Advil PM VS. Excedrin PM

Which One Works Best?

Millions of Americans have trouble sleeping. For some, the cause is related to daily stress. For others, it is a directly related to a lack of time. Still others suffer from a variety of illnesses that make sleeping difficult if not impossible.

Luckily there are also a myriad of products in today's marketplace to assist in the sleeping process. Some are, of course, by prescription only. Others are now available over the counter.

Because of my busy life and extended family, sleep is sometimes a premium for me. I often simply don't have the time to rest, while other times I must stay awake in order to take care of an ill family member. And then there are times that I'm literally too tired to sleep.

Whatever the cause might be for my lack of sleep, I find two products that almost always help. The first is Advil PM and the second is Excedrin PM. But how do they compare to one another?

Advil PM is particularly good when aches and pains make sleep difficult. It combines the product's powerful pain relief - - ibuprofen - - with a gentle sleep - - diphenhydramine citrate - - to relieve leg cramps, backache, and sore muscles and more in order to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Advil PM comes both in caplet and gel tab form. Each pill contains 200 mg of ibuprofen and 38 mg of diphenhydramine citrate; two products that have more that 75 years of history on the U.S. drug market.

According to Advil "studies have proven that Advil is among the safest and most effective of all over-the-counter pain relievers when taken as directed." Billions of doses of the medicine would seem to bear out the validity of that claim.

I find this product effective, albeit a bit slower in taking effect than Excedrin PM. It is, however, not for long-term usage and should be taken only as directed. I give it three out of five stars.

Advil PM can be found in most discount department, drug, and grocery stores where it retails for approximately $8.99 for 40 caplets.