep aids also include a pain reliever. Common OTC sleep medications include:

# Diphenhydramine (found in Nytol, Sominex, Sleepinal, and Compoz)

# Doxylamine (Unisom, Nighttime Sleep Aid)

Over-the-counter sleep aids are meant to be used for short-term insomnia. Tolerance to the medication -- which means you need a higher dosage of the medication for it to work -- can develop in only a few days.

It's common to experience dizziness, dry mouth or prolonged drowsiness when taking these medicines.

Don't assume an over-the-counter medicine is safe for all people, Dawson said.

Sleep aids can be harmful to people with glaucoma, heart conditions, enlarged prostate, asthma, bronchitis, peptic ulcers, depression, Parkinson's disease or emotional/psychiatric disorders, Dawson said. The medicine can sometimes aggravate these conditions.

Women who are pregnant or who are breastfeeding also should not take these medicines, she said.

Some people prefer to seek a natural remedy, but Dawson urges people to apply the same caution as if they were taking a medicine.

Natural options may adversely interact with some medicines a person is taking.

The most common natural remedies are melatonin and valerian.

Melatonin is found within the body, Dawson said.

It's inconsistent as a sleep aid, she said, noting it works best for those seeking temporary relief such as shift workers or those suffering from jet lag.

Valerian is derived from a plant. It does make a person drowsy, but Dawson said it not always an effective sleep aid.

The drowsy feeling it causes may continue through to the following day.

Both melatonin and valerian come in a pill form.

It's very short-acting," Dawson said. "It's for people who are having problems falling asleep -- it won't help you continue to sleep all night."

If you take any sleep aid -- natural or pharmaceutical -- do not combine it with alcohol.

Read all the directions on the package and be sure to check with your pharmacist or physician to make sure it won't interact with other medications you are taking. Do not use sleep aids every night, Dawson said. It is possible your sleep problem could be something more serious, such as insomnia.

Q: It has been six years of sleepless nights for me. I get four hours of sleep and that is not a sound four hours. I may sleep one hour and lie awake another hour before I sleep again.

I have tried drinking warm milk, going to bed the same time every night for several weeks, eating a banana before bed, sleepytime tea, exercise (walking) in afternoon, warm baths, reading, doing puzzles all night, and drinking red wine with no improvement. Finally, I ended up taking Lunesta for two weeks. It did not make me tired or sleep at all. I also tried Ambien and then Ambien CR. Is there any help for me?

A: For chronic insomnia, a good sleep environment, relaxation and behavior techniques provide relief without risk of medication side effects or tolerance. In general, sleep medications are most effective as temporary aid, not a long-term solution.

Patients who have little improvement during the initial trial of cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacologic therapy, or combination therapy may have other causes of poor sleep. Therefore, it is important to follow prescribed medication instructions for recommended duration of time by the physician.

Avoid caffeinated beverages from coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate after lunch late in the day.

Avoid alcohol near bedtime. Never drink alcohol in an attempt to fall asleep faster. Not only will alcohol disrupt your sleep even more, it can dangerously interact with the sleeping pill.

Only take sleep medications when you will be able to get a full night's sleep (seven to eight hours). Ask your doctor for specific instructions for decreasing or stopping use. In some cases, stopping medication abruptly can cause uncomfortable side effects and even rebound insomnia.

The bedroom should be reserved for sleep -- not for reading, eating, or doing puzzles.

If your own attempts to solve your sleep problems are unsuccessful, your doctor may be able to help with sleep problems caused by a sleep disorder, medication side-effects or interactions or illnesses.

Melatonin is found within the body, Dawson said.

It's inconsistent as a sleep aid, she said, noting it works best for those seeking temporary relief such as shift workers or those suffering from jet lag.

Valerian is derived from a plant. It does make a person drowsy, but Dawson said it not always an effective sleep aid.

The drowsy feeling it causes may continue through to the following day.

Both melatonin and valerian come in a pill form.

It's very short-acting," Dawson said. "It's for people who are having problems falling asleep -- it won't help you continue to sleep all night."

If you take any sleep aid -- natural or pharmaceutical -- do not combine it with alcohol.

Read all the directions on the package and be sure to check with your pharmacist or physician to make sure it won't interact with other medications you are taking. Do not use sleep aids every night, Dawson said. It is possible your sleep problem could be something more serious, such as insomnia.

Q: It has been six years of sleepless nights for me. I get four hours of sleep and that is not a sound four hours. I may sleep one hour and lie awake another hour before I sleep again.

I have tried drinking warm milk, going to bed the same time every night for several weeks, eating a banana before bed, sleepytime tea, exercise (walking) in afternoon, warm baths, reading, doing puzzles all night, and drinking red wine with no improvement. Finally, I ended up taking Lunesta for two weeks. It did not make me tired or sleep at all. I also tried Ambien and then Ambien CR. Is there any help for me?

A: For chronic insomnia, a good sleep environment, relaxation and behavior techniques provide relief without risk of medication side effects or tolerance. In general, sleep medications are most effective as temporary aid, not a long-term solution.

Patients who have little improvement during the initial trial of cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacologic therapy, or combination therapy may have other causes of poor sleep. Therefore, it is important to follow prescribed medication instructions for recommended duration of time by the physician.

Avoid caffeinated beverages from coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate after lunch late in the day.

Avoid alcohol near bedtime. Never drink alcohol in an attempt to fall asleep faster. Not only will alcohol disrupt your sleep even more, it can dangerously interact with the sleeping pill.

Only take sleep medications when you will be able to get a full night's sleep (seven to eight hours). Ask your doctor for specific instructions for decreasing or stopping use. In some cases, stopping medication abruptly can cause uncomfortable side effects and even rebound insomnia.

The bedroom should be reserved for sleep -- not for reading, eating, or doing puzzles.

If your own attempts to solve your sleep problems are unsuccessful, your doctor may be able to help with sleep problems caused by a sleep disorder, medication side-effects or interactions or illnesses.

SOURCE

Doctor's Advice for an 87 year old lacking sleep

2009-11-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. Gott: I am an 87-year-old male in good health for my age. My main problem is sleep, or rather, a lack of it. I get the most sleep in a La-Z-Boy chair because when I get into bed, I can't stay more than a few minutes most times. I get up to go to my chair, get two or three hours sleep, wake up, go to bed, and ultimately get a couple of hours sleep.

My doctor can't say what is wrong.

Dear Reader: There are countless reasons for an interruption in sleep. Do you eat your dinner later in the evening and finish with a piece of chocolate, cup of coffee or caffeine-containing products? Is your bedroom dark and quiet, or do you tend to sleep with a television or radio on? Do you use the time when you get into bed to problem-solve or go over issues of the day? Are you on any medications that could have an effect on your sleep patterns? Is there something in the bedroom that you find distracting that makes your recliner more comforting? Do you go to bed at the same time each evening, or does the schedule vary? You may not be ready to fall asleep and stay asleep, preferring quiet activity such as reading for a short time before calling it a night. Review your activities to determine whether a pattern develops that might provide an answer.

Perhaps you have restless legs syndrome, an annoying condition that interrupts sleep and literally forces a person to move his or her legs when in bed. Perhaps the elevation of the foot of the recliner allows your legs to relax. If this is the case, a wedge placed at the foot of the bed to prop your legs up might do the trick.

There are countless sleep aids available over the counter; however, speak with your physician first and seek an opinion regarding melatonin. This sleep aid appears safe when taken according to the manufacturer's directions.

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About Over the counter Sleep Aids

2009-11-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Overview
Anyone suffering from insomnia understandably may be tempted to turn to sleep aids. They can be helpful in the short term, but sleep aids should be used sparingly and only as needed.

Types
Diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, is the main ingredient in over-the-counter sleeping pills, according to Harvard Medical School. This includes name-brand sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Excedrin PM as well as Alka-Seltzer PM, Simply Sleep, Unisom and Sominex, the latter of which is an alternative to allergy medicine Benadryl. Many---but not all---over-the-counter sleep aids also contain a pain reliever.

Side Effects
Over-the-counter sleep aids do carry the risk of side effects. Some of most common side effects are dizziness, daytime drowsiness, headaches, fatigue, vomiting and reduced alertness.

Older Adults
Sometimes falling sleep becomes more difficult with age. According to helpguide.org, however, older adults must be cautious when taking over-the-counter sleep aids, as they've been associated with nighttime falls and injuries. Taking naps may be a better alternative for seniors. If taking a sleep aid is absolutely necessary, it's best to start with a smaller-than-recommended dosage.

Drawbacks
Dr. David White, director of the sleep disorders division at Brigham and Young Women's Hospital, notes that over-the-counter antihistamines tend to dry out the nose and mouth and also have a tendency cause lingering grogginess during daytime hours. Helpguide.org adds that some people become dependent on over-the-counter sleep aids and may experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking medication.

Herbal Supplements
Troubled sleepers can consider taking natural sleep remedies, which are widely available at health food and nature stores as well as on the shelves of many well-stocked grocery stores. Choices range from melatonin to valerian. Drinking green tea---which contains GABA-elevating L-theanine---is another consideration, according to wholeliving.com.

Restocore Popularity Sweeping as Best Over the Counter Sleep Aids

2009-11-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

Do you know that the National Sleep Foundation has revealed that key stress factors have prompted a 7% increase in prescribed sleeping medications dispensed since 2007? Because of this, many people are choosing to place their trust in safe, non habit-forming and side effect free sleep aids, like Restocore, which is currently becoming the best over the counter sleep aids. To know more about Restocore read the article below.

More Americans are suffering from sleeping pattern disturbances, according to recent statistics that have been released. The amount of people in the US who are taking prescribed meds to sleep better at night has drastically increased over the past few years. But many are now turning to the power of all-natural sleep-aids, like Restocore, to balance their body's rhythm and sleeping patterns, because unlike prescription drugs - the usages of which are marred by side effects, addictiveness and difficulty waking up, or grogginess - natural sleep-aids don't rely upon risky chemicals to induce sleep, and they don't have any known drug interactions.

According to a recent news article that was published in the Sun Times on October 8th of 2009, the article purports that there has been a whopping 30% rate of documented sleeping pattern disturbances in the US population this decade--as well as a 7% overall increase in medications being dispensed since 2007.

"In these stressful times, nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population complains of disturbed sleep patterns, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation. And sales of sleep medications are on the rise - 56,287,000 prescriptions were dispensed last year, a 7 percent increase since 2007, data from IMS Health shows." (Source: Sun Times, 10/08/2009)

Gillian Fallows, Restocore spokesperson, contests that this rise in sleeping disturbances is commonly attributed to the amounts of rising stress in a society that is facing a turbulent economy and far greater stresses on the home front in recent times.

"More people are stressing over getting their bills paid on time, assuring that they will arrive at work the next day and still have their jobs, and many are experiencing much higher levels of stress overall than we saw during the 90s--a relatively calmer decade by comparison," Fallows says.

Stress and anxiety are often paralleled with insomnia, according to Fallows.

"When the mind is stressed and overwhelmed, quite often this can inhibit sleeping patterns, leading to bouts of insomnia, and this can just make dealing with your situation that much worse," Fallows explains. "With all-natural Restocore, the body doesn't have to rely upon potentially dangerous and expensive drugs to induce sleep, it comes naturally, safely and affordably, in a simple, over-the-counter supplement that truly works!"

Restocore is a breakthrough natural cure for insomnia that utilizes the science of nature to naturally-induce a healthy sleeping pattern and cycle by using high-quality and non habit-forming ingredients to combat insomnia and restless nights.

Restocore incorporates effective ingredients such as Melatonin and Valerian Root that are proven to relax the body and naturally induce sleep, as well as the perfect combination of Serotain, Passion Flower, and Chamomile, which work naturally to synchronize the daily patterns and rhythm of the body.

Most people report significant results within the first two to four weeks of daily usage, when used as directed.

You can learn more about this revolutionary, all-natural and non habit-forming sleep-aid at: http://www.Restocore.com.

About Restocore:

· Developed by Pharmaxa Labs--a leading nutraceutical company

· Utilizes all-natural, high-quality and non habit-forming ingredients to combat insomnia and restless nights

· Incorporates effective ingredients such as Melatonin and Valerian root that are effective in relaxing the body and inducing sleep

· Contains the perfect combination of Melatonin, Valerian, Serotain, Passion Flower, and Chamomile--which work naturally to synchronize the daily patterns and rhythm of the body

· A non habit-forming, scientifically-proven, all-natural remedy for insomnia, sleeping disorders, and sleep deprivation symptoms that doesn't cause any potentially harmful, adverse side effects

· Developed as the most scientifically-advanced, cutting-edge, non-prescription sleep-aid product available today

· Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your day, not drugged and groggy

· 100% safe, effective and all-natural

· Visit them online for generous discounts off retail pricing and to learn more at: http://www.Restocore.com

Sleepless Nights

2009-10-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Mary called one morning last week. At least, I think it was Mary. We were both a little fuzzy around the edges, not having slept well (i.e., at all). It could have been any one of a dozen women I know who haven't gotten a good night's sleep in years. We're like the walking dead. Chalk it up to age, I guess, and plummeting hormonal levels. We regularly discuss a common willingness to sell our souls for eight hours of uninterrupted shut-eye. (Listen up, Lucifer. The crossroads at midnight: Name your terms.)

