What About Medication And Insomnia
Always consult your doctor before taking any treatment, this guidelines do not constitute advice.
Sleeping tablets
Although sleeping tablets have been widely proscribed for many years, they have found to come with certain drawbacks according to the rcpsych, outlined in this are the views expressed by the rcpsych. According to them, they don't work for very long, they make you tired and irritable the next day, they lose their effect quite quickly, meaning that more need to be taken to get the same effect, they can be addictive, so the longer someone takes sleeping tablets, the more likely are to become dependent on them. The traditional sleeping tablets include Nitrazepam, Temazepam and Diazepam. Although there are newer version of sleeping tablets such as Zolpidem, Zaleplon and Zopiclone, they also have some of these drawbacks.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a natural hormone that may help cure insomnia. In the UK, it is licensed for treating sleeplessness in those aged over 55. It is recommended that it not be taken for more than three weeks, and should not be used by someone with liver or kidney problems. It also may make someone drowsy and sometimes can cause irritability, dizziness, stomach pain, migraines, constipation, weight gain.
Antihistamine
Anti-histamine is traditionally used to alleviate hay fever and colds, but it can also be used to aid in sleeping, it does have the drawback that it can make someone sleepy well into the next morning. So the warnings on the label need to be heeded. Another problem with this is that the body can quickly become tolerant to the effect and more is needed to get the same effect, so it may only be beneficial to help with some temporary sleeplessness.
Valerian
Valerian is a herbal supplement. It is generally taken every night for 2-3 weeks or more. It has not been found to work if taken very occasionally. As with other sorts of treatments which make you sleepy, care needs to be taken as the next day sleepiness may still be present. Valerian may have adverse indications with blood pressure, or interactions with other sleeping tablets.