Sleep Aids
After you have adjusted to taking only a small dose of medication, the next step is to begin scheduling times when you will not take a sleeping pill, no matter what. Many people try it on a week-end or at a time when they do not have many responsibilities. Most find that they feel anxious and have difficulty sleeping the first night without sleeping pills, but by the second night, most people are quite tired and sleep quite well unassisted. It typical takes several weeks to completely discontinue the sleeping pills.
Self medicating a sleeping problem with alcohol or an over-the-counter sleep medication should be avoided as they can often produce unpleasant, even harmful, side effects. The active ingredients in over-the-counter sleep aids are antihistamines that were actually developed to treat allergies, and they only produce drowsiness as a side effect.
Many people who take these OTC drugs feel tried, groggy, or dizzy the next day, and have poor coordination. Some people note an inability to concentrate or a “spaced out” feeling, or blurred or double vision. Dry mouth, headache, and palpitations are also often reported, and surprisingly, an allergic reaction to the antihistamines themselves is not uncommon. However, one of the most dangerous side effects of antihistamines is their depressant effect on the brain function, which can be increased significantly in interacting with other drugs including other antihistamines, alcohol, other sedatives or sleeping aids, tranquilizers, or any other medicine or drug with sedation as a side effect. Individual response to these over-the-counter drugs varies widely.
The use of melatonin as a sleeping aid has been effective for many, while others derive no benefit or experience only short term results. Melatonin itself has a sedative effect, and causes us to be sleepy, but this effect is only mild. It also has an effect to lower body temperature slightly, which is helpful in initiating sleep.
The hormone melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, a small down-pouching of the brain that is situated directly behind the eyes. Melatonin has the effect of telling the entire body whether or not it is light outside, and if light is absent, the hormone has the effect of decreasing arousal and increasing the inclination to sleep by beginning to lower temperature. One of the difficulties in jet lag is that the light-dark cycle has suddenly been changed; melatonin can help correct this as well.
