Friday, November 7, 2008

Choosing the Right Over the Counter Sleeping Aid

Millions of Americans suffer from insomnia. For this kind of sleeping problem, most sufferers prefer to use over-the-counter sleeping aids as a form of treatment.

However, there are many over-the-counter sleeping aids that consumers can choose from. With this, some consumers are clueless which drugs to trust and take. Some even waste thousands of dollars each year in buying different kinds of brands to see which ones give better results, are safer, and are less expensive.

So, if you are among the crowd of insomniacs who are finding it hard to decide which over-the-counter sleeping medication to take, read on below for some tips on choosing the right over-the-counter sleeping aid:

1. Consult with your physician to know if sleeping aid medications can affect pre-existing health conditions.

Before buying any over-the-counter sleeping aid, it is best to consult with your physician first to know if over-the-counter sleeping pills can possibly affect your pre-existing health conditions. See, it is dangerous to take over-the-counter medications without knowing and understanding their effects to your body.

2. Double check with your physician how over-the-counter medications can interact with the medications you are already already prescribed to take.

This way, you can be assured that there will be no possible interaction between the over-the-counter drugs you are about to purchase and the medications you are already taking. It is also recommended that you check if you are allergic to any of the over-the-counter drug you are about to take.

3. Know the symptoms that you are okay with as well as those that you find intolerable.

See, not only are over-the-counter sleeping aids appear in different kinds of brand, but they also give different kinds of side effects. For instance, you can either opt to take herbal or antihistamines. These two are known to be effective types of sleeping medications. However, they differ in symptoms or side effects. While herbal sleeping aids can help you get to sleep, these do not really give a very one though. Antihistamines, on the other hand, are also very effective in helping you get to sleep, but these can cause problems by the time you wake up.

4. Decide which type of over-the-counter sleeping aid will work best for you.

Upon knowing that sleeping aids come in two types, it is best for you to determine if a herbal or a antihistamine will best suit you. To know which sleeping aid suits you, try to do a research on the products' ingredients and other information via the Internet. You can also ask friends and family members for recommendations as to which type of sleeping aid is better.

5. Properly take over-the-counter sleeping aid as directed in the products' administration instructions.

Once you have chosen the type of sleeping aid that suit you, you must take it only as directed in the product's administration instructions. If for instance that the one you have chosen does not work for you, never risk increasing its dosage. This might only lead to serious health complications.

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