What To Know BEFORE Taking Sleep Aids (Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata)
4,811
Published 2024-05-09
If you suffer from insomnia, it's possible your physician may prescribe one of several possible drugs to help you sleep. You may receive a prescription for a common sleep aid like Ambien, but did you know that antidepressants and some antihistamines can also help you sleep?
If you're curious about the different kinds of available drugs to treat insomnia, or would like more information about an insomnia prescription you received, join sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus as he outlines the pros and cons of each class of drug.
šŗ For some tips on how to fall asleep without drugs, check out our video: Ā Ā Ā ā¢Ā HowĀ ToĀ FallĀ AsleepĀ FastĀ āĀ SleepĀ Docto...Ā Ā
If youāre ready to take actionable steps to get better sleep, Dr. Breus has developed a 28-day Sleep Wellness Program just for you. With on-demand video, daily emails, and a Sleep Wellness Guide, his program uses science-backed techniques to improve your sleep in as little as three minutes per day! Learn more here: shop.sleepdoctor.com/pages/28-day-video-library-lp
ā”ļø Enter code SleepDoctorYT for 20% off!
š§š»āš» Take our Sleep Quiz to receive some of Dr. Breusās personalized sleep recommendations and begin your journey to better sleep! sleepdoctor.com/my-sleep-profile-activate/
0:00 Medications for Insomnia
1:03 Benzodiazepines
10:40 Antidepressants
16:19 Antihistamines
17:13 Melatonin
19:00 Valerian
19:35 The #1 Sleep Aid in the World
20:20 A Pharmacological Approach
š“ Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified clinical psychologist and sleep expert. He's been in practice since 1999 and helped thousands of patients improve their sleep. Dr. Breus has written five books on sleep and conducted over 1,000 interviews to the press and public.
#sleepaid #melatonin #sleepmedicine
All Comments (18)
-
Thank you for covering Trazodone! Iāve battled anxiety & insomnia for years. Even after getting my anxiety addressed, insomnia was a struggle. Trazodone works for me. ā¤
-
Doctor you are the best. I like your videos. Well explained scientifically and in a way that people can understand. Thank for your passion to help others.
-
Excellent overview. You should do a video on both over-the-counter meds that can cause drowsiness or sleep and other meds prescribed off-label that helps cause sleep.
-
Thanks for this information. Iāve read that a new medication, Quviviq, doesnāt have the same risk of dependency. Can you do an extended video on the effectiveness of virtual CBT-I therapies and apps like Sleep Reset. Thanks!
-
I could sing a long song about the nights when the wolf is at the door. I've tried trazadone, Ambien (zolpidem), melatonin, hydroxyzine, Benadryl, meditation, tossing and turning, bouts of boozing, and tears, copious tears. That's a song that lasted for years. Nowadays I will still occasionally take a small dose of zolpidem, hydroxyzine, or melatonin, but often now I sleep old school with no pharma assistance. Maybe it's because I have gotten better keeping my daytime life and worries out of my bedtime. (Side note: trazadone messed with my head. Just taking it nightly made me moody and introverted during the day, but YMMV.)
-
Thank you for a well-explained video.
-
What do you think about Belsomra for insomnia?
-
All are addictive and none directly control sleep They just help with anxiety Avoid is my advice and I am a insomniac - going on 2 years now
-
I took Ambien after my husband died because I had constant insomnia. It took years to get off it. I don't know how they can say Ambien isn't addictive. When I tried to cut down the dose, I would wake up around 2 AM due to wild, heart-thumping nightmares. Try to get back to sleep after that... My doctor said she wasn't surprised. So this symptom trying to get off of them must be well-known. Wouldn't you call that a negative, additive effect? Big thumbs-down from me where Ambien is concerned.
-
What about natural sleep aids? Are they suitable for chronic insomnia if they are already helping with insomnia?
-
How does all these pills compare with Cannabis oil.
-
Melatonin gave me disturbing nightmares
-
Ambien cost me my first marriage. My ex-wife was taking Ambien. She started taking risks with money and then put us into $100,000 in debt. I lost a family farm. She left me for a co-worker. Good riddance. He can have her.
-
FDA well how trustworthy were they with Covid
-
ā¤
-
I already take Wellbutrin in the morning. Could Trazadone be added at nigh?
-
Ambien is scary stuff.