"I'm considering acupuncture," said Mary. It seems somebody she knew took this route and thought it helped.

That's a drastic measure, in my estimation, but desperation drives us to extremes. So far, nothing has worked for me. I've tried a succession of herbal teas and supplements, over-the-counter sleep aids and prescription drugs. All had the curious effect of inducing varying degrees of grogginess, but not sleep. The next day I'd walk around in a stupor. It's like living in a twilight zone, never all the way awake or asleep.

"Do you think you're depressed?" asked my doctor.

To be honest, I'm just mostly tired - frazzled, sleep-deprived and ready to snap. So yeah, that's depressing.

It's interesting that it seems to be mostly women who, somewhere along the line, lose the ability to sleep on a regular basis. Most of us used to take it for granted that sleep would happen most nights. Now it seems like a gift.

Men, though, are another story. They can nod off at the drop of a hat, night or day, no problem.

"It's because we are pure of heart and have a clean conscience," my cousin Dennis says smugly. (Next time he falls asleep on the sofa I mean to beat him senseless.)

My friend Mike admits he's on my wavelength, sleeping at two-hour intervals, reading and calculating the remaining hours until daybreak. At his house, it's his wife who sleeps through the night without a glitch. Which leads me to put forward a theory about sleep patterns.

Rarely do both husband and wife get a dandy night's sleep or lie awake wide-eyed. It's as if for each household there's an appointed allotment of sleep hours. If one partner hogs all the sleep, then the other person might as well just forget about it. Get up and organize the sock drawer, brew a cup of chamomile and try not to wish evil upon your sleeping spouse.

If you're the lucky one in your house, well goody for you. If you're awake all night, know that you are not alone. There are legions of us out here, a veritable Insomniac Nation. Don't cross us. We're on the edge.

This article is from www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com

Best Over the Counter Sleep Aids for You

2009-10-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for the best over the counter sleep aid so that you can get some sleep tonight finally? Did you know that there is a natural way to get to sleep that works great and will not harm your body at all? There are ways to get to sleep and you do not need a doctor to give you pills or anything that is going to cause you harm. Here is what you need to know.

One of the first things you have to understand is why your body needs this sleep so much. Those that struggle to get to sleep understand that they are tired, but on top of not getting sleep they have very sparatic sleeping patterns. This is not good for your body and this can cause you a lot of harm. Your body neeeds the sleep and needs to get to sleep on a regular basis.

The next thing you need to know is that the best over the counter sleep aid is actually found on the internet and it is completely natural. This is the best way to go because when you use something natural to get you to sleep you will be better off because it will not cause harm to your body. Plus you can get to sleep and wake up much better with the best over the counter sleep aid online than if you use something from a doctor.

Also, you should know that if you use some type of pill from your doctor you will get to sleep, but you will not get the good sleep you need. You could end up sleep walking or becoming hooked to the pill, which is not good for you. This is why a natural sleep aid is much better for you and it will reprogram your body to sleep on its own so that you don't have to take it forever.

Now to discover the Top Free Trial Offer Natural Sleep Aid to get you the rest you need click here.

SOURCE

Stress and Worry Causes Sleepless Nights for Many

2009-10-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

Financial stress and worry has made it difficult for many people to get a good nights rest. Polls indicate that more individuals are suffering from sleep problems throughout the world. The Irish Times reports that, “One person in seven is losing sleep over the current economic downturn.” And a headline in the Ottawa Sun reads, “Canadians Attribute Poor Sleep to Poor Economy.” Closer to home, the Boston Globe lists poor sleep habits as one of the problematic behaviors affecting Americans. It states, “The recession is hurting our wallets as well as our health.”

People want to sleep better but are dissatisfied with the available treatments. Many worry that sleep aids and medications are habit forming or have unwanted side effects. Other sufferers find sleep labs to be costly and time consuming.

An alternative solution which is effective, inexpensive, and all natural is the Sleep Well Guru Program. This audio program lulls the body into a deeply relaxed state by targeting three stages. First, it quiets the mind and stops the mental chatter that keeps us awake. Second, it uses progressive relaxation and guided imagery to get the body into an “alpha” or “meditative” state. Third, it uses direct and positive suggestions which allow the body to return to a normal, healthy sleep cycle. Benjamin Moss, C.HT and author of the program, is dedicated to helping people stay balanced in difficult times by giving them the gift of sleep.

Jim from San Francisco, CA writes, “I was so worried about losing my job that I stopped sleeping. It slowed my performance at work and put me at greater risk for being let go. Your program helped me immediately. My work is more stable and I feel so much better.”

Sleep problems escalate as individuals worry more about losing their jobs, investments, and homes. Over time, sleepless nights can also lead to alcohol abuse, poor eating, and depression. Medications and sleep clinics are common treatment options but many want help that is inexpensive, convenient and without risky side effects. The Sleep Well Guru program is a natural, easy to use and cost effective solution which helps people sleep better in the comfort of their own homes. For more information, please visit http://www.sleepwellguru.com

About Benjamin Moss, C.HT.

Clinical Hypnotherapist, Benjamin Moss, has helped people from all over the world overcome sleep difficulties. During the past twenty years he as accrued over 20,000 hours of clinical experience and is recognized as an expert in the techniques of progressive relaxation, guided imagery and subconscious reprogramming. His Sleep Well Program was developed and refined during thousands of one-on-one sessions with his clients.

This article is from www.bignews.biz

Anna Nicole Smith using Rare Sleep Aid

2009-10-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Anna Nicole Smith consumed increasing amounts of a rare sleep aid in the months after her son's death, eventually drinking the powerful liquid sedative straight from the medicine bottle, her former bodyguard testified Wednesday.

The drug, chloral hydrate, was cited as the primary cause of Smith's fatal overdose the following year and her bodyguard said the model often carried a bottle of the drug as she grieved for her son.

"I saw her use a spoon maybe twice and after that it was bottle to mouth -- gulp," said Maurice Brighthaupt, a Miami firefighter who moonlighted as Smith's security guard.

Brighthaupt took the stand at a hearing that will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to try Smith's longtime companion, Howard K. Stern, and two Los Angeles physicians on charges of conspiring to furnish her with illegal prescription medications. All three have pleaded not guilty.

One of the doctors, Studio City psychiatrist Khristine Eroshevich, prescribed the chloral hydrate to Smith after her son Daniel's 2005 death, and Brighthaupt testified that on one occasion that year the doctor personally delivered the drug to Smith in the Bahamas.

When he drove the doctor from the airport to the model's house, he said, Eroshevich said she was "reluctant" to give the medication.

But "Anna was begging for it and she really needed it," he quoted the physician as saying.

Stern, a lawyer who became Smith's advisor and then her lover, knew about her use of chloral hydrate and would pass her the bottle when she asked for it, Brighthaupt testified.

Brighthaupt said he saw Stern inject Smith with other medications "more than seven times" and recounted one occasion when he encountered Stern in a bathroom using a cigarette lighter and a spoon to melt Valium into an injectable form.

"They felt it would get in her system faster," he said.

Brighthaupt, a towering, muscular man, seemed hesitant answering questions from the prosecution and said he was uncomfortable testifying against Eroshevich, whom he described as a devoted friend to Smith.

"I consider her a very kind and nice person who wouldn't do anything to anybody," Brighthaupt said.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry voiced repeated frustration with the pace of the preliminary hearing, now in its second day, and urged prosecutors to move quickly through evidence about Smith's death and focus on evidence related to illegal prescribing and other charges against the defendants.

When a prosecutor asked a toxicologist to testify about the hypothetical effect of hundreds of pills prescribed to Smith 10 days before her death, the judge interrupted with a question that seemed to get at a central issue in the case.

"Whose fault is it that somebody takes too many pills?" the judge asked.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Renee Rose replied that the defendants were "fully aware" that Smith was an addict who could not control herself around drugs.

"It's like putting a gun in the hand of someone who is suicidal and saying don't pull the trigger," Rose said.

SOURCE

Understanding Health Care and Insomnia

2009-10-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ever have a problem falling asleep at night? Has your sleep been missing for a while and you find yourself laying in bed wide awake for hours on end when you should be sleeping? How much sleep is enough varies from person to person, according to the Mayo Clinic. More than one-third of adults have insomnia at some time, while 10 to 15 percent report long-term (chronic) insomnia.

Insomnia includes having trouble falling or staying asleep. It's one of the most common medical complaints. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood, but also your health, work performance and quality of life.

According to eMedicineHealth.com, Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both" and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. Insomnia is not defined by a specific number of hours of sleep that one gets, since individuals vary widely in their sleep needs and practices. Although most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more sleepless nights, few seek medical advice. Many people remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia. Insomnia is generally classified based on the duration of the problem. Not everyone agrees on one definition, but generally: --Symptoms lasting less than one week are classified as transient insomnia, --Symptoms between one to three weeks are classified as short-term insomnia, and --Those longer than three weeks are classified as chronic insomnia.

Insomnia affects all age groups, according to eMedicineHealth.com. Among adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence tends to increase with age. It is typically more common in people in lower socioeconomic (income) groups, chronic alcoholics, and mental health patients. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. If you do not address your insomnia, however, it may develop into chronic insomnia. Many of the causes of transient and short-term insomnia are similar and they include: --Jet lag --Changes in shift work --Excessive or unpleasant noise --Uncomfortable room temperature (too hot or too cold) --Stressful situations in life (exam preparation, loss of a loved one, unemployment, divorce, or separation) --Presence of an acute medical or surgical illness or hospitalization --Withdrawal from drug, alcohol, sedative, or stimulant medications --Insomnia related to high altitude (mountains)

The majority of causes of chronic or long-term insomnia are usually linked to an underlying psychiatric or physiologic (medical) condition. The most common psychological problems that may lead to insomnia include: --Anxiety, --Stress, --Schizophrenia, --Mania (bipolar disorder), and --Depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness. Physiological causes span from circadian rhythm disorders (disturbance of the biological clock), sleep-wake imbalance, to a variety of medical conditions. The following are the most common medical conditions that trigger insomnia: --Chronic pain syndromes, --Chronic fatigue syndrome, --Congestive heart failure, --Night time angina (chest pain) from heart disease, --Acid reflux disease (GERD), --Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), --Nocturnal asthma (asthma with night time breathing symptoms), --Obstructive sleep apnea, --Degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease (Often insomnia is the deciding factor for nursing home placement.) --Brain tumors, strokes, or trauma to the brain.

In addition to the above medical conditions, certain groups may be at higher risk for developing insomnia: --Travelers, --Shift workers with frequent changing of shifts, --Seniors citizens, --Adolescent or young adult students, --Pregnant women, and --Menopausal women. Certain medications have also been associated with insomnia. Among them are: --Certain over-the-counter cold and asthma preparations. The prescription varieties of these medications may also contain stimulants and thus produce similar effects on sleep. --Certain medications for high blood pressure have also been associated with poor sleep. --Some medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Also, according to eMedicineHealth.com, common stimulants associated with poor sleep include caffeine and nicotine. You should consider not only restricting caffeine and nicotine use in the hours immediately before bedtime but also limiting your total daily intake. People often use alcohol to help induce sleep, as a nightcap. However, it is a poor choice. Alcohol is associated with sleep disruption and creates a sense of non-refreshed sleep in the morning. A disruptive bed partner with loud snoring or periodic leg movements also may impair your ability to get a good night's sleep. More indepth info is available at
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/insomnia/article_em.htm .

According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Whatever your reason for sleep loss, insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically. People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well.

Complications of insomnia may include: --Lower performance on the job or at school. --Slowed reaction time while driving and higher risk of accidents. --Psychiatric problems, such as depression or an anxiety disorder. --Overweight or obesity. --Poor immune system function. --Increased risk and severity of long-term diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, your family doctor may ask you and your bed partner some questions about your sleep habits (such as when you go to bed and when you get up), any medicine you take, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. Your doctor may also ask if you smoke. Other questions may include how long you've been having insomnia, if you have any pain (such as from arthritis), and if you snore while you sleep. Your doctor may also ask about events or problems in your life that may be upsetting you and making it hard for you to sleep. If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary.

The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. A sleep diary may help you and your doctor identify patterns and conditions that may be affecting your sleep.

Changing your sleep habits and addressing any underlying causes of insomnia can restore restful sleep for many people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Good sleep hygiene — simple steps such as keeping the same bedtime and rising time — promotes sound sleep and daytime alertness. If these measures don't work, your doctor may recommend medications to help with relaxation and sleep.
Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep. Studies have shown behavior therapies are equally or more effective than are sleep medications. Behavior therapies are generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep hygiene teaches habits that promote good sleep:

--Relaxation techniques. Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback and breathing exercises are ways to reduce anxiety at bedtime. These strategies help you control your breathing, heart rate, muscle tension and mood.

