The light given off by your TV set can also be quite bright; your body needs a dark room to fall asleep. If you have trouble sleeping, consider avoiding watching TV in the evening. Some people need to have noise in their home. If this is the case, consider turning on the radio. Generally the voices are more relaxing and the programs are less engaging.
. .. What if all of this hygiene does not help? What about sleep medications? There are essentially three kinds of over the counter sleep aids; Dimenhydrinate (Gravol), Diphenhydramine (Benadryl, Sleepeze, etc) and other
|
antihistamines. For some people, these work fine for the occasional bout of insomnia. There is the possibility that they can increase your blood pressure, interfere with glaucoma therapy, aggravate an enlarged prostate and/or cause daytime sedation. Ask your Peoples Drug Mart Pharmacist if these medications would be right for you. If you do use these medications, use them for only a short period of time, perhaps for only 5-7 days in a row. There is the possibility that they might lose their effectiveness if used for a longer period of time.
. .. So what botanical therapies are |
available for insomnia/difficulty in falling asleep? The most commonly used botanicals include valerian, hops, lemon balm, passionflower, skullcap and melatonin. The bulk of herbal sleep aids contain valerian, with the addition of other herbs sometimes.
. .. Valerian is the most widely recognized herbal product for sleeping problems. Valerian seems to be more effective when used for longer periods of time (2 weeks), rather than for occasional problems. One study demonstrated that people who took a
Ian Lloyd...Continued On Page 6 |
