What are some good sleep aids?

What are some good non narcotic sleep aids?

• I have an issue getting to sleep at night. i work full time so it should not be a problem. but for whatever reason it is. i don't want to take any narcotic sleep aids. are there any good ones? suggestions? Thank you

• Answer:

  There are not any narcotics approved for the treatment of insomnia. Under Federal Law a narcotic refers only to opioids (morphine, Heroin, meperidine, oxycodone, hydromorphone) and cocaine. The medical definition of a narcotic only refers to opioids. Most hypnotics are controlled substances but they are NOT considered narcotics under the law or by scientific definition. In The United States there are two drugs FDA approved for the treatment of insomnia that are NOT controlled substances. The first is Silenor (doxepin) which was recently FDA approved. The actual medication doxepin is actually fairly old and has been sold under the brand name Sinequan. Doxepin is actually an antidepressant with some sedating properties. Doxepin is not really that effective and a large number of people find the medication to be ineffective. The second drug approved for insomnia is Rozerem (ramelteon) a melatonin receptor agonist. Rozerem is only effective in helping people fall asleep, it will not help keep people asleep. Rozerem is the least effective FDA approved hypnotic- only a modest number of people respond to it and it typically decreases sleep latency by only a few minutes. Treatment guidelines, such as those from The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, typically recommend the use of medications like Ambien (zolpidem), Ambien CR (zolpidem extended-release), Sonata (zaleplon), Lunesta (eszopiclone), or Restoril (temazepam), among others as first-line treatment. These medications are controlled substances however they have a low potential of abuse and short-term use has an almost non-existent risk of addiction although people with a history of substance abuse may not be ideal for using these medications as a first-line treatment. Lunesta is the only medication officially approved for both acute and chronic insomnia. The reality is the best hypnotics are controlled substances and many medications prescribed for insomnia that don't have an abuse potential are generally not particularly effective and often are associated with significant side effects and other risks.