--Cognitive therapy. This involves replacing worries about not sleeping with positive thoughts. Cognitive therapy can be taught through one-on-one counseling or in group sessions.
--'Stimulus control.' This means limiting the time you spend awake in bed and associating your bed and bedroom only with sleep and sex.

--Sleep restriction. This treatment decreases the time you spend in bed, causing partial sleep deprivation, which makes you more tired the next night. Once your sleep has improved, your time in bed is gradually increased.

--Light therapy. If you fall asleep too early and then awaken too early, you can use light to push back your internal clock. During times of the year when it's light outside in the evenings, you go outside for 30 minutes or obtain light via a medical-grade light box.

According to the Mayo Clinic, taking prescription sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) or ramelteon (Rozerem), also may help you get to sleep. However, in rare cases, these medications may cause severe allergic reactions, facial swelling and unusual behaviors, such as driving or preparing and eating food while asleep.

Side effects of prescription sleeping medications are often more pronounced in older people and may include excessive drowsiness, impaired thinking, night wandering, agitation and balance problems.

Doctors generally don't recommend relying on prescription sleeping pills for more than a few weeks, but several newer medications are approved for indefinite use. If you have depression as well as insomnia, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant with a sedative effect, such as trazodone (Desyrel), doxepin (Sinequan, Adapin) or mirtazapine (Remeron). Over-the-counter sleep aids contain antihistamines that can induce drowsiness. But antihistamines may reduce the quality of your sleep, and they can cause side effects such as daytime sleepiness, dry mouth and blurred vision.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You know you're getting enough sleep if you don't feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

Insomnia is not really a serious problem for your health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable. It can also make it hard to concentrate during the day. Insomnia is the body's way of saying that something isn't right. The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that's causing the insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key is to find out what's causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.

This article is from www.thecypresstimes.com

Sleep Problems : Insomnia

2009-10-12T00:09:00.001-07:00

Been talking about Over the counter sleep aids lately. Let's just pause for a while and discuss the root cause of problems sleeping at night. So on this post, we will be discussing Insomnia and some Health Care Tips.

Insomnia includes having trouble falling or staying asleep. It's one of the most common medical complaints. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling unrefreshed, which takes a toll on your ability to function during the day. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood, but also your health, work performance and quality of life. More than one-third of adults have insomnia at some time, while 10 to 15 percent report long-term (chronic) insomnia.

According to eMedicineHealth.com, Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both" and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. Insomnia is not defined by a specific number of hours of sleep that one gets, since individuals vary widely in their sleep needs and practices. Although most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more sleepless nights, few seek medical advice. Many people remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia. Insomnia is generally classified based on the duration of the problem. Not everyone agrees on one definition, but generally:

Symptoms lasting less than one week are classified as transient insomnia,
Symptoms between one to three weeks are classified as short-term insomnia, and
Those longer than three weeks are classified as chronic insomnia.

Insomnia affects all age groups, according to eMedicineHealth.com. Among adults, insomnia affects women more often than men. The incidence tends to increase with age. It is typically more common in people in lower socioeconomic (income) groups, chronic alcoholics, and mental health patients. Stress most commonly triggers short-term or acute insomnia. If you do not address your insomnia, however, it may develop into chronic insomnia. Many of the causes of transient and short-term insomnia are similar and they include: --Jet lag --Changes in shift work

Excessive or unpleasant noise
Uncomfortable room temperature (too hot or too cold)
Stressful situations in life (exam preparation, loss of a loved one, unemployment, divorce, or separation)
Presence of an acute medical or surgical illness or hospitalization
Withdrawal from drug, alcohol, sedative, or stimulant medications
Insomnia related to high altitude (mountains)

The majority of causes of chronic or long-term insomnia are usually linked to an underlying psychiatric or physiologic (medical) condition. The most common psychological problems that may lead to insomnia include: Anxiety, Stress, Schizophrenia, Mania (bipolar disorder), and Depression. In fact, insomnia may be an indicator of depression. Many people will have insomnia during the acute phases of a mental illness. Physiological causes span from circadian rhythm disorders (disturbance of the biological clock), sleep-wake imbalance, to a variety of medical conditions. The following are the most common medical conditions that trigger insomnia:Chronic pain syndromes, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Congestive heart failure, Night time angina (chest pain) from heart disease, Acid reflux disease (GERD), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Nocturnal asthma (asthma with night time breathing symptoms), Obstructive sleep apnea, Degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease (Often insomnia is the deciding factor for nursing home placement.) --Brain tumors, strokes, or trauma to the brain.

In addition to the above medical conditions, certain groups may be at higher risk for developing insomnia: Travelers, Shift workers with frequent changing of shifts, Seniors citizens, Adolescent or young adult students, Pregnant women, and Menopausal women. Certain medications have also been associated with insomnia. Among them are the following: Certain over-the-counter cold and asthma preparations. The prescription varieties of these medications may also contain stimulants and thus produce similar effects on sleep. Certain medications for high blood pressure have also been associated with poor sleep. Some medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Also, according to eMedicineHealth.com, common stimulants associated with poor sleep include caffeine and nicotine. You should consider not only restricting caffeine and nicotine use in the hours immediately before bedtime but also limiting your total daily intake. People often use alcohol to help induce sleep, as a nightcap. However, it is a poor choice. Alcohol is associated with sleep disruption and creates a sense of non-refreshed sleep in the morning. A disruptive bed partner with loud snoring or periodic leg movements also may impair your ability to get a good night's sleep.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep is as important to your health as a healthy diet and regular exercise. Whatever your reason for sleep loss, insomnia can affect you both mentally and physically. People with insomnia report a lower quality of life compared with people who are sleeping well.

Complications of insomnia may include:

Lower performance on the job or at school.
Slowed reaction time while driving and higher risk of accidents.
Psychiatric problems, such as depression or an anxiety disorder.
Overweight or obesity.
Poor immune system function.
Increased risk and severity of long-term diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, your family doctor may ask you and your bed partner some questions about your sleep habits (such as when you go to bed and when you get up), any medicine you take, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. Your doctor may also ask if you smoke. Other questions may include how long you've been having insomnia, if you have any pain (such as from arthritis), and if you snore while you sleep. Your doctor may also ask about events or problems in your life that may be upsetting you and making it hard for you to sleep. If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary.

The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. A sleep diary may help you and your doctor identify patterns and conditions that may be affecting your sleep.

Changing your sleep habits and addressing any underlying causes of insomnia can restore restful sleep for many people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Good sleep hygiene — simple steps such as keeping the same bedtime and rising time — promotes sound sleep and daytime alertness. If these measures don't work, your doctor may recommend medications to help with relaxation and sleep.

Behavioral treatments teach you new sleep behaviors and ways to make your sleeping environment more conducive to sleep. Studies have shown behavior therapies are equally or more effective than are sleep medications. Behavior therapies are generally recommended as the first line of treatment for people with insomnia. According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep hygiene teaches habits that promote good sleep:

Relaxation techniques. Progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback and breathing exercises are ways to reduce anxiety at bedtime. These strategies help you control your breathing, heart rate, muscle tension and mood.

Cognitive therapy. This involves replacing worries about not sleeping with positive thoughts. Cognitive therapy can be taught through one-on-one counseling or in group sessions.

'Stimulus control.' This means limiting the time you spend awake in bed and associating your bed and bedroom only with sleep and sex.

Sleep restriction. This treatment decreases the time you spend in bed, causing partial sleep deprivation, which makes you more tired the next night. Once your sleep has improved, your time in bed is gradually increased.

Light therapy. If you fall asleep too early and then awaken too early, you can use light to push back your internal clock. During times of the year when it's light outside in the evenings, you go outside for 30 minutes or obtain light via a medical-grade light box.

According to the Mayo Clinic, taking prescription sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) or ramelteon (Rozerem), also may help you get to sleep. However, in rare cases, these medications may cause severe allergic reactions, facial swelling and unusual behaviors, such as driving or preparing and eating food while asleep.

Side effects of prescription sleeping medications are often more pronounced in older people and may include excessive drowsiness, impaired thinking, night wandering, agitation and balance problems.

Doctors generally don't recommend relying on prescription sleeping pills for more than a few weeks, but several newer medications are approved for indefinite use. If you have depression as well as insomnia, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant with a sedative effect, such as trazodone (Desyrel), doxepin (Sinequan, Adapin) or mirtazapine (Remeron). Over-the-counter sleep aids contain antihistamines that can induce drowsiness. But antihistamines may reduce the quality of your sleep, and they can cause side effects such as daytime sleepiness, dry mouth and blurred vision.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You know you're getting enough sleep if you don't feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

Insomnia is not really a serious problem for your health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable. It can also make it hard to concentrate during the day. Insomnia is the body's way of saying that something isn't right. The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that's causing the insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key is to find out what's causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.

Source

Confessions of a Sleeping Pill Junkie

2009-10-09T05:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a confession of a sleeping pill junkie. She reveals how her secret addiction nearly killed her.

At the peak of my sleep crisis, I was an Olympic endurance insomniac, often awake for 48 hours straight. During those endless stretches of time, I watched TV, called friends in California, whimpered, wept, beat my pillow, flipped through tabloids and surfed the Internet. I didn’t write, though I am a writer — I wasn’t capable of forming thoughts, much less sentences. So by the time I turned to the sleep aid Ambien for relief, I was desperate — and primed to become an addict.

And I started abusing it almost immediately: I ignored the prolific warnings on the package, called multiple doctors to get it, mixed it with alcohol and took more than the prescribed amount. The makers of this drug never intended it to be used in any of those ways. And neither did I.

In the past few years, prescription drug abuse has been all over the news: Eminem went to rehab for an addiction to sleeping pills in 2005; John Stamos gave a bizarre interview on Australian television that he later blamed on Ambien; and in January Heath Ledger died in a New York City apartment from a lethal mix of painkillers, sleeping pills and antianxiety medication.

When I heard about Ledger’s death, my first thought was, God, how tragic. My second thought: Could that have been me?

My sleep problems started in 1999, when I was 28. I’d taken a job as a secretary at an investment bank and had to be at my desk by 7:30 A.M. Right off I had trouble adjusting to my new schedule. The workdays went by slowly and the evenings all too quickly, and by the time I got into bed, it was often midnight or later. Knowing I could get only six hours of sleep at the most, I would start to panic. Worrying about not sleeping kept me from sleeping, and by the time my alarm clock sounded, I was lucky if I’d gotten four hours. At work I often found myself ducking into a bathroom stall just so I could sit on the toilet and rest my head against the cool metal wall for a few blessed minutes.

This went on for three years, until I left the bank to become a writer. Since I no longer had to get up early, I simply indulged my body’s natural rhythm, staying up most of the night and sleeping until noon. It wasn’t the healthiest lifestyle, but at least I no longer spent my bedtime hours steeped in anxiety, watching the clock. Then in 2004 I was hired by Glamour as an articles editor. During the day I worked without stopping and at night I attended parties and premieres. When I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was go to bed (I needed time to myself!), so I would flip on the TV or talk on the phone, and by the time I meandered into my bedroom, midnight had long passed.

Soon the old insomnia was back — and it was even worse than before. My bed wasn’t a relaxing place to rest my head; it was a torture pen dressed up in a downy comforter and pretty pillows. Desperate for a remedy, I called my mom, a world-class insomniac herself. She told me she’d been taking Ambien — and that it had changed her life. The next time I saw her, she handed me one of her pills. “See if this helps,” she said.

Did it ever. That night, for the first time in years, I fell asleep instantly, awash in the kind of deep, dreamy slumber I hadn’t experienced since childhood. The next day I woke up refreshed. Convinced I’d discovered the Fountain of Sleep, I called my doctor that same day to ask for my own prescription. He gave me 20 five-milligram doses, which I was to take for “occasional sleeplessness.” For the first few weeks, I was especially cautious, breaking the pills in half and restricting my use to Sunday nights only. But soon I found all kinds of excuses to take half a pill in the middle of the week, too: I had an important meeting; I was going to be on deadline the next day; I had a fancy event to attend after work and needed to look my best. The insert that came with the pills clearly stated that they could be addictive, but I told myself it was better to have a mild drug in my system and to sleep than to be “sober” and spend my days exhausted and depleted.

Before long I needed to take a pill every night. If I tried to fall asleep naturally, I would have what’s called “rebound insomnia,” meaning I would be up all night as a result of taking the drug the night before. Watching the clock creep around to 5 A.M., 6 A.M., then 6:30 A.M., I couldn’t stand it anymore — I would pop a pill, drifting off for an hour and a half until my alarm sounded.

