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There are several types of medications available to help treat insomnia or to make it easier to fall asleep. Some of them are available by prescription only. Others can be purchased over-the-counter at your pharmacy.
The non-prescription sleep aids usually contain antihistamines. These act on the central nervous system to increase feelings of sleepiness and to help maintain sleep. An example of these products includes Unisom sleep gels. A commonly prescribed class of medications for insomnia is the benzodiazepines. These medicines require a prescription from a doctor. This group includes medicines such as temazepam (Normison), and nitrazepam (Mogadon). There are other prescription medicines that are less commonly used as sleep inducers. Generally, sleep aids are intended to be used for only a short period of time, usually no longer than 1 to 2 weeks. If you think you need to take an insomnia medicine for longer than 2 weeks, be sure to talk to your doctor. Insomnia that lasts longer than this period of time may be a sign of a medical problem. Article #4752 Copyright (c) 2002 McKesson. All Rights Reserved. |
