If you suffer from bouts of insomnia, you know how terrible it can be to try to make it through the day with little to no sleep. All day, you feel irritable, spacey, and you have trouble concentrating on important tasks. Because trying to get through even the easiest day without enough sleep is so hard, a lot of people who suffer from insomnia turn to over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids.

Unfortunately, these sleeping pills could cause more harm than good. So, before you give up on other ideas like replacing your mattress or rethinking your sleep schedule, you might want to know the truth about sleep aids.

Benzodiazepines Can Be Dangerous

While benzodiazepines are usually prescribed as anti-anxiety medication, until fairly recently they were also go-to prescription drugs to treat insomnia. Today, a lot of doctors prescribe different drugs that are specifically formulated to help patients sleep, but these are still prescribed for some cases.

Studies have found that using benzodiazepines often leave patients feeling groggy and disoriented the morning after taking them. Their effects can last longer than expected, which can be dangerous if you have to drive to work in the morning and/or operate heavy machinery when you get there. All that, and it’s been shown that these drugs really aren’t that effective at helping patients get better sleep.

Newer Sleep Aids Aren’t Necessarily Better

Unfortunately, the newer prescription sleep aids available today can also be both dangerous and ineffective. Drugs like Lunesta and Ambien can be addictive, and they’re known to cause dizziness and drowsiness during the day, as well. These side effects are known to occur more frequently and to a worse degree if the patient takes them regularly.

Plus, in a lot of cases, these drugs really only help patients fall asleep about 20 minutes faster than they could on their own. So, if you’re having trouble falling asleep at all when you go to bed, you could just end up awake all night and feeling drowsier and dizzier in the morning than you would without them.

Antihistamines and Other Over-the-Counter Aids

A lot of people who have trouble getting to sleep at night will skip the prescription sleeping pills altogether and opt for antihistamines and other over-the-counter drugs meant to be taken at night. These can be marginally effective, but if you take them long enough, you’re likely to experience even worse insomnia when you stop taking them. Not only that, but prolonged use can result in nausea, constipation, confusion, drowsiness during the day, problems with urination, and other health issues.

In other words, when it comes to sleep aids, there really isn’t a good prescription or over-the-counter option. The best way to get more quality sleep is to set a schedule so that you go to sleep and get up at roughly the same time every day; get plenty of exercise; eat a balanced diet and avoid caffeine at least six hours before bed time; and avoid using personal electronics or watching TV right before bed.

Along with good sleep habits, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of a quality mattress. Amore Beds’ mattresses are made from the highest quality foam and latex materials, and they use copper ion bonded textiles to create a more hygienic mattress with healing properties. Not only that, but you can get a split mattress so that you and your spouse can both get the rest you need on a level of firmness that’s comfortable for you.

Are you ready to sleep better at night without the dangers of using prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids? Order an Amore Beds mattress online today!

Sources:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2015/03/the-truth-about-sleeping-pills/index.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/23/zzzquil-ingredients_n_6902780.html