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Insomnia: Sleep Aid Treatments

By Darien Simon, M.S.

If you are plagued with insomnia, there are several potential treatments available. Which one is most likely to work for you depends on whether your insomnia is acute or chronic, primary or secondary. If your insomnia is acute, or due to short-term life changes or stress, the treatment is different than if it is chronic or caused by some other physical or psychological condition. Your health care provider can help you determine what type of insomnia you have, and what the root cause(s) are if they are not obvious to you. Acute insomnia, especially due to sudden life stress (job loss, death or severe illness in the family, change of residence, divorce or separation and the like) usually resolves itself fairly quickly, though the effects of the stressor may be felt in decreasing intensity for some time. However, with chronic insomnia, or even if the acute insomnia lasts only a few weeks (by definition acute insomnia lasts one month or less), you may want to consider a sleep aid or other treatment, if only to ensure that you are physically and mentally as fit as possible to cope with the stress or deal with the root cause of the sleep disruption. There are some over the counter treatments available, including Dreamboost, and antihistamines commonly used to treat allergies, but which usually have a sedative side-effect. However, the antihistamines may make you drowsy even during waking hours or adversely interact with other medications, so you should use caution in taking them. Dream Boost has been specially formulated to work with and support your body's natural sleep mechanisms, but even so, it is wise to consult your health care provider before taking anything new, especially if you are already on other medications. Most other treatments for insomnia require a prescription or course of therapy with a specially trained professional. Prescription sleep aids may help you sleep in the short term, but may lose effectiveness or be habit-forming if used for a prolonged period. You should always follow your health care provider's advice about taking prescription sleep aids. Prescription sleep aids may also interfere with your ability to return to natural, unaided sleep when the stress from life events diminishes. They may also cause morning drowsiness, headaches, and memory problems. You should discuss all the possible benefits and side effects of sleep aid treatment with your health care provider before embarking on a course of treatment.