I began running out of my monthly supply of Ambien after 20 days or so. When my doctor wouldn’t renew my prescription before 30 days, I found a second doctor and had him call my prescription in to a different pharmacy. Already deep in denial, I didn’t think “doctor shopping” was illegal (it is) or even a bad idea; I simply thought of myself as stockpiling much-needed supplies. I also didn’t confide in friends about my growing dependence on the drug; I didn’t want to hear any levelheaded suggestions about “switching to warm milk” or “going to bed at the same time every night” (I’d tried both; neither had worked). Nor did I say a word to the therapist I’d been seeing for more than a year. After all, there were so many more vital things to discuss: job pressures, difficulties I was having with friends, dating woes. Once I met a doctor at a party and said, “I think I’m addicted to Ambien.” He laughed and said, “Are you sleeping well? So you’re addicted — no big deal!” My mind at ease, I continued to pop pills.

I was hardly alone. According to a February 2008 report by IMS Health, a pharmaceutical-industry research firm, pharmacists filled more than 54 million prescriptions for sleep drugs in 2007. That’s up 70 percent from 2002. In 2005 pharmaceutical companies netted more than $2.7 billion from prescription medications for insomnia — and with so many ads for sleeping pills routinely featured on television, those numbers continue to rise. A typical sleep-aid ad shows an attractive couple waking up in the morning, beatific smiles on their faces. Just try telling an insomniac to resist a commercial that promises to deliver the Holy Grail: sleep.

One potential side effect of Ambien is “sleep eating” — the odd practice of preparing and eating food while asleep. That happened to me all the time. I’d wake up to find in my bed cheese and crackers and a sharp knife on a plate (hey, at least I was classy). One morning I wandered into the kitchen to make coffee and discovered a pot of soup over an open flame on the stove. I had no idea how it got there.

Several times I had tried to quit by using sheer willpower: Usually by day three I gave in. “F—k it,” I would say aloud, twisting the cap off the bottle with force and tossing the pills into my mouth. I’d quit at some point in the future: when I didn’t need to get up early for work, when my life became more serene, when I had a husband and kids to take care of. But those things never materialized, and I never stopped.

A year into my job at Glamour, I was promoted to senior writer. My new responsibilities included doing celebrity interviews. Most of these interviews took place in L.A., so I had to travel there about once a month. For as long as I could remember, I’d been afraid of flying, but I wasn’t about to give up the most exciting career opportunity of my life. One day, as I was white-knuckling it through a patch of turbulence, I remembered the Ambien in my overnight case. I’d been taking it every night to sleep — why not to fly? I popped a pill and my fear melted away entirely. I woke up five hours later, just as the wheels touched down on the tarmac. After that I never wanted to fly without Ambien in my system again. But before long it took more than my usual dose to ensure I was out cold, so I upped my “airplane Ambien” to nearly 20 milligrams, quadruple the amount I was supposed to be taking. Once, I woke up to find a flight attendant bent over me, listening to my heart. We’d just landed, and everyone was standing up, collecting their bags. I’d remained slumped in my seat, head lolling forward. Passengers were craning their necks to look at me. When I realized what was happening, I brushed the flight attendant’s hands away. “I’m fine,” I said, annoyed. “I thought you’d stopped breathing,” she said, looking deeply concerned.

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Natural Remedies for Insomnia

2009-10-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Many people with insomnia choose herbal remedies for treatment. Some remedies, such as lemon balm or chamomile tea are generally harmless. However, others can have more serious side effects and interactions. It’s hard to know if you are getting a consistent dosage of herbs and supplements since they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, the effectiveness of herbal remedies has not been evaluated by the FDA. Check with your healthcare professional if you are trying a herbal remedy. They may interfere with some prescribed medications. St. John’s Wort, for example, can limit the effectiveness of many prescribed medications such as blood thinners, birth control pills and some anticancer medications.

Herbs

There are several herbs thought to help sleep. Examples include chamomile, valerian root, kava kava, lemon balm, passionflower, lavender, and St. John’s Wort. Many people drink chamomile tea for its gentle sedative properties. Although it is generally safe, it may cause allergic reactions in people who have plant or pollen allergies. There is some data showing valerian to be useful for insomnia, but the overall evidence is still inconclusive as to its effectiveness. At high doses, valerian can cause vivid dreams, blurred vision, changes in heart rhythm, and excitability.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone whose levels peak at night. It is triggered by dark and levels remain elevated throughout the night until light decreases it. However, most study results have not found melatonin use to be beneficial when compared to a sugar pill (placebo). Some positive results have been shown in helping jet lag and night shift workers, but simple exposure to light at the right time might be just as effective. Long term effects of melatonin are unknown.

Tryptophan, L-tryptophan

Tryptophan is a basic amino acid used in the formation of the chemical messenger serotonin, a substance in the brain that helps tell your body to sleep. L-tryptophan is a common byproduct of tryptophan, which the body then can change into serotonin. Some studies have shown that L-tryptophan can help you fall asleep faster in both normal sleepers and those with insomnia. These results, however, have not been consistent.

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Guidelines for Using Sleep Medications

2009-10-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

If you decide to try sleep medications, the following guidelines and precautions are suggested.

Follow directions closely, starting with a very small dose and increasing gradually, according to the doctor’s schedule. Find out whether you should take your medication with or without food. For some medications, certain foods must be avoided. Most sleeping pills should be taken on an empty stomach.

Tell your doctor about other medications you are taking. This includes non-prescription medications such as pain relievers and allergy medicines, and herbal supplements. Combining medications can be very dangerous.

Make sure that your doctor is aware of other medical conditions that you have. Some drugs can have serious side effects for people with other medical problems. Examples of these problems include high blood pressure, liver problems, glaucoma, depression and breathing problems.

Carefully read the package insert that comes with your medication. Pay careful attention to the potential side effects that it describes.

Only take a sleeping pill when you will have enough time to get a full night of sleep (7 to 8 hours). Otherwise you may feel drowsy the next day.

If appropriate, use the medications intermittently, rather than nightly, in order to decrease the negative effects and to increase the effectiveness when you do use them. Be sure to check with your doctor as some medications cause withdrawal side effects when stopped abruptly.

Never drink alcohol near the time when you take a sleeping pill. Never drink alcohol in an attempt to fall asleep faster. Not only will alcohol disrupt your sleep even more, it can dangerously interact with the sleeping pill.

Never drive a car or operate machinery after taking a sleeping pill. Especially when you first start taking a new sleep aid, you may not know how it will affect you, so proceed with caution the next day.

Ask your doctor for specific instructions for decreasing and/or terminating use. In some cases, stopping medication abruptly can cause uncomfortable side effects and even rebound insomnia

Natural Sleep Aids

2009-10-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Do you have difficult time getting to sleep and staying asleep? Then a natural sleep aid might provide what you need. But are they safe? Here's an article from Rose Sheepskill discussing some natural sleep aids and its pros and cons. She is dedicated in giving some tips and techniques to help people to get sleep and stay sleep all night.

The pro: it is not habit forming like prescription sleeping pills or over-the-counter medications. The con: these herbs are not regulated by the FDA; therefore they have not been proven to cure any disease. Natural sleep aides have been used for generations and the five that are used for sleep disorders like insomnia are; California Poppy, Valerian, Hops, Catnip and the extracts of Passionflower.

California poppy or Eschscholzia Californica a perennial herb that does not contain opium, but is used as a sleep aid. The best way to take this herb for a good night's sleep is by a tincture. You can make the tincture out of the leaves and the flowers gathered as the plant is blooming. The plant blooms in the late spring and early summer. To make the tincture, take one ounce of freshly ground herb (leaves and flowers) to two ounces of 190 proof alcohol and let it sit in the sun for one to two weeks then strain the liquid and bottle it. A tablespoon of the tincture before bedtime will help you to fall asleep. One word of warning though, this tincture will cause you to be drowsy so you should not operate a vehicle or do anything else that may be dangerous.

Valerian root is the strongest of the five herbs and is known as the 'sleeping grass'. If you take a high dose of valerian you might feel the same effects as the prescription drug Valium. I would advise that you take valerian in pill form due to the strong odor that has been described as garbage or rotten cheese. Valerian has been also used for stomach upset and spasms, ADD, ADHD and seizures. Nevertheless, since the FDA has no control over natural supplements there are no proven claims for relieving with any of these conditions. Valerian is not recommended for women that are pregnant/nursing or for those that have low blood pressure or hypoglycemia.

Hops, the main ingredient of beer, has diuretic and soothing properties that aid sleep. In oil form it produces a sedative or hypnotic effect and when it is mixed with a more potent herb such as valerian it helps with insomnia. Hops alone can be taken as a hot tea or in a pill or capsule.

Passion Flower is known as a calming herb that is a mild sedative and helps relieve stress. Passion Flower has been used for over 200 years to soothe nerves. You can purchase Passion Flower extract as a tea or in capsule form.

You wouldn't think that Catnip would be used as a sleep aid, because it makes your cat overexcited and a little frenzied. With people Catnip has quite an opposite effect and is known as a mild tranquilizer and sedative. Catnip is in the mint family and makes a nice tea before bedtime to calm the nerves, relax the brain, relieve headaches and helps with insomnia. It is the mildest of the four herbs, but if combined with any or all of the other four can produce a great sleep aid.

The five major sleep aides can be used alone or in combination to promote a more restful sleep. If purchasing the herbs in pill form please read the dosage instructions carefully, especially if you are already taking a sleep medication. Consult your physician before taking any supplements, especially if you are being treated for a sleeping disorder or are scheduled for any type of surgical procedure. Some supplements have been known to hinder the healing process causing additional bruising or bleeding. We want you to be safe as well as have a good night sleep. Even though scientific studies on these herbs have been brief there are reasons to believe they are the five best natural sleep aides used today.

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Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

2009-10-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sleep deprivation is defined as having too little sleep for either a long or short period of time. When an individual sleeps the body repairs and refreshes itself, so if an individual is not getting enough sleep, the body suffers because it does not receive the proper amount of time to repair and refresh itself.

An average adult requires between seven and nine hours per night though it is something that few people in today's world can successfully achieve. Many are even unaware that they are sleep deprived.

Sleep deprivation can occur for many reasons such as a nightmare, insomnia, stress due to family responsibilities or work, excessive worry, depression, time change, a new baby, anxiety, menopause, undiagnosed medical condition, or an undiagnosed sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation can have serious effects on an individual's health and productivity. Companies lose millions of dollars due to accidents and mistakes caused by sleep deprived employees. Sleep deprived individuals on the roadway pose a hazard to themselves as well as others. Someone that is suffering from sleep deprivation will driving can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver due to slower reaction time.

The most common symptom of sleep deprivation is fatigue. Other symptoms include loss of memory, slurred speech, irritability, difficulty with social or personal relationships, hypertension, tremors, blurred vision, slower reaction time, anxiety, becoming easily irritated, unable to solve problems, inability to focus on thoughts or tasks, intolerance to activity, decreased level of energy, and clumsiness. Sleep deprivation can also affect an individual's metabolism and can result in weight gain, diabetes, and hypertension. The symptoms of sleep deprivation should not be ignored because they affect the way you feel.

Some of the symptoms can also include an increase in illness. Because the immune system recharges during sleep people suffering from this disorder are more frequently ill or take a longer getting over an illness. This disease leads to poor eating habits as well, individuals that are tired during the day due to lack of sleep tend to eat foods with more sugar, carbs, and caffeine to create energy. Others turn to tobacco or drugs to create energy.

In addition to medical conditions that may occur due to this sleeping disorder, physiological problems such as delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations can occur.

People suffering from this sleeping disorder need to get more sleep, but for many this is easier said than done. Fortunately there are many things that an individual can do to promote sleep. An individual can cure their own sleep deprivation by finding and correcting the source that is preventing them from getting the number of hours of sleep they require. For example, an individual that is dealing with a stressful work situation can move to a less stressful job thus alleviating the stress that is the cause of sleep deprivation. If that solution is the cause, or changing jobs is not an option, the individual suffering from this disease can try relaxation techniques, change of diet, or a change to their sleep environment.

Sleeping Tips

2009-10-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Do you have trouble falling asleep? How many hours do you normally sleep? Here are some tips suggested by Irina Wardas in her blog to fall asleep faster and longer.

If we want to feel and look fabulous, we need at least 8-hour sleep. Sleep helps reduce stress, moderate PMS symptoms, prevent headaches and migraines, speed up our metabolism, deal with hormonal imbalance, prevent breast cancer, reduce risk of heart disease, etc.

A Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor Irina Wardas is always reminding her clients to take care of their stress level first to fall asleep faster and longer.

Here are some tips for you on how to reduce stress before going to bed:

Make to-do-list or write a Journal.

Journaling is one of the the best stress management tools and stress relief techniques. You can write in your journal twice a day (morning / evening reflections) or only once-in the evening. Always remember to acknowledge what you are grateful for and what you appreciate yourself for.

Take a relaxing bath.

For trouble falling asleep
2 oz. passionflower leaves and flowers
1 oz. valerian root
1 oz. violet blossoms

For peaceful, restful deep sleep
2 oz. hops flowers
1 oz. lavender blossoms
1 oz. Siberian-ginseng root

Have regular sex.

