Review of 3 Over the Counter Sleep Medications

I don't often need to take an over the counter sleeping medication, so when I do take one I want it to do the job. There is nothing worse than tossing and turning, trying so hard to fall asleep for hours at a time.

I'm not a medication person. It takes a lot for me to even take an aspirin for a headache. My main concern with sleeping medications is the fear of becoming dependent on them, so the 1st thing I look for when buying an over the counter sleeping medication are the words "Non habit forming". I want to make sure that I don't start actually needing the medication to fall asleep all of the time.

The 2nd thing I look for when buying a sleeping aid is the cost. I'm big on generic prescription and store brand over the counter drugs. Very often the cheaper brands include the exact same ingredients as the more expensive name brands.

I have tried 3 different over the counter sleeping aids. The first one I tried was Sominex. I took it about an hour before I wanted to get to sleep and after about 45 minutes, I started to feel drowsy. I went to bed and slept all night long without waking up. When I woke up the next morning, I felt fine. There was no headache or drowsy after effects. I felt refreshed, just as if I had slept with no help at all. The cost of the medication was approximately $5.

The next medication I tried was a store brand sleeping aid from Family Dollar. The cost was only $1, so I wasn't expecting it to actually work. To my surprise, it worked faster than the more costly Sominex and it was every bit as effective. I slept all night long and awoke refreshed with no after effects.

The third over the counter sleep aid I tried was from Food Lion, and it was a store brand as well. The cost was approximately $3, priced in between the other 2 aids I had tried. This aid was the least effective of them all. It took a couple of hours before I started feeling the least bit drowsy. Even after falling asleep, I woke up during the night. When I awoke in the morning, I had no after effects with this one either, but my sleep was not as deep therefore I did not feel as rested.