sleep

[R. L. Gopferich]

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A sleep medicine can come in many different forms, but by far the most used nowadays come from a family of drugs called benzodiazepines. Valium, for instance, is a the most recognized sleep medicine of this group, however recently Xanax is beginning to replace it as the main sleep medicine. Being the most popular does not make it the best by any definition. In many cases the pharmaceutical sleep medicine is ineffective, as well as has many negative side effects. The risk of addiction is always present with any prescription sleep medicine, as well as the risk of overdose to varying degrees. There are alternatives to overcoming insomnia getting to sleep, such as herbal supplements. A herbal sleep medicine will most likely be side effect free, and not have addictive qualities either. Trust in the healing power of nature and try a herbal sleep medicine before asking for a prescription drug.

Natural sleeping pills are becoming increasingly popular alternatives to prescription and non prescription pharmaceutical products. This is because, well, they let you get natural sleep rather than knocking you out and leaving you feeling groggy and hung over the next morning. Some people are also very sensitive to the side effects of pharmaceutical sleeping pills like Ambien which can affect you in much worse ways than a little day time drowsiness; such as memory loss, personality changes and even hallucinations. Of course no natural sleeping pills have any side effects of this nature associated with them. Also absent from natural sleeping pills are the potential for severe dependency and addiction. Many people who begin using pharmaceuticals to get to sleep eventually find that it is absolutely impossible to fall asleep without them; sometimes this dependency develops in a very short time. While they are lacking the negative aspects of prescription drugs they are still very effective. Whenever possible, it is always better to use natural sleeping pills.

Sleep pills are a common first thought when facing insomnia, and indeed they can be a safe and legitimate solution to the problem so long as you understand the effects, risks and counter indications associated with various sleep pills. For instance, sleep aids of the Ambien/Rozerem family can be very damaging to the liver and kidneys, for this reason anyone with a preexisting condition of these organs is disqualified from their use. Sleep pills made from melatonin, or designed to boost your production of melatonin can cause and/or exacerbate depression and be damaging to your sex drive. You should consider very carefully if this is a trade off you are willing to make. Sleep pills made of natural sedatives are considered a much safer alternative to both of these, and unless your insomnia is caused by a deep rooted physical problem they are very effective sleep aids as well. In the end, one of the worse things you can do is to continue to lose sleep.

Sleepwell