Numerous studies show that healthy sex life enhances your relationship, relaxes your body, releases 'happy' chemicals, helps lose some weight (30 to 50 calories in 30 minutes), and even promotes wellness as well as welcomes sleep.

Avoid things that interfere with sleep.

It is always important to remember what to avoid for a better sleep:

Caffeine
Alcohol
High-protein foods
High-fat foods
Intense physical activities in the evening
Cell phones

We need to have a good night sleep every day in order to be healthy, so let us take care of our sleep, shall we?

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Can I drink juice to induce sleep?

2009-10-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

Drink company Tri-State Juice Co., is distributing a new “anti-energy” drink dubbed Drank, marketed as an antidote to the caffeinated, stressed-out lives many Americans lead.

Milford-based Tri-State Juice signed a distribution partnership with Drank’s maker, Houston-based Innovative Beverage Group Holdings. It is being marketed to solve a variety of sleep and relaxation problems, such as nervousness, anxiety and insomnia. Specific groups are being targeted as well, including professionals with high-stress jobs, athletes, travelers who suffer from jet lag and overworked students.

This carbonated, grape-flavored beverage boasts three main active ingredients: melatonin, rose hips, and valerian root. Melatonin is a hormone created in the brain that regulates sleep patterns and can be purchased as an over-the-counter sleep aid in pill form. Valerian root and rose hips are herbal supplements that also have been used to reduce the effects of nervousness; rose hips are commonly used in tea.

Links to information on the additives used can be found on the beverage’s Web site, here. Drank can also be purchased at various convenience stores and 7-Elevens around the country.

Tri-State Juice Co. distributes a number of beverages, including AriZona Iced Tea, Nantucket Nectars and Jones Soda. The company distributes to 1,500 retail stores in the Midwest.

Discover Natural Ways to Sleep Fast : Best Over the Counter Sleep Aids Review

2009-09-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for the best over the counter sleep aids which can convert your sleepless nights into peaceful sleep every night? If you are like hundreds of others who are suffering from sleep disorders like insomnia then you can find a better way to eliminate these problems through the use of reliable sleeping pills. I know the market is so much crowded with these kinds of medications that it becomes almost a headache for us to find the right one. Read the article below by James Glenn to know how you can get the most reliable sleeping aids without getting scammed.

There are some sleeping aid brands like Tylenol Pm, Unisom and Sominex which uses antihistamine. This ingredient is also used in all allergy medicines. So when you use these kinds of pills then you feel drowsy and tired when you wake up in the morning. Natural over the counter sleeping aids are the best types of pills to try when you suffer from sleep disorders. They do not possess any kind of side effects as in the case of above types of medicinal pills.

One more type is sleeping pills prescribed by your medical practitioner. These are more prone to side effects like depression, memory loss and hallucination. They are actually more powerful as compared to other types of pills and that's why they produce immediate results but also gives more side effects.

Now I am not telling you to avoid your doctor for prescription drugs but if possible go for natural over the counter sleeping pills. They are having very few side effects as compared to the pills prescribed by your doctor.

I know how difficult and painful it is to not having sleep for consecutive days. I can feel your pain and suffering because of those sleepless nights. So instead of living in this bad situation, I suggest you to try the natural over the counter sleeping aids which can make your sleepless nights peaceful and healthy.

Insomnia is Bad for the Heart

2009-09-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep at night? A new study published in the journal Sleep has found that people who suffer from insomnia have heightened night-time blood pressure, which can lead to cardiac problems. The investigation, which measured the 24-hour blood pressure of insomniacs compared to sound sleepers, was conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal, its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cour de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre and the Université Laval.

"Over many years, chronic insomnia can have negative effects on the hearts of otherwise healthy individuals," says lead author Paola A. Lanfranchi, a professor in the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine and researcher at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cour de Montréal Sleep Disorders Centre. "Whereas blood pressure decreases in regular sleepers and gives their heart a rest, insomnia provokes higher night-time blood pressure that can cause long-term cardiovascular risks and damage the heart."

The findings are important given that insomnia, which is a chronic difficulty falling or staying asleep, affects up to 48 percent of the population at some point in their lives. As part of the study, the scientific team recruited 13 otherwise healthy chronic insomniacs and 13 good sleepers. Subjects spent 40 hours in the sleep laboratory: two nights for adaptation and one for monitoring followed by the intervening day.

"Blood pressure cycles are mainly linked to the sleep-wake cycle," says co author Jacques Montplaisir, a professor in the Université de Montréal Department of Psychiatry and director of Hôpital du Sacré-Cour de Montréal Disorders Center. "Since blood pressure is heightened among insomniacs, those with overt cardiac disease are particularly at risk for progression of the disease."

About the Study

The article "Night-time Blood Pressure in Normotensive Subjects With Chronic Insomnia: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk," published in Sleep was authored by Paola A. Lanfranchi, Marie-Hélène Pennestri, Lorraine Fradette, Marie Dumont and Jacques Montplaisir of the Université de Montréal and its affiliated Hôpital du Sacré-Cour de Montréal, as well as Charles M. Morin of the Université Laval.

Source

Can people die due to insomnia?

2009-09-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

We've all suffered from a poor night's sleep. According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, vast numbers of Americans (30-40 percent) report suffering from one or more nights of insomnia during any given year. But can insomnia get so bad that you actually die from it? There's very little research on what happens to the human body when it goes for extended periods without sleep—after all, no lab in the country would sign off on such experiments. From what we do know, it's highly likely that one's body would eventually just shut down. But what's more common, and troubling, is chronic insomnia, bouts of brief, fitful sleep—an hour here, three hours there—lasting beyond three weeks into months or years at a time. About 10-15 percent of Americans suffer from chronic insomnia, and while this type of condition is not deadly in and of itself, it can lead to a whole host of other disturbing mental and physical effects.

The ill effects of insomnia can be immediate after just one sleepless night. (Even not getting enough sleep per night can be dangerous: studies show that mortality rates spike in those that sleep drastically less than seven hours a night.) According to recent research by Matthew Walker, director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, the amygdala—the part of the brain that alerts the body to be prepared in times of danger—goes haywire when a full night's sleeplessness occurs. That in turn wreaks havoc on the prefrontal cortex, which controls our logical reasoning and "fight or flight" reflex, turning us, as Walker says, into "emotional Jell-O." Memory capacity and speech control diminish; irritability spikes. At the same time, some studies have shown that cortisol, a hormone related to stress and depression and linked to cardiovascular disease, is building up in the body instead of being moderated by a good night's rest. Concentration is kaput. The muscles ache. What's worse, the external, ordinary dangers of modern life become many times more deadly: according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are about 200,000 car accidents a year caused by sleepy drivers, killing more people than drunk driving. Essentially robbed of its power to encode or consolidate memories after just one day, the brain quickly instead begins to mimic the profile of people with acute psychiatric disorders.

Physiologically, the human body could survive without sleep for 11 to 18 days, based on research from experiments and various other stunt-based records. Taken to extremes, the results of sleeplessness get downright grim, which is why it's been both shunned as a form of unethical research and used as torture. When lawyers for former President George W. Bush argued, in a 2005 memo, that keeping detainees awake for 180 hours—seven and a half days—didn't constitute torture, the medical researchers cited in support howled with protest, calling it "deplorable" and "nonsense." "Prolonged stress with sleep deprivation will lead to a physiological exhaustion of the body's defense mechanisms, physical collapse, and with the potential for various ensuing illnesses," responded Professor James Horne of the Sleep Research Centre at England's Loughborough University and author of Why We Sleep. Horne says the effects of prolonged sleeplessness are painful indeed. Various brain and several bodily functions go completely gunnysack. Vision goes blurry or double; nausea sets in. By a week, hypertension and body temperature run amok; the brain may be overcome with hyperemotionality, paranoia, and hallucinations.

To continue reading the full article, click The Waking Dead

Choosing your Over the Counter Sleep Aids

2009-09-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

How do you begin to choose between the different types of Over the Counter Medications? John of bestoverthecountersleepaids.com provides a guide on how to choose your over the counter sleep aids. Read the whole article below.

There are dozens of different over the counter sleep pills available today. How do you even begin to choose between the different types of OTC medications? I had no idea where to start when I was plagued with insomnia. I didn’t know if herbal was best, or if it didn’t matter if there were non-herbal ingredients. I also wondered if I should just see a doctor and buy expensive, prescription sleep aids.

It turns out that a lot depends on the type of insomnia you have. And I didn’t even know there were different types. I thought that if you couldn’t sleep well for more than a few days, you had insomnia, period. This isn’t all there is to it.

The insomnia that many people have at some point or another is called transient insomnia. Transient fits, I suppose, because it comes and goes. It can last one night or several, but is usually related to a current stressor. And once the stress goes away, so does the insomnia. Haven’t we all been bothered by this at least now and then?

Acute insomnia lasts longer, usually for at least three weeks. This is a longer-term problem that can rob you of sleep for up to six months. There will be nights that you do sleep with this type of insomnia, but the majority of nights will find sleep elusive.

Chronic insomnia can go on for months or years. Chronic fatigue, depression, distractibility, lack of concentration and general fuzzy-headedness occur with this type of problem. Chronic insomnia is something you should talk about with your doctor, instead of looking at over the counter sleep pills. Usually with chronic insomnia, there’s a medical problem that’s the reason for the lack of sleep, and it should be dealt with.

For transient and acute insomnia, over the counter sleep pills are a valuable option. Some opt for prescription pills, but this carries some risks you might not be aware of. In today’s world where some people talk sleeping pills to sleep, wake-up pills to get up in the morning and a variety of mood-altering pills throughout the day, people look at sleeping pills as something pretty harmless. But prescription sleep aids are highly addictive. It’s not difficult to become dependent on them, and unable to fall asleep with the pill.

Over the counter sleep pills, on the other hand, don’t have the heavily addictive ingredients you find in sleep aids that are prescription only. OTC pills are usually less expensive, as well. And because the herbal over the counter pills have natural ingredients, there’s a bit less chance that you’ll have any kind of problem with the pills.

There are over the counter pills to help you sleep that aren’t herbal, as well. These can work just as well as herbal remedies, but still skip the tendency to addict users and make them unable to sleep without a pill. If you just need help sleeping occasionally, then these over the counter pills can help you finally get some rest.

Healthy Sleep Tips

2009-09-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

For the most part, sleeping involves a routine. So it makes sense that there are things you can do in your daily and nightly routines to improve your sleep quality. Along with consulting your healthcare provider, you might want to incorporate some of the following tips:

Change Your Day to Maximize Sleep

Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends.
Limit your intake of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco products during the day, especially in the hours before sleep.
Finish eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, avoiding big meals.
Exercise regularly. Finish your exercise a few hours before bedtime.
Eliminate napping or limit the duration to 20 to 30 minutes.

Create the Best Possible Sleep Environment

Remove electronics like computers and televisions from your room.
Keep the room cool, comfortable, quiet, and dark.
Use a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Use the bed only for sleep and intimacy.

Prepare for Sleep

Establish a relaxing bedtime routine: take a bath, read a book, listen to relaxing music before bed.
Don't watch the clock—it can cause anxiety about sleep.
Get out of bed if you can't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes. Only spend time in bed when you are actually sleeping.
Write down concerns that keep you awake, creating a "to do" list for tomorrow. Also keep a sleep journal to help you see patterns in your sleep.

Source

5 Reasons Why Over the Counter Sleep Aids are Popular

2009-09-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

Prescription sleeping medication like Rozerem seems promising without the problems of dependence and rebound insomnia. However, people continue to look to OTC sleep aids as alternatives. These may not boast the same effectiveness as prescription sleeping medication and their hangover side effects are infamous. Here are the 5 actual reasons observed why OTC sleep aids are still very popular.

1. It's convenient. That's obvious. The most popular ones are the antihistamines that have FDA's approval for use as OTC sleep aids so you don't have to get a doctors' prescription. It is a recognized fact today that having the occasional or transcient insomnia due to work or lifestyle circumstances is common. OTC sleep aids are recognized to be useful in such situations. The only problem is that some people might start to rely on them out of habit and take them long term instead.

2. There are less surprises. These antihistamines have been around for a long time, much longer than the popular prescription sleeping medications like Ambien and Lunesta. Antihistamines are decades old while non-benzodiazepines like Ambien emerged in the 1990s. Hence, the probability of unknown dangerous side effects is much lower for antihistamine OTC sleep aids.

As it is, doctors are usually wary of new sleeping medications that have not stood the test of time. This is one of the 2 major objections from prescribers that any drug company faces when marketing a new medication. Painful lessons were learnt with the withdrawal of drugs like Vioxx, the painkiller and Avandia for diabetes.

It must be noted however that supplement OTC sleep aids differ from antihistamines. Supplements do not require FDA approval as over the counter sleep aids and hence, long term safety have not been documented all along.

