Fact: When taken as prescribed, sleep aids can safely and effectively treat insomnia. Modern prescription sleep aids have a lower risk for dependency and tolerance compared to traditional benzodiazepines.
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However, people with a history of addiction, or alcohol and drug abuse, are at an increased risk of dependence from sleep aids, so be sure to [...]
Fact: You should not take sleep medications with alcohol or other drugs. Also, some sleep medications take effect quickly, so you should not take a sleep aid before taking a bath or shower, for fear of falling. And certainly not before driving or operating machinery.
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Always follow your healthcare professional’s instructions about how to take, [...]
Fact: If you’ve had insomnia for more than a month, you definitely should discuss it with your doctor. Over-the-counter sleep aids may be appropriate at times, but some may contain ingredients such as antihistamines and/or pain relievers which you may not need and may actually not be good for you.
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For long-term insomnia, working with [...]
A bedroom full of electronic toys is a prescription for poor sleep.
To sleep well, use the bedroom only for sleep and sex. No TV. No DVD. No computer games. These activities are alerting. They turn your brain on when it needs to turn off.
This advice is especially important for teens, whose biological clock actually tends [...]
