Sleeping pills over the counter how to#

Over-the-counter sleep aids are typically antihistamines.Sleep aids fall into three main categories: over-the-counter, natural or herbal supplements, and prescription drugs. The drawback is that Doxylamine Succinate is more likely to cause the hangover effect the next morning.

Users tend not to develop a tolerance very quickly, too, so it’s a good fit for those who need to take it over a longer period of time. Most people who use sleep aids with Doxylamine Succinate remark that they feel the effects fairly quickly after taking a dosage. That’s because it tends to leave the body more slowly, helping users stay asleep longer. It can be a bit more expensive than Diphenhydramine HCl, but some users find it more effective. Doxylamine Succinateĭoxylamine Succinate is the stronger of the two sedating antihistamines. That makes it a better fit for someone who only plans to take it for a couple of nights at a time. The downside is that users can build up a tolerance fairly quickly, so it loses its effectiveness relatively fast. It’s a great choice for those who have never used a sleep aid before because it’s less likely to cause drowsiness, or the hangover effect, the next morning. It also leaves the body fairly quickly, making it milder than Doxylamine Succinate. That might be because it’s often less expensive than its counterpart. That might not be desirable if you’re taking an antihistamine for allergy relief, but it makes both compounds ideal for use in sleep aids.ĭiphenhydramine HCl and Doxylamine Succinate function fairly similarly, but there are some marked differences: Diphenhydramine HClĭiphenhydramine HCl is used in sleep aids more often than Doxylamine Succinate. That’s because they don’t differentiate among various histamine receptors and inhibit histamines that regulate sleep. Many first-generation antihistamines, like Diphenhydramine HCl and Doxylamine Succinate, also make you drowsy. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine receptors in cells to reduce the allergy symptoms related to the histamine response.

When you have an allergic reaction or a cold, histamines are released in your body to increase blood flow to the site of invasion. Both are antihistamines, which are typically used to treat allergy symptoms, like a runny nose or itchy eyes. Most products on the market contain either Diphenhydramine HCl or Doxylamine Succinate. The main way to distinguish between different OTC sleep aids is by looking at their active ingredients. How Sleep Aids Work: Diphenhydramine HCl vs. In our buying guide, we’ll outline everything you need to know about OTC sleep aids, including how they work, different types, safety information and other techniques for improving sleep.

Sleeping pills over the counter how to#

And like any product you put into your body, you want to know how to safely use them. There’s a lot to understand when it comes to OTC sleep aids. We’ll also share our top picks for the best OTC sleep aids.īuying Guide – How to Shop for Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids This guide will tell you everything you need to know about over-the-counter sleep aids so you can make an informed decision the next time you have a sleepless night. They’re meant to be taken on a short-term basis and are not a substitute for more long-term treatment of insomnia or other sleep issues. While OTC sleep aids are non-habit forming, they still need to be used with care. Diphenhydramine HCI tends to be milder with fewer side-effects, while Doxylamine Succinate is more effective over a longer term. Both are types of sedating antihistamines, but each has a slightly different effect. OTC sleep aids generally contain one of two primary active ingredients: Diphenhydramine HCI or Doxylamine Succinate. Between 6 and 12 percent of Americans use over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids specifically. Numbers vary, but up to a quarter of Americans use some sort of sleep aid to help them fall asleep, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Many Americans turn to sleep aids to relieve their insomnia.