While most treatment for insomnia is psychological, dealing with insomnia as a symptom of some other root cause, disease of medical condition there is treatment available in the form of medication. A lot of these do tend to be sedatives or sleeping tablets, however there is a danger of users becoming addicted to these, sometimes exaggerating the insomnia by suggesting to the person that they cannot sleep without drugs. There are several classes of medication that insomnia sufferers may find useful, these are,
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazpines, included in drugs such as temazepam, flunitrazepam, triazolam, flurazepam, midazolam and nitrazepam are commonly used hypnotics prescribed by doctors for insomnia. Regular use of these can develop both a tolerance and a dependence, particularly if they are used consistently for a long period.
Non-benzodiazepines
Non-benzodiazepine medication such as zolpidem and zopiclone are much more selective drugs and tend to have less side effects on a user. Their is however controversy as to how effective they are compared to Banzodiazepine based drugs. Nonbenzodiazpine medication can cause physical and mental dependence, so their use does have top be monitored.
Antidepressants
Some antidepressants have a sedative effect such as doxepin and trazodone, these are occasionally prescribed to treat insomnia however they do have some major drawbacks.on-top of several minor side effects. These do tend to be specific to each drug so please do read the label.
Melatonin
Melatonin has been proven effective in many cases by regulating the sleep/wake cycle in its users. There is however little in the way of data supporting its case and is still being trialled by several institutes. Chemicals and drugs that affect Melatonin such as Rozerem do not have much potential for abuse or dependence. They also have very little in the way of side effects making them an ideal starting point for treatment of insomniacs.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines are used regularly as non prescription sleeping drugs. While it is readily available its begins to lose its effectiveness very quickly and users may find themselves feeling very groggy the next day.
Herbal Remedies.
Several herbal solutions to insomnia have been proven to be effective, such as Valerian, Chamomile, Lavender and Cannabis. Valerian has undergone multiple studies and does seem to be fairly effective. Cannabis has been proven to be a very effective treatment of insomnia, though it is illegal in many countries and can carry several minor side effects.
Alcohol is often used to help sleep, it does however prevent a person from having a restful nights sleep and large quantities may result in a hangover, leaving the sufferer unable to function effectively the next day.
Magnesium tablets can also sometimes help alleviate insomnia, magnesium deficiency is a common cause of low level insomnia.
Complementary and Alternative Remedies for Insomnia
There are a lot of traditional ‘old wives tales’ that contain remedies for sleeping problems, and do tend to be fairly effective. These included half an hours exercise every afternoon, warm milk before bed, a warm bath or having a large lunch and a light dinner. There are also several other suggestions such as avoiding mentally stimulating activity before bed times, going to bed and waking up early and avoiding bright light for an hour or two before bed time.
Relaxation techniques such as aromatherapy, mediation and yoga have been proven to help people sleep, along with other relaxation techniques such as self hypnosis.
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