3. The lesser evil. The side effects of OTC sleep aids are deemed the lesser evil. Most people put up with the infamous hangover side effect or have simply adapted how they take the OTC sleep aids e.g. smaller doses or just sleep earlier and longer. Granted these hangovers and other related side effects can be extreme for some people. However, next day drowsiness seems less bizarre than unconsciously sleepwalking on prescription sleeping medications. FDA has recently required that stronger warnings were added to sleeping medications' labels about these side effects that can be life threatening.

4. Cheaper than a can of coke. An OTC sleep aid costs only 30-40 cents compared to Lunesta at $3-$4 a tab. People are happy to resolve their sleeplessness at lower cost and lower risks. Cost is always a major deciding factor if the additional benefits of prescription sleeping medication don't measure up to the price difference.

5. Instant lifestyle. Change is constant and fast for this sleepless 24/7 generation. We want both instant gratification and instant solutions for our stress filled lives. OTC sleep aids are readily pocketed along with our Blackberrys and iPods.

It goes without saying that there is no magic panacea for insomnia. Over the counter sleep aids are best used for the occasional insomnia at recommended doses. You will develop tolerance if used longer than necessary. As with prescription sleeping medications, OTC sleep aids must be taken responsibly i.e. being aware of possible drug interactions with any current medication, resolving the underlying cause of insomnia, etc.

Source

Prescribed Sleep Medicines

2009-09-25T09:15:00.001-07:00

What are the kinds of prescribed sleep medicines? What are their effects as well as their side effects? Here's an article from health.com about some of the prescribed medicines in providing a rapid relief of the symptoms of insomnia.

Sleep medicines may provide rapid relief of the symptoms of insomnia. But many of these medicines have side effects, such as low blood pressure, anxiety, and nausea. These medicines also may become less effective when your body gets used to the them. And some have not been shown to be effective for long-term treatment of insomnia.

Hypnotic medications help you fall asleep or stay asleep.
Antidepressants that have a calming or sedative effect can be used to aid sleep.
Rozerem is a different type of sleep medicine that helps regulate your body's internal clock. Rozerem has few side effects and is not habit-forming.

If you are taking any of these medications, it's usually best if you take them only for a short time, at the lowest effective dose, and stop taking them as soon as you can. This is true for all people, but it is particularly true for older adults, who can become dependent on sleep enhancers and sometimes experience diminished thinking capability during and after long-term sleeping medication use.

The most successful long-term treatment results have been achieved with behavior therapy. Behavior therapy results in similar improvements in both overall sleep quality and less time in getting to sleep compared to using medications, without any side effects. Many people receiving such therapy benefit from the treatments and become good sleepers. Perhaps most important, these results are maintained over time.

Sleep Aids Sales Rises

2009-09-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

MORE than one in four Americans say they are literally losing sleep over the economic downturn — tossing and turning over personal finances, the economy, job security or health care costs.

Those were the results of a poll released last month by the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit group financed by federal and private sources that include health care companies like Merck, Wyeth and Johnson & Johnson and mattress makers like Sealy.

It is little surprise, then, that some over-the-counter sleeping pills have been doing a brisk business in recent months.

In the four-week period that ended March 22, sales of Advil PM tablets, which combine a sleeping aid with a pain reliever, were up 16 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to Information Resources Inc., whose totals do not include sales at Wal-Mart. The brand’s year-over-year increases for the previous four weeks were even sharper, rising 33 percent, and were up 26 percent the month before that.

Sales of Tylenol PM, the leading pain-relieving sleeping pill, were up 6 percent year-over-year for the month that ended March 22, according to Information Resources, a market research company in Chicago.

There is plenty of sheep-counting even in the best of financial times. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 30 percent of Americans have trouble sleeping and 10 percent have some form of insomnia; their daytime symptoms include moodiness as well as impaired concentration and memory.

But economic factors do weigh heavily. A survey done by the market research firm Experian Simmons in 2008 found that those with household incomes under $25,000 were 48 percent more likely than the general population to have sleep disorders, and those with no employed adults in the household were 45 percent more prone.

According to a recent report by the market research firm Packaged Facts, the age group most likely to suffer from insomnia are people 55 to 64 years old, who may suffer from arthritis or other ailments and are 26 percent more likely than the average consumer to buy pain-relieving sleep aids.

“Not only does this age group have to deal with the pains of getting old, but they are also most affected by the financial crisis, a huge headache in and of itself,” the Packaged Facts report said.

•

In an Advil PM television ad now running broadly — by Grey New York, part of the Grey Group division of WPP — a couple on a camping trip tuck into side-by-side sleeping bags — hers blue with the Advil PM logo, his red like Tylenol PM packaging.

Then, a third pajama-clad actor, holding a lantern outside the tent, announces it is the “middle of the night,” and the woman is shown sleeping peacefully while the man rubs his lower back and neck, grimacing.

“With Advil PM, she’s spending less time lying awake with aches and pains, and more time asleep,” the actor says. “He should switch to Advil PM. Maybe you should switch too.”

Sales of Advil PM, which was introduced in 2006, grew 17 percent in 2008, making it the fastest growing product for Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, whose overall sales for the year were “slightly down,” according to Doug Petkus, a spokesman for the company. The company has done comparative ads that mention Tylenol PM since Advil PM’s introduction, he said.

Nearly two decades ago, Tylenol PM was the upstart, challenging Excedrin PM, which introduced the first nighttime pain pills in 1969. In 1992, the year after Johnson & Johnson introduced Tylenol PM, a judge dismissed a lawsuit by Excedrin PM claiming that its new competitor’s use of “PM” and its packaging constituted a trademark violation.

Representatives from both McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the Johnson & Johnson division that makes Tylenol PM, and Novartis Consumer Health, which makes Excedrin PM, declined requests for interviews.

Packaged Facts estimates the entire over-the-counter sleep aids market for 2008 at $604 million, and painkilling sleeping pills account for 61 percent of that ($370 million). Leading the nighttime analgesics market is Tylenol PM, with a 50 percent share, followed by Advil PM (23 percent), store brands and other private labels (19 percent) and Excedrin PM (7 percent), according to Packaged Facts.

The active ingredients in most over-the-counter sleeping pills are antihistamines, like those in allergy pills. Sominex, Advil PM, Tylenol PM and Excedrin PM all contain diphenhydramine — the same active ingredient as Benadryl, an allergy medicine. (Benadryl describes diphenhydramine on its label as an “antihistamine” while the sleeping pill labels describe it as a “sleep aid.”)

•

Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the sleep disorders program at Northwestern University, says she has had patients for whom over-the-counter pills have been effective, but she added that the medicines were not risk-free and discouraged using them more than occasionally.

“If you take something like Advil PM intermittently when you have pain and can’t sleep, that’s a reasonable approach,” Dr. Zee said. “But I don’t think there really have been long-term studies to look at their safety and efficacy when taken on a long-term basis.”

In a 2005 report about insomnia, the National Institutes of Health cited “significant concerns about risks” of such antihistamine sleeping pills, including “residual daytime sedation, diminished cognitive function and delirium, the latter being of particular concern in the elderly.”

For those lying awake worrying about money, meanwhile, one way out of their financial predicament might be to develop solutions for people lying awake worrying about money.

Packaged Facts projects that sleeping aids — not just medication but a host of products including herbal supplements, travel aids like neck pillows, sound machines and sleep masks — will continue to grow as much as 10 percent annually through 2013.

Source

Over the Counter Sleep Aids - What you need to know

2009-09-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Are you suffering from insomnia? Or are you having trouble getting sleep, or staying asleep? If yes, read the article entitled Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids: Learn about OTC Sleep Aids - What you need to know to get your sleep cycle back on track by Edith Brent. Read the article below.

If you regularly find yourself having trouble getting to sleep, or staying asleep, then you may be suffering from a sleep disorder. These disorders are broadly covered under the term 'insomnia' but the truth is that every single one is different. Many people search for quick answers, but do over the counter sleep aids provide you with what you need?

Often, these sleep aids come in the form of sleeping pills. There are a number of different types available without prescription. They are very easy to take, cheap to buy, and you won't have to worry about seeing a doctor.

However, the main problem with these over the counter sleep aids is that they are drugs that can leave you feeling very groggy the next day. Although they do help you to get to sleep, you may still feel tired and find that your sleep patterns don't get back on track.

In fact, these sleeping pills come with a number of side effects. They use antihistamines, which have a number of side effects including a dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, constipation and more.

The great news is that not all over the counter sleep aids come in the form of sleeping pills. Why not try some herbal remedies? There are a number of options available in health food shops which can include teas and aromatherapy.

It's also important to remember that your sleeping condition may be a symptom of something more serious. This is why you should always see a doctor for advice.

Sleeping pills can be useful occasionally, but finding sleep aids that really work is crucial to maintaining the right cycle of sleep.

It's important to learn how to find the right treatment for insomnia, one that does not rely on drugs but that really gets your sleep cycle on track. Check out the top sleep aids for chronic insomnia and try using one that isn't based on medication.

source

Fighting Insomnia

2009-09-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sleep is becoming harder to come by these days.

Overloaded schedules and the increasing use of electronic gadgets give us enough reasons to stay awake at night. Financial worries are making our national sleep debt worse.

“Stress over the economy has almost doubled the numbers of patients that are experiencing sleep disorders. We see it all the time,” says Dr. Todd J. Swick, medical director of the Houston Sleep Center.

One-third of Americans are having trouble sleeping because of financial concerns, a National Sleep Foundation poll found.

And an estimated 10 percent of the population has chronic insomnia, says Dr. Lisa Shives, a sleep specialist in Evanston, Ill., and spokeswoman for American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Michael Jackson, who reportedly had trouble sleeping for years, was given an assortment of sedatives and the powerful anesthetic drug propofol the morning he died. His death shows how far some people will go to find the sleep they desperately need — and that quality sleep doesn't come in a bottle.

Before you beg your doctor for a prescription for sleeping pills, try this plan to increase your amount of slumber:

Step 1: Improve your sleep habits

• Eliminate caffeine and nicotine, which are stimulants, within four hours of bedtime, Swick recommends. Also avoid eating a heavy meal close to bedtime, which can cause indigestion and interfere with sleep.

• Avoid alcohol, which prevents you from entering the deeper stages of sleep and can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night.

• Exercise early in the day.Regular exercise can decrease anxiety and improve the quality of your sleep. But some people find strenuous exercise too close to bedtime makes it harder for them to fall asleep.

• Establish a regular sleep schedule, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. Maintaining that schedule will strengthen your body's sleep-wake cycle and help you fall asleep more easily at night.

• Find time before bed to decompress from the day, by reading, doing gentle yoga, listening to soothing music or taking a warm bath. Keep the lights low and stay off the computer. “The light from the screen signals to you it's time to get up and feed the chickens,” Shives says.

•Make your sleeping environment comfortable. It should be dark, quiet and not too hot or cold. Many people find cooler temperatures help them sleep better.

• Keep a worry journalif stress is keeping you awake, Shives suggests. Write down what's bothering you and include strategies for handing each item. Try doing this a few hours before sleep, not while in bed.

•Use your bed only for sleep or sex — not working or studying — so you associate your bed with rest and relaxation.

• Get out of bed and do something relaxing if you can't fall asleep after 15-20 minutes. Tossing, watching the clock and worrying that you can't fall asleep will make you feel anxious. “When that

happens night after night, you are now associating the bed with a torture chamber,” Swick says.

•Examine your medications. Many medications, such as certain blood pressure drugs and some over-the-counter cold remedies, can cause insomnia, and should be taken in the morning instead of evening.

•Try supplements containing melatonin, sometimes called the “sleep hormone.” Seniors can be deficient in the naturally occurring hormone, says Jeannie Davis, a naturopath and herbalist in San Antonio.

Step 2: Seek professional help

•If your sleep doesn't improve after a month or two, it may be time to visit a board-certified sleep specialist.

•Determine if you have a more serious medical problem. Sometimes insomnia is a symptom of a thyroid disorder or depression. Poor or interrupted sleep also can be a result of sleep apnea (waking up repeatedly due to a blocked airway) or restless leg syndrome, leg spasms that can jolt you awake.

• Ask your doctor about cognitive behavioral therapy. It typically includes education about proper sleep habits and relaxation techniques such as biofeedback, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation.

•Consider prescription drugs only a temporary solution. They are not an appropriate long-term cure for insomnia, Swick says. “Even the best ones (do) not substitute for natural sleep,” he says.

Furthermore, sleeping pills can cause side effects such as daytime sleepiness, nausea and dizziness and may interfere with other medications.

To continue reading, click Remedies Available to Fight Insomnia

Can over-the-counter sleep aids help cure insomnia?

2009-09-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Are you suffering from insomnia but don't wanna go and visit a doctor? Have you been taking over-the-counter sleep aids and hope to be cured by it any time soon? Do you wish to confirm the truth about OTC's and insomnia? If yes, read the article entitled Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids: Learn about OTC Sleep Medication by Michael Bihari of About.com. Read part of the article below.

