Everybody knows that if it’s over-the-counter, it’s got to be safe. Or is it really? After all, prescription sleeping pills are a lot more tightly regulated by doctors and the FDA. Not to mention a lot more expensive.

Let’s just start with what everybody knows already about over-the-counter sleep aids. Just so everybody’s on the same page.

1. The the main ingredient of over-the-counter sleep aids is an antihistamine
Antihistamines are generally taken for allergies, but also make you feel very sleepy. And yes, while they make you get to sleep faster, there is little evidence that they improve the quality of your sleep at all, much less help treat insomnia.

Meaning, if you really had good quality sleep, won’t you be productive in your following wake hours? That brings me to the second fact that everybody already knows about OTC sleep aids.

2. OTC sleep aids tend to cause “morning hangovers”
That is explained as residual next-morning sedation due to the fact that antihistamines have long half-lives. It simply means they stay very long in the bodies and therefore continue to cause drowsiness.

So most people usually try to live with that limitation by simply staying away from driving or handling heavy machinery. However, did you know that you would also have to put up with constipation and a racing heartbeat through your day? Did you also know that you could be in a state of confusion, delirium and have urinary retention? These are called anticholinergic side effects of antihistamines. That certainly wouldn’t do for that important office meeting next morning.

3. Common OTC sleep aids are also painkillers
Common over-the-counter sleep medications are Sleep-Eze, Sominex, Nytol, and Unison that are mostly either diphenhydramine or doxylamine antihistamines.
However, other common OTC sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Advil PM are actually combinations of the painkillers acetaminophen and ibuprofen with an antihistamine, diphenhydramine.

And that is why, the Medical Letter, which reviews drugs, recommends against using antihistamines for sleep. Some doctors say users of Tylenol PM may be taking acetaminophen they do not need. Acetaminophen overdoses can cause liver failure.

As for ibuprofen, common side effects mainly involve the gastrointestinal system. It can cause ulcerations, abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, gastritis, and even serious gastrointestinal bleeding. Sometimes, stomach ulceration and bleeding can occur without abdominal pain, and black tarry stools, weakness, and dizziness upon standing may be the only signs of internal bleeding.

4. If it’s over the counter, it’s got to be safe
And finally, back to the most costliest and harmful premise that everybody has believed about OTC sleep aids being safer than prescription sleeping pills. The reason is this. OTC sleep aids are not regulated and therefore, prone to abuse.

If the OTC sleep aids were used as they were originally intended for i.e. to treat allergies or relieve mild pain that usually resolve within days, their sedative side effects would have been limited.

And because using OTC sleep aids does not require a doctor’s consultation and supervision, potential drug interactions would not have been flagged out and underlying serious side effects would have gone undetected.

Also, you can develop a tolerance for over-the-counter sleep aids after using them for just a few days. You may find quickly that you’ll need to pop in more pills each time to accomplish the same effect.

Last but not least, a so-called transcient insomnia may progress into a chronic insomnia if the root of the problem is not resolved. A slippery slope indeed. Don’t we all agree that insomnia is just a symptom of an underlying problem? And for many of us occasional insomniacs, it’s always triggered by something called stress.

Here’s a tip. Today, researchers have found that the best treatment for insomnia with the highest success rates is to change our thought patterns to then change our behaviors into those that induce sleep. So, it’s really all in the mind.

About the Author/Author Bio

If you want to know Successful Options about Treating Your Insomnia, visit Isabel's online resource HealthInsiderToday.com. Isabel aspires to INSPIRE global citizens to live successful and healthy lives. Her online resource work is drawn from her professional experience in health research and marketing. It is her labor of love for family, friends and for those who suffer. Isabel is currently based in both Sydney and Singapore.

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Insomnia Sleep Disorders" article category.

People interested in the above article "OTC Sleep Aids: Are They Safer Than Prescription Sleeping Pills?" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Having Trouble Sleeping During Menopause? Here’s What You Can Do About It

For most women, sleep problems during menopause usually take the form of waking up in the early morning and not being able to get back to sleep for half an hour or more. What wakes you up may be night sweats, an anxiety attack, nightmare or seemingly nothing at all.

Oh! not another sleepless night. Two Effective Treatments

The definition of insomnia is the difficulty the person has in falling asleep and at times even remaining sleepless through out the night. Insomnia fall into two categories: primary insomnia and seondary insomnia. When we are able to pin point the problem the insomnia is then relatively easy to treat. Herbs are an effective treatment with proven results.

Causes of Sleepwalking and its Treatment

The sleepwalkers show a variety of behaviors, ranging from cleaning the house, switching the lights on-off, walking in the house or street, going places, talking as if in a ‘conversation’, shouting, abusing, throwing things, hitting the partners, etc. In extreme cases some people have had sex with strangers and committed murder while sleepwalking.

Insomnia Causes - The Warning Signs of Insomnia

Insomnia is a very irritable condition. Insomnia causes a lot of problem in a person's life. And yet, a huge number of people are suffering from it. It gives a feeling of daytime fatigue and decreases productivity drastically. Since it affects productivity, it also affects the county economy. Therefore, it is extremely important to address this issue and find a solution to it as soon as possible. People with insomnia cannot go to sleep even if they are exhausted and when they finally do go to sleep they do not have a peaceful sleep and often the sleep leaves than more tired than before.

Problems Sleeping?

Insomnia is quite common in our society. While there many different reasons for sleep problems - such as poor diet, too much sugar and refined carbohydrates, too much caffeine, or lack of exercise - I want to share two major causes and the solutions to these.