Sleeping Aides
Mused Memorial Day with gratitude for our vets who give us freedom from and freedom to…
Prescriptions for sleep meds among young adults tripled from 1998-2006. There are a number of categories that are used to assist with sleep. They are prescription drugs, over the counter drugs, antianxiety meds, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and miscellaneous.
Prescription drugs include Ambien, Sonata, Lunestra, and Silenor. Some help you fall asleep, some work at keeping you asleep, and all have different times that they work. The common problems with them all are the addictive nature and that they assume you will stay in bed for eight hours. Some will still be in your bloodstream the next day and can affect activities. They can cause behaviors that you won’t remember having done.
Antianxiety pills should not be used for sleep. They are a class commonly known as benzodiazepines. They may help you to sleep but they inhibit your ability to achieve deep sleep that helps our body repair.
(Did You Know? 35-40% of Americans get less than the minimum recommended seven hours of sleep each night.)
Over the counter drugs are antihistamines (Tylenol PM and Benadryl) and melatonin. Antihistamines block a wakefulness promoting chemical in the brain. They may last longer than eight hours so you may feel groggy the next day. Also, tolerance occurs quickly so limit their use to a few days. Melatonin is made in your own body so unless your internal clock is messed up or your body isn’t producing enough it may be ineffective.
Cognitive-behavior therapy involves adjusting your thoughts and actions pertaining to sleep. This can be better sleep hygiene such as avoiding caffeine late in the day, being consistent with sleep times, not excessive alcohol intake, and shutting down electronic devices before bed. More advanced behavior adjustments may require sleep studies and physician involvement.
The list of miscellaneous tricks is limitless but here are a few. Listen to something to get your mind off your problems like a baseball game, reruns or anything non-stimulating. A mug of warm milk or Chamomile tea can trigger your body temperature to rise but induces your core temp to cool which it does naturally during sleep. An orgasm causes your pituitary to release sleep inducing prolactin. Lastly, alcohol bonds to brain receptors that govern GABA, a neurotransmitter that regulates anxiety.
Men’s Health, June 2018
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