Experts' Tips on Taking, Supplements as Sleep-Aids.<br />'Time' recently spoke with experts regarding <br />over-the-counter sleep aids and whether they <br />can really help someone with insomnia.<br />'Time' recently spoke with experts regarding <br />over-the-counter sleep aids and whether they <br />can really help someone with insomnia.<br />Melatonin has become a popular <br />supplement in recent years for being <br />a safe and effective sleep aid.<br />According to a 2023 study by the American Academy of Sleep <br />Medicine (AASM), nearly two-thirds of people in the <br />United States have tried using melatonin to help them sleep. .<br />It’s not something that is generally <br />harmful or toxic, which is probably<br />why people are tempted to take <br />more when a little bit doesn’t work, Dr. Milena Pavlova, neurologist at Brigham and Women’s <br />Faulkner Hospital and an associate professor of <br />neurology at Harvard Medical School, via 'Time'.<br />'Time' points out that supplements, such as <br />melatonin, are not regulated by the <br />U.S. Food and Drug Administration.<br />Similar to melatonin, over-the-counter antihistamines <br />like Benadryl have become a popular sleep-aid due to <br />containing doxylamine, which causes drowsiness.<br />However, doxylamine also comes <br />with a number of side effects, <br />including a potential hangover the next day.<br />The big problem with antihistamines <br />is they can make people extremely <br />groggy and really impair cognitive <br />function the next day, Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula, professor of medicine <br />in the division of sleep medicine at the <br />University of Pennsylvania, via 'Time'.<br />While antihistamines can induce <br />drowsiness, they don't normally <br />result in quality, restorative sleep.<br />Experts suggest eliminating things that prevent healthy sleep, like alcohol and caffeine, while also incorporating physical activity into your daily routine.
