Sleep Supplements for a Good Night’s Rest

Life can be stressful, no matter what you are doing. Being a student, working a 9 to 5 job, practicing a profession, or running your own business, you will experience a certain level of stress. If that gets high enough, it can disrupt some other things in your life--such as sleep, for instance.

Sleep problems are not something new for people. In the United States alone, it was estimated that at least 70 million Americans are suffering from chronic sleep problems. This can be due to injuries, health problems, traumatic experiences, depression, emotional distress, or just a disruptive way of lifestyle. To help ease the suffering of some people, sleeping supplements were introduced to the market.

These supplements were not meant to solve the illness or the chronic problems that people have related to sleep. Rather, it aims to alleviate the symptoms of sleep problems for a short period of time, or at least provide improvements on the condition of the person over a period of time.

What are sleep supplements, and how do they work? Are these products safe? Are there any possible side effects? Here are some of the most important things you need to know about sleeping supplements.

What are sleep supplements?

Sleep supplements are products that are meant to help the person taking it to fall asleep or stay asleep. These are taken by people who are having problems falling asleep or those who have a bad quality of sleep that even after a full night’s sleep, they still feel unrested and tired. Sleep supplements are also called “sedative hypnotics.”

Some types of sedative-hypnotics include benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and other various hypnotics. Specific brands can include Ativan, Librium, Valium, Xanax, Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata.

What are the best sleep supplements?

Melatonin is a hormone primarily released by the pineal gland at night, and has long been associated with control of the sleep–wake cycle. As a dietary supplement, it is often used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, such as from jet lag or shift work, and is typically taken orally. 

Benzodiazepines work by inducing or increasing the feeling of drowsiness for a person. Usually, these are only recommended for short-term medications and long-term taking of it is never encouraged, as people are found to get addicted to them and eventually produce more problems.

Barbiturates work by depressing the central nervous system, causing sedation on the person taking it. This is the common form of sleeping pills that can be bought from the market. This should be taken in moderation though, us unguided dodge of it can lead to fatal complications.

Some supplements, like a sleep aid called Rozerem, works by inducing a brain hormone called melatonin to help you fall asleep and have a better quality of it, too. Some people consider this as a safer option when it comes to sleeping pills as this does not put the user at risk of getting addicted to the product.

Some products are categorized as 5-HTP, which helps raise serotonin levels in the brain. While they do not directly aim to make you sleep, these products target to work on hormones that may induce a positive effect on sleep, mood, anxiety, and even appetite of a person.

Another serotonin-inducing amino acid is L-tryptophan. This nutrient can be found in most foods that you would most probably be eating in a balanced, healthy diet, or in the form of a supplement.

There are also natural ways to help you sleep, such as with the help of herbs like valerian root or passionflower. Valerian root, a native to Europe and Asia, this herb is mostly used to treat sleep disorders as it has been found to induce sleep in people who take it.

Passionflower, on the other hand, is a type of herb found mostly in the southeastern United States and Central and South America. Traditionally, it is used to help people sleep or ease stress, and even alleviate symptoms of ADHD, severe pain, and other conditions.

It is worth noting, however, that these are all traditional medicine and there was never any enough study to provide scientific proof as to its claims.

Now Foods offer a wide range of sleep supplements, and they even offer a guide on which type of sleeping product is the best fit for you. These are all in the form of capsules and can be purchased without any prescription needed.

Are sleeping supplements bad for you?

The short answer is that no, sleeping supplements are not bad for you. However, it can be bad for you--that is, if you misuse it, or fall into the abuse of it.

For people with asthma or other health conditions related to breathing, taking sleeping supplements can induce some side effects.

Some of the possible side effects can include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness in the morning
• Headaches
• Heartburn
• Digestive problems like constipation or diarrhea
• Inability to focus
• Short-term memory problems
• Chills
• Unusual dreams
• Fatigue
• Lethargy

If you encounter any of the possible side effects mentioned above, stop taking your sleeping supplement and consult a doctor or physician right away of proper medical help.

What happens if you take a sleeping pill and stay awake?

If you would ever need to take a sleeping pill or sleeping supplement, the most important thing to do is sleep. If you do not plan to sleep yet in the next 30 minutes or one hour, then do not take any of these supplements. What would happen if you took one and do not sleep?

Since sleeping supplements put your body ins a state that is ready to sleep, and even sometimes forces you to sleep, some of the dangerous immediate side effects you can experience include uncontrollable body crash, severe headaches, and even hallucinations.

So, if you would take a pill, snake sure you rest and do try to sleep afterward.

Before you go

Sleeping supplements can help you, especially if a good quality of sleep is something that you have not experienced for quite some time already. However, always be aware that the use of it also opens you to the risk of overdose, misuse, and if you are not careful enough, even drug abuse.

With that being said, it is always a good idea to consult with a doctor or physician before taking on any supplements.