What Can I Use as a Sleep Aid?
Tossing, turning, wide awake at 3 in the morning. If this sounds like your sleep experience recently, you may be considering the use of sleep aids. Sleep aids come in many different forms and can be a powerful option for helping you fall asleep. However, it is important to understand how each sleep aid works to discover what will be the most helpful for you. Prescription Sleep Aids Prescription sleep aids are classified as sedative-hypnotics. While some medications induce sleep and others help you stay asleep, these medications work by slowing down the nervous system. Generally, these prescriptions sleep aids are prescribed only to those with insomnia. Orexin Receptor Antagonists This is one of the most recent classes of insomnia drugs approved by the FDA. This prescription works by slowing the activity of the chemical orexin in the brain. Orexin keeps people awake and alert. Orexin receptor antagonists also target a localized area of the brain, which means it may have fewer side eff