In general, OTC sleep medications are most effective when you use them in moderation for a short period of time. OTC sleep aids do not cure insomnia, and if used incorrectly, can cause a number of sleep and medication-related problems, which (depending on the medication you are using and for how long) may include:

Drug tolerance: You may develop tolerance to your medication, meaning that you need a higher dosage of the medication for it to work. With OTC sleep medications this can develop in less than a week. Taking more of the medication increases your risk for side effects.

Drug dependence: You may come to depend on your OTC medication to sleep and may not be able to sleep without it.

Side effects: As noted above, sleep medications can cause unwanted side effects. Generally, the most common side effect of the OTC sleep medications is drowsiness the next day, which can interfere with driving and working.

If you are drowsy or dizzy, do not drive, use machinery or do anything that requires you to be mentally alert.

Drug interactions: OTC sleeping medications can interact with other medications you are taking. These drug interactions can lead to dangerous side effects, especially when used with prescription painkillers, other sleep medications and medications used to treat mental health conditions.

Do not drink alcohol while taking OTC sleep medications as it can make the side effects much worse.

Rebound sleep problems: If you have been taking an OTC sleep medication for a long time and stop the medication, your sleep problem may become worse than before.

Using the medication for the wrong condition: You may have an underlying health condition that is causing you to be agitated or to experience sleeplessness. By using an OTC sleep medication, you may not be getting the treatment you need for your condition. For example, you may be suffering from depression which can be treated with an antidepressant medication such as Zoloft (sertraline).

To read the full article, click Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids: Learn about OTC Sleep Medication by Michael Bihari of About.com

Wanna know why you feel drowsy a day after taking in an over-the-counter sleep aid? If yes, click Cause of Drowsiness After Taking Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids.

Best Over the Counter Sleeping Pills

2009-09-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Are you on the lookout for the only over the counter sleep aids which can transform your restless nights into peaceful sleep each night? If you are like lots of others who are suffering from sleep defects like sleeplessness then you can find an easier way to eliminate these problems through the use of trustworthy sleeping tablets. If yes read the article below written by Tracey Walker

I know the market is so much crowded with these sorts of medicines that it becomes virtually a headache for us to find the perfect one. Read further to know how you can get the most trustworthy sleeping aids without getting scammed. There are some sleeping aid brands like Tylenol Pm, Unisom and Sominex which uses antihistamine. This ingredient is also employed in all allergy drugs.

So when you use these kinds of tablets then you're feeling sleepy and knackered when you wake up in the morning. Natural over the counter sleeping aids are the best sorts of pills to try when you suffer from sleep aberrations. They don't possess any kind of side effects as in the case of above types of medical pills. One more type is sleeping tablets prescribed by your medical specialist.

These are more susceptible to complications like depression, loss of memory and daydreaming. They're actually more powerful as compared to other kinds of tablets and that's the reason why they create immediate results but also provides more complications. Now I am not telling you to duck your health practitioner for pharmaceuticals but if if you can go for natural over the counter sleeping pills. They're having few side effects in comparison to the tablets prescribed by your physician.

I know how difficult and unpleasant it is to not having sleep for consecutive days. I will feel your discomfort and suffering due to those sleep-deprived nights. So instead of living in this with this problem, I advise that you to try the natural over the counter sleeping aids which can make your restless nights peaceful and happy.

Source : Best over the counter sleeping pills

Why are over-the-counter sleep aids popular?

2009-09-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why most people prefer to take over-the-counter sleep aids? What are the benefits of these sleep aids? Should you consider taking over-the-counter sleep aids too? To get logical answers to these questions, I encourage you to read the article below entitled OTC Sleep Aids - 5 Real Reasons Why They Are Popular by Isabel Tay

Here are the 5 actual reasons observed why OTC sleep aids are still very popular.
1. It's convenient. That's obvious. The most popular ones are the antihistamines that have FDA's approval for use as OTC sleep aids so you don't have to get a doctors' prescription. It is a recognized fact today that having the occasional or transcient insomnia due to work or lifestyle circumstances is common. OTC sleep aids are recognized to be useful in such situations. The only problem is that some people might start to rely on them out of habit and take them long term instead.
2. There are less surprises. These antihistamines have been around for a long time, much longer than the popular prescription sleeping medications like Ambien and Lunesta. Antihistamines are decades old while non-benzodiazepines like Ambien emerged in the 1990s. Hence, the probability of unknown dangerous side effects is much lower for antihistamine OTC sleep aids...
3. The lesser evil. The side effects of OTC sleep aids are deemed the lesser evil. Most people put up with the infamous hangover side effect or have simply adapted how they take the OTC sleep aids e.g. smaller doses or just sleep earlier and longer. Granted these hangovers and other related side effects can be extreme for some people. However, next day drowsiness seems less bizarre than unconsciously sleepwalking on prescription sleeping medications. FDA has recently required that stronger warnings were added to sleeping medications' labels about these side effects that can be life threatening.
4. Cheaper than a can of coke. An OTC sleep aid costs only 30-40 cents compared to Lunesta at $3-$4 a tab. People are happy to resolve their sleeplessness at lower cost and lower risks. Cost is always a major deciding factor if the additional benefits of prescription sleeping medication don't measure up to the price difference.
5. Instant lifestyle. Change is constant and fast for this sleepless 24/7 generation. We want both instant gratification and instant solutions for our stress filled lives. OTC sleep aids are readily pocketed along with our Blackberrys and iPods.
To read the full article, click OTC Sleep Aids - 5 Real Reasons Why They Are Popular by Isabel Tay
Do you need tips in using OCT sleep aids? If yes, click Tips in Using Over the Counter Sleep Aids

Over the Counter Sleep Aids : Doxylamine

2009-09-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

Why is this medication prescribed?

Doxylamine is used in the short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep). Doxylamine is also used in combination with decongestants and other medications to relieve sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion caused by the common cold. Doxylamine should not be used to cause sleepiness in children. Doxylamine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.

How should this medicine be used?

Doxylamine comes as a tablet to take by mouth for sleep, and in combination with other medications as a liquid and liquid-filled capsule to treat symptoms of the common cold. When doxylamine is used to reduce difficulty falling asleep, it usually is taken 30 minutes before bedtime. When doxylamine is used to treat cold symptoms, it is usually taken every 4 to 6 hours. Follow the directions on the package label or on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take doxylamine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor or directed on the package label.

Doxylamine comes alone and in combination with pain relievers, fever reducers, and cough suppressants, If you are choosing a product to treat cough or cold symptoms, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on which product is best for your symptoms. Check nonprescription cough and cold product labels carefully before using two or more products at the same time. These products may contain the same active ingredient(s) and taking them together could cause you to receive an overdose.

Nonprescription cough and cold combination products, including products that contain doxylamine, can cause serious side effects or death in young children. Do not give nonprescription products that contain doxylamine to children younger than 4 years of age. Ask a doctor before giving these products to children 4-12 years of age.

Cough and cold symptoms that get worse or that do not go away may be signs of a more serious condition. If you are taking doxylamine in combination with other medications to treat cough and cold symptoms, call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or if they last longer than 7 days.

If you are taking doxylamine to treat insomnia, you will probably become very sleepy soon after you take the medication and will remain sleepy for some time after you take the medication. Plan to remain asleep for 7 to 8 hours after taking the medication. If you get up too soon after taking doxylamine, you may be drowsy.

Doxylamine should only be used to treat insomnia for a short time. Call your doctor if you feel that you need to take doxylamine for longer than 2 weeks.

If you are using the liquid, do not use a household spoon to measure your dose. Use the measuring cup or spoon that came with the medication or use a spoon that is made especially for measuring medication.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking doxylamine,

* tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to doxylamine or any other medications.
* tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: medications for colds, hay fever, or allergies; medications for depression; muscle relaxants; narcotic medications for pain; sedatives; sleep medications; and tranquilizers.
* tell your doctor if you have or have ever had asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or other breathing problems; glaucoma (a condition in which increased pressure in the eye can lead to gradual loss of vision); ulcers; difficulty urinating (due to an enlarged prostate gland); heart disease, high blood pressure, seizures,or an overactive thyroid gland.
* tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking doxylamine, call your doctor.
* if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking doxylamine.
* you should know that this medication may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
* remember that alcohol can add to the drowsiness caused by this medication. Avoid alcoholic beverages while you are taking this medication.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Doxylamine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

* dry mouth, nose, and throat
* drowsiness
* nausea
* increased chest congestion
* headache
* excitement
* nervousness

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

* vision problems
* difficulty urinating

Doxylamine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while you are taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/index.html] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

What other information should I know?

Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about doxylamine.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

Brand names

* Aldex® AN
* Nighttime Sleep Aid® Tablets
* Unisom® SleepTabs

Source : Over the Counter Sleep Aids : Doxylamine

Over the Counter Sleep Aids May Mask Serious Problems

2009-09-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Are you new with using over-the-counter sleep aids? Are you sure that the Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids you use are safe? Do you feel the need to know that over-the-counter sleep aids may mask other serious problems? If yes, then read the article below entitled Helpful Warnings and Tips in Using Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids by Denise Mann of Medical Tribune News Service.

People in Seattle aren't the only ones who are sleepless.

In fact, insomniacs across the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. spend more than $300 million a year on over-the-counter sleep aids, the latest statistics show.

But these products may do more than help people get some Z's; their prolonged use may mask more serious medical conditions See carpal tunnel syndrome, computer vision syndrome, dry eyes and deep vein thrombosis. , such as depression, and thereby delay proper care.

That's why insomnia that lasts a month or more should be discussed with a physician, not treated with over-the-counter sleep aids, said Dr. Charles F. Reynolds, III, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a leading American healthcare provider and institution for medical research. It consistently ranks in US News and World Report's "Honor Roll" of the approximately 15 best hospitals in America.

``These agents are often not very effective and may impair daytime alertness and awareness,'' said Reynolds, who co-authored a report on insomnia in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine The New England Journal of Medicine (New Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world.

Insomnia is defined as the perception of inadequate or nonrestful sleep. It can be a symptom of depression, stress or other medical conditions.

``There is relatively little in life that doesn't have the potential for infringing on sleep, and, as people age, the ability to sleep deeply and soundly tends to diminish,'' Reynolds noted.

About 40 percent of 30 million Americans with insomnia self-medicate with over-the counter sleeping aids, such as Nytol and Unisom, according to according to
prep.

1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3. the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C.

``For some people, over-the-counter sleeping aids are not appropriate, and they can prevent people from getting a prescription for a drug that may be more helpful,'' said Thomas Roth, chief of the sleep disorders Sleep Disorders Definition

Sleep disorders are a group of syndromes characterized by disturbance in the patient's amount of sleep, quality or timing of sleep, or in behaviors or physiological conditions associated with sleep. and research center at Henry Ford Hospital Henry Ford Hospital is a hospital located in Detroit, Michigan a few blocks from Wayne State University and the New Center area, near the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place. The hospital was founded in 1915 by Henry Ford as a philanthropic project. in Detroit.

James K. Walsh, executive director of the department of sleep medicine at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, agreed.

``I certainly think that people taking over-the-counter sleeping aids should be telling their physicians and asking their advice,'' Walsh said.

Source : Over the Counter Sleep Aids May Mask Serious Problems

Do you need tips in using over-the-counter sleep aids?

2009-09-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

Are you new with using over-the-counter sleep aids? Are you wondering if you are using your newly purchased over-the-counter sleep aids properly? Do you feel the need to know more about the proper usage of these sleep aids? If yes, then read the article below entitled Helpful Warnings and Tips in Using Over the Counter Sleep Aids by Gerrard Mackenzie.

If you decide to try out some OTC sleep aids, then it is best to follow these tips in using them:

- Consult your doctor and ask if it is safe for you to try an OTC sleep aids. Make sure that you remember his/her recommendations concerning your decision.
- Follow the directions of use and indications given. You may have to start with relatively small doses and increase them gradually.
- Make sure that you consider the other medications that you are constantly taking. Some over-the-counter sleeping pills may have adverse effects if it has interactions with other medications / chemicals that are taken into the body. Upon consultation with your sleep doctor, make it a point to inform him or her about the other medications you are taking for treatment of some other health condition.
- Remember that your actions and emotions indicate if your medication has side effects.
- Using over-the-counter sleeping drugs must be made sporadically and not regularly or on a nightly basis so that the harmful effects would also be decreased and its effectiveness would increase a bit every time you use them.
- Avoid taking other non-prescription or over-the-counter drugs and substances that may make your sleeping problems worse than it already is.
- If you are just starting on a new OTC sleep aid, you still may not be aware of how it can affect you so do not attempt to drive any vehicle or operate heavy machinery right after taking them.
- Maintain your occasional visits to the doctor.
To read the full article, click Helpful Warnings and Tips in Using Over the Counter Sleep Aids by Gerrard MacKenzie

Gerrard Mackenzie is the author of the eBook Supercharge Your Sleep and has taught thousands of the stressed-out, tired and overworked how to overcome their sleeping difficulties and get a better night's rest. He is also a great promoter of the power nap.

