Sleep Aids:
No Appointment Necessary

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, August 27 and December 3, 2005

Show 222

Dr. Lisa Thornton:

So many people are tired during the day and then when they go to bed at night, they can't fall asleep. Here's some advice on

tackling insomnia.

Keri Lukert, PharmD:

Just about everyone has trouble getting to sleep sometimes. The medical condition for sleeplessness is called insomnia. And it effects as many as 35 percent of all adults. It's caused by a number of factors including what you eat or drink, stress and anxiety, even underlying health problems. Most people need about eight hours of sleep every night.

But it's not just the number of hours that matters, it's also the quality of sleep. To get good quality sleep, you should try to limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, watch what you eat before you go to bed and even keep your bedroom cool and dark. When insomnia becomes routine, happening several nights in a row, you should definitely see your doctor.

But when your sleeplessness occurs only once in a while, you may want to try an over-the-counter sleep aid. Most OTC sleep aides contain antihistamines to induce drowsiness. They're okay for occasional sleepless nights, but they often loose their effectiveness the more you take them. There are other OTC options that are non-habit forming and won't leave you groggy in the morning.

Always check with your doctor before using sleeping pills to make sure they won't interact with other medications or an existing medical condition. If you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage gradually when you want to quit.