Excedrin PM Vs. Tylenol PM

Several nights a week, I have trouble sleeping. It's nothing I would consider serious enough to see the doctor about and most of the time my insomnia can be taken care of by using an over-the-counter sleep aid. This mild insomnia has been going on for several years and as a result I've tried just about every over-the-counter sleep aid on the market. Out of the many I've used, my two favorite sleep aids are Excedrin PM and Tylenol PM.

Both of these medications include a pain-reliever as well as a sleep aid. Usually it's recommended that they are used when your sleeplessness is accompanied by a headache or muscle pain, but in my case I find I have trouble sleeping much more often than I have headaches or muscle pain, so I use both of these products mainly for their sleep aid qualities.

The ingredient Excedrin PM uses for a pain-reliever is acetaminophen, which is a non-aspirin pain-reliever. Since Excedrin PM does not contain aspirin, it is safe to use if you have an aspirin allergy. If you are suffering from a headache or muscle pain with your sleeplessness, Excedrin PM is a good choice of all-in-one medication since it's a fairly strong over-the-counter pain-reliever. The ingredient Excedrin PM uses for a sleep-aid is diphenhydramine, a common ingredient in over-the-counter sleep aids. While it is generally accepted that diphenhydramine is not addictive, I find that if I take Excedrin PM for several nights in a row I have trouble falling asleep on the first night I do not use it. Usually I fall asleep rather quickly (within 45-min of taking the pills) and sleep pretty deeply. The first night I use Excedrin PM I usually awake refreshed and alert in the morning. On the other hand, if I have to use Excedrin PM for several nights in a row, I find that I wake-up feeling groggy each morning and not even going back to sleep helps me to feel more awake.