Wanna know what non-benzpdiazepine over-the-counter sleep aids are? If yes, click Benefits of Non-benzodiazepine Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids

What are the benefits of Non-benzodiazepines over Benzodiazepine OCT sleep aids?

2009-08-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the words Benzodiazepine and Non-benzodiazepine when talking about over-the-counter sleep aids? Do you wanna know what they are and how your knowledge of their existence can benefit your choice of quality over-the-counter sleep aids? If yes, read the article below entitled Over the Counter Sleep Aids by Gary M. Miller.

The most common medication on the market today are the Non-benzodiazepines and they are favored because they are less addictive than their counter parts or "Benzodiazepines". The Non-benzodiazepines are short-term sedatives which include Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata. They help make an individual feel sleepy and are a little safer and more efficient than Benzodiazepine which is typically addictive.

The Benzodiazepine drugs bring about drowsiness and target the central nervous system so they are more powerful but they are a risk in terms of addiction and are therefore better avoided if at all possible. You are advised to take these only for a few days because long term use will result in dependence on the drug and also to memory gap, feelings of more anxiety and difficulty in moving around during the day. Barbiturates are also popular in this category though very seldom used because they can lead to an overdose and to serious abuse over long periods of time.
One over-the-counter alternative is a drug which targets the melatonin receptors of the brain thus resulting in a change of the body is sleep clock. This is considered to be a wiser choice in getting one to fall asleep but not necessarily as helpful in keeping you asleep. This type of drug may also post some side-effects just like the rest, but it is generally a good alternative to the OTC drugs.
Some anti-depressants are also prescribed by doctors to alter the problems with depression that often lead to the problem of not falling asleep. Anti-depressants are popular drugs but should also be taken with caution as they carry intense side effects that can also lead to further complications. Most drugs that are being used in the treatment of sleep disorder contain anti-histamines that can really make you sleepy, but they are generally used for the treatment of allergies. Brands like Nytol, Unison and Sominex are common over-the-counter drugs that contain anti-histamine.
To read the full article, click Over the Counter Sleep Aids by Gary M. Miller

Curious about the effectiveness of over-the-counter sleep aids? If yes, click Sleep Quality with Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids

Can over-the-counter sleep aids produce quality sleep?

2009-08-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

Are you having difficulty sleeping at night? Do you wanna know if over-the-counter sleep aids can really put you to sleep? If it does, do you wanna know if over-the-counter sleep aids can give you quality sleep? If yes, read the article below entitled Over the Counter Sleep Aids and Why You Should Avoid Them by J. Wall.

"The problem is that over the counter sleep aids that rely on antihistamines do not produce quality sleep. People who use them tend to wake up groggy. They report not feeling well rested and yes while feeling somewhat rested may seem better than not rested at all, this is not ideal. As far as the body's health is concerned not getting quality sleep, that is going through all the stages of sleep properly, can be almost as bad as not getting sleep. Each stage of sleep provides a different function and benefits for the body so missing out on any throws things off and robs you of the necessary function of that stage. Antihistamine induced sleep tends to affect those stages.

Another problem is that over the counter sleep aids have all the side effects of antihistamines. The drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, etc. are all possible results from taking these drugs. Taking this causes a host of new problems for you.
Over the counter sleep medication also doesn't work for everyone. Some people have an opposite reaction to these drugs though that is rare. In those cases though, using an antihistamine will actually keep you awake rather than help you sleep. Also, not everyone gets drowsy enough by an antihistamine to fall asleep if they are suffering from a stronger form of insomnia. Particularly if you already use antihistamines to control allergies. Your body may already be used to the drug and have adjusted to its effects."
To read the full article, click Over the Counter Sleep Aids and Why You Should Avoid Them by J. Wall
Curious about other people's experiences with over-the-counter sleeping aids? If yes, click Experiences with Over-the-Counter Sleeping Aids

Wanna read about a personal experience on over-the-counter sleep aids?

2009-08-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

Do you wanna know more about other people's experiences with over-the-counter sleep aids? Are you curious about what sleep aids they used and how well it helped them get to sleep? Do you wanna know if they experienced any side effects of these OCT sleep aids the way you did? If yes, then read on the article below entitled To Sleep: Perchance to Take Lots of Pills by Seth Stevenson. I learned a lot from his article. I hope you'll get to read it too. Here are some parts from one of his personal stories.

"Can sleep aids beat it? On a recent trip to Japan, I arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon, then needed to get a good night's sleep (despite a 14-hour time difference) and wake up for a 9 a.m. meeting. Basically, an impossible task. I took a Unisom Maximum Strength SleepGel (50 mg of diphenhydramine hydrochloride) in Tokyo at 11 p.m., when it felt like midafternoon for me, and it actually worked OK. I managed to stay asleep until 6:30 a.m., which was better than I'd hoped for, and I made it through the day. Thanks, Unisom!
The next night, still wickedly lagged, I took two Simply Sleep caplets (together, another 50 mg of diphenhydramine hydrochloride—same as the Unisom), but only managed to sleep until 5:45 a.m. I blame it on the sheer momentum of jet lag, not the pills.
On the third night, as a control, I took no pills and woke up at 4:30 a.m. Unacceptable. So I took two Simply Sleep caplets and managed to sleep until 9:30 a.m. Perfect. Except I should have taken one caplet—I might have avoided the severe grog that plagued me all day and made interaction with Japanese people an even greater effort.
Conclusion: These pills are not a bad way to deal with jet lag, in an emergency. Also, there's no chemical difference between Unisom Maximum Strength SleepGels and Simply Sleep, yet there are two important distinctions. 1) Unisom's "gel" is much nicer going down—the Simply Sleep actually caught in my throat half-dissolved and tasted so bad that I gagged. 2) You can't split Unisom Maximum Strength's dose—it's one gel that can't be cut in half—while Simply Sleep's two caplets give you more flexibility for a half-dose (25 mg) if you're scared of feeling out-of-it when you wake up."
To read the full article, click To Sleep: Perchance to Take Lots of Pills by Seth Stevenson

Wanna know the labeling standards for over-the-counter sleep aids? If yes, click Labeling Standard for OTC Sleep Aids

What are the labeling standards for over-the-counter sleep aids?

2009-08-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

Do you find it easy to understand the labels on your over-the-counter sleep aids? Do you get to find the answers to your questions about its use and precautions? Would you wanna know the information you should be asking about your regular OTC sleep aids? If yes, then read the article below entitled Sleep Aids -Labeling Standards by Health Canada.

CATEGORY: Sleep Aids

DESCRIPTION: An over-the-counter drug (tablet, capsule, caplet, powder, or elixir form) that is useful for the relief of occasional sleeplessness by individuals who have difficulty falling asleep.

MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS and CONCENTRATIONS/DOSAGES on OTC Sleep Aids:

All finished products as well as ingredients used in the manufacture of the product comply with specifications of a Schedule B pharmacopoeia or equivalent standard
The medicinal ingredients of a product complying with this standard consist of the following when used singly, within the established limits:

DIPHENHYDRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE

25 mg or 50 mg per dosage form
DIPHENHYDRAMINE CITRATE

38 mg or 76 mg per dosage form

ADEQUATE DIRECTIONS FOR USE on OTC Sleep Aids:

Indications:

the inner and outer label shall show a statement of the indication for use limited to one or more of the following:

Helps you (reduces time to) fall asleep if you have difficulty falling asleep;
For relief of occasional sleeplessness;
Helps to reduce difficulty falling asleep.
For the relief of occasional nighttime sleeplessness (insomnia) when due to overwork, tiredness, or fatigue.

Unacceptable Indications:

Any reference to anxiety state, apprehension, worry, concern, fear, and/or tension will be unacceptable for use in association with a sleep aid / sedative product.

Dosage Directions:

For products containing diphenhydramine hydrochloride:

Adults and children 12 years of age and older: Take 25 to 50 mg (expressed in terms of dosage form, eg. tablets, capsules, etc., on the label, at bedtime if needed, or as directed by a physician.
In some persons, persisting drowsiness may be experienced with a
50 mg dose (two tablets), in which case the medication should be subsequently reduced to 25 mg (one tablet).

For products containing diphenhydramine citrate:

Adults and children 12 years of age and older: Take 38 to 76 mg (expressed in terms of dosage form, eg. tablets, capsules, etc., on the label, at bedtime if needed, or as directed by a physician.
In some persons, persisting drowsiness may be experienced with a
76 mg dose (two tablets), in which case the medication should be subsequently reduced to 38 mg (one tablet).

WARNINGS on OTC Sleep Aids

For occasional use only. (when not already mentioned in the indication)
Do not exceed (increase) recommended dose except on the advice of a physician.
If sleeplessness persists continuously for more than 2 weeks, consult your physician. Insomnia may be a symptom of serious underlying medical illness.
Do not take this product if you have glaucoma, chronic lung disease, difficulty in urination due to an enlargement of the prostate gland, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless directed by a physician
Avoid alcoholic beverages while taking this product
If you are presently taking a prescription drug or other medication, do not take this product without first consulting your physician or pharmacist.
Not to be used by elderly patients who experience confusion at nighttime. These drugs may produce excitation rather than sedation in the elderly. Therefore they should be avoided in this age group.

PACKAGE SIZE LIMITATIONS on OTC Sleep Aids

Sleep aid drug products containing diphenhydramine hydrochloride are limited to a total content of 1 gram (1 g).
Sleep aid drug products containing diphenhydramine citrate are limited to a total content of 1.5 grams (1.5g).
NOTE: This labelling standard describes those requirements that are specific to this class of drugs. Other requirements described in the Regulations to the Food and Drugs Act and in the Guide for the Labelling of Drugs for Human Use should also be met.
To check on their references, click References of Sleep Aids -Labeling Standards by Health Canada

Wanna know if OTC sleep aids can cure insomnia? If yes, click Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids and Insomnia

Why do I feel drowsy a day after taking over-the-counter sleep aids?

2009-07-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Have you just taken in an over-the-counter sleep aid and feel really drowsy or groggy the whole morning? Do you wanna know what's in that sleep aid, the one causing such a weird feeling? If yes, read the article below entitled Over the Counter Sleeping Pills by Herbals Home.

"The main ingredient in most over the counter sleeping pills is something in the antihistamine family. This is also the primary ingredient that causes drowsiness the next day. In fact, that drowsiness is often so severe that people commonly refer to it as a "sleeping pill hangover". This is perhaps the biggest potential problem with over the counter sleeping pills. This grogginess is usually worse than the mental fog from not sleeping. This is especially difficult for people who are not, by nature, morning people. A natural slowness in the morning, exaggerated by the effects of over the counter sleeping pills, causes many people to feel that the benefits of over the counter sleeping pills are not worth the sacrifice to the quality of their days.

Over the counter sleeping pills can be categorized into two main types: herbal remedies and antihistamines. Antihistamines work by inhibiting a neurotransmitter that will depress the central nervous system. Some of the more popular over the counter sleeping pills include Tylenol PM, Sominex, Unisom, and Equate. The most popular herbal over the counter remedy is Melatonin.
Although pharmaceutical manufacturers have addressed these concerns regarding over the counter sleeping pills and have worked to produce a product that minimizes such negative side effects, no over the counter sleeping pill is completely free of these potential problems. Everyone's body reacts differently to the drugs, so you will have to find the best over the counter sleeping pills for you based on trial and self evaluation. Your best chance at finding a satisfactory over the counter sleeping pill is to first try those in the herbal family."
To read the full article, click Over the Counter Sleeping Pills by Herbals Home

Wanna know if you can take over-the-counter sleep aids regularly, click Effects of Taking Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids

Can I regularly take over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids?

2009-07-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

You may have recently tried taking in over-the-counter sleep aids and wondered whether you can continue to take it regularly or not. Here's a few paragraphs from an article entitled OTC Sleep Aids: What's best and what's safe? by Mayo Clinic which provides a short explanation on why or why not take over-the-counter sleep aids regularly.

Over-the-counter sleep aids or supplements may help when stress, travel or other disruptions keep you awake. If you have chronic insomnia, though, a better approach is to remove the cause — most often, by changing your lifestyle.

You've followed all the tips for getting enough sleep — sleeping on a regular schedule, avoiding caffeine and daytime naps, exercising regularly, and managing stress. Still, a good night's rest remains out of reach. You may be thinking about over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids or other sleep supplements. If your problem has been bothering you for more than a few weeks, ask your doctor for an evaluation. It's important to know what's causing your insomnia.

OTC sleep aids are effective for an occasional sleepless night. But the more often you take them, the less effective they become. And OTC sleep aids may leave you feeling groggy and unwell the next day, particularly if you're an older adult. If you're considering sleeping supplements, it's important to understand that much is unknown about their safety and effectiveness.

To read the full article, please click OTC Sleep Aids: What's best and what's safe? by Mayo Clinic