Sleeping Medications: Are you tired of lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering why you can’t fall asleep? If you are wondering whether over the counter sleeping pills UK can help you relieve your insomnia, you’re at the right place! In this guide, we’ll discuss the world of Over the counter sleeping medications, exploring their ingredients, side effects, and effectiveness so you can make an informed decision about your sleep health.
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Types of OTC Sleep Aids (Sleeping Medications)
Even though sleeping pills should be the last resort if you’re dealing with insomnia, here is a list of the over-the-counter sleeping pills UK as drugs, herbs, or supplements that you can buy without a prescription:
Antihistamines
Antihistamines is an over the counter sleeping pills UK and can be found in drugs such as diphenhydramine and doxylamine succinate. You must have taken antihistamines to treat hay fever or pet allergies, but they are also effective in treating symptoms that make it hard to fall or stay asleep. Antihistamines block the effects of histamine, (Sleeping Medications) a chemical in our nervous system that can trigger allergy symptoms like a runny nose or sneezing.
This blockage is the reason for drowsiness, which makes antihistamines useful as sleep aids. However, unlike more potent sleeping pills like benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, (Sleeping Medications) antihistamines take longer to start working. Talk to your doctor before taking them, and avoid them if you suffer from allergies.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces to control your sleep-wake cycle. A melatonin supplement will probably not make you sleepy like other sleep aids, but it can shift the timing of your sleep. They help you fall asleep faster than usual if you take them 20 minutes to 2 hours before bed.
Melatonin supplements can control your natural sleep cycle and help treat jet lag or reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Working takes some time, but the effects are mild and last a day or two. Side effects of over-the-counter sleeping pills UK can include headaches, (Sleeping Medications) nausea and daytime sleepiness.
Valerian
This is a natural remedy used as a sleep aid that’s been around for hundreds of years. This plant-based sleep aid is traditionally used to ease symptoms of insomnia and anxiety and is available in pill or tea form. While it has some therapeutic benefits, whether valerian helps you sleep is still unclear.
This sleep aid comes from the valerian root extract, making it effective as a natural sedative, which can help improve your quality of sleep. These ingredients are commonly used in herbal sleeping tablets to help you get to sleep. They are safe if used under proper guidance, with side effects being mild headaches and weaknesses.
Diphenhydramine
This is the best over the counter sleeping pills UK that contains antihistamines. You might believe that antihistamines are only used for treating allergies, but they have several benefits. While some antihistamines relieve hay fever symptoms and other allergies, some can also help you drift off to sleep, which is why you feel drowsy after taking some hay fever medications. If you struggle to sleep and suffer from frequent night awakenings, (Sleeping Medications) this medicine can make you feel sleepy and ready to fall asleep for eight hours. It is a popular short-term treatment for insomnia, which you should be taking only on the doctor’s advice.
But remember, even though you can buy Over-the-counter sleeping pills UK at the drugstore or other retail locations, without a healthcare provider’s prescription, you should only do so after talking to your doctor. You should only use them as a short-term treatment for insomnia.
