Best sleeping remedies: natural and pharmacy

There are several treatment options for those who have difficulty sleeping, such as natural remedies such as valerian, passionflower or chamomile, remedies that do not need a prescription such as melatonin or doxylamine, or hypnotics and sedatives, which are prescribed by the doctor as a last resort, when none method works.

To improve sleep, healthy habits should always be privileged, such as good nutrition, regular exercise and relaxation techniques over medications. Learn how to cure insomnia without taking medication.

Natural Sleep Remedies

Natural remedies should be the first choice when you are having trouble sleeping. Examples of options that can help improve sleep are:

1. Valerian

Valerian root has a calming action, reduces anxiety and improves sleep quality. Learn all the benefits of this plant.

Valerian is a widely used plant, which can be found in various supplements, such as Valdorm, Valerimed, Valmane or Calman, for example. The recommended dose ranges from 45 to 450 mg, about 30 minutes before bedtime.

2. Chamomile

Chamomile is a plant that helps to calm, relax and reduce stress and anxiety, which are often factors that cause insomnia. To enjoy its benefits, you can have a tea before bed. See how to prepare a chamomile tea and what other benefits it can have.

3. Lavender

Lavender is a violet flower plant, very easy to find, which has numerous benefits. To help you fall asleep and improve your quality of sleep, just smell a few drops of lavender essential oil for about 30 minutes before going to sleep.

In addition, you can also make a pillow flavored with lavender or a mixture of herbs and use it overnight. Here's how to make a flavored pillow.

4. Passionflower

Passionflower is a plant widely used in insomnia, anxiety and other disorders of the central nervous system, due to its composition rich in flavonoids and alkaloids, which reduce motor activity, have sedative, anxiolytic and antispasmodic action and help to prolong sleep.

Passionflower can be found alone or in combination with other herbal medicines, in supplements such as Pasalix, Passiflorine, Ritmoneuran, Tensart or Calman, for example or in the form of tea. In the case of supplements, the recommended dose can vary from about 100 to 200 mg before bedtime.

5. Lemon balm

Lemon balm is a plant with soothing properties that improve sleep quality. To enjoy these benefits, just make a tea with its leaves. See how to prepare a lemon balm tea and what other health benefits it has.

Watch the following video and see more examples of natural tranquilizers that help reduce anxiety and sleep better:

Non-prescription sleeping pills

If none of the natural methods are effective in improving sleep, one can opt for pharmacy remedies, which do not need a prescription to be purchased. However, it should not be abused and it is best to talk to the doctor before taking it.

1. Melatonin

Melatonin is a substance produced by the body itself, whose function is to regulate the circadian rhythm, making it function normally. Melatonin production is controlled by exposure to cycles of light and darkness, being stimulated at dusk and inhibited during the day.

Thus, taking exogenous melatonin can help in cases of sleep disorders and changes in circadian rhythm, as occurs in people with jet lag , who work night shifts, or who suffer from psychiatric disorders. In these situations, melatonin aims to re-synchronize these cycles, while exerting a hypnotic and sedative effect, thus promoting sleep induction and maintenance.

The recommended dose of melatonin ranges from 1 to 2 mg, and to purchase the higher doses, it may be necessary to present a prescription.

2. Antihistamines

Doxylamine is a drug that has a strong antihistamine action and can be used in sporadic situations, in which the person has difficulty falling asleep or maintaining a continuous sleep. The recommended dose of doxylamine ranges from 12 to 25 mg and should be taken about half an hour before bedtime.

To avoid undesirable side effects the next day, such as tiredness, drowsiness or headache, the person must sleep at least 8 hours.

Sleeping remedies prescribed by the doctor

These remedies, called hypnotics and sedatives, should be the last option to help you sleep and should be avoided whenever possible, because they usually cause dependence, tolerance, drug interactions, can mask other problems or even cause a rebound effect.

1. Benzodiazepines

The benzodiazepines most suitable for the treatment of insomnia are estazolam, flurazepam (Dalmadorm) and temazepam. The dosage depends on the person, the severity of the insomnia and should always be recommended by the doctor.

2. Non-benzodiazepines

These drugs are more recent and have fewer side effects than benzodiazepines and less risk of dependence, however, they should also be used with caution and under medical supervision. Those that are most often prescribed are zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Stilnox), for example.

3. Melatonin analogues

Rozerem is a sleep medicine that contains ramelteone in its composition, a substance that is able to bind to melatonin receptors in the brain and cause an effect similar to that of this hormone, which helps you fall asleep and maintain a relaxing and quality sleep..

The recommended dose is 1 8 mg tablet, about 30 minutes before going to sleep.

How to use these remedies safely

During treatment with medications that help you sleep, you should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or other sedative remedies close to the time of intake, you should sleep at least 8 hours, to avoid waking up drowsily the next day and you should never take a drink. extra dose in the middle of the night.

In addition, treatment should always be started with the lowest possible dose, avoid frequent use as much as possible, and do not drive or operate machinery during the effect of the medication.

Here are also some tips that can help you sleep better: