Sleep Aids: the Pros and Cons

If you watch TV or read magazines on a regular basis, I'm sure you'll have noticed the large number of ads for all kinds of medications, most noticeably sleep aids. The casual observer would be led to believe that there is an insomnia epidemic sweeping the nation. This seeming need for medication to get a good night's sleep has pretty much slipped by unnoticed until the last couple of days. With the untimely death of young Hollywood star, Heath Ledger and the initial autopsy proving inconclusive, people are beginning to jump to all sorts of conclusions including the fact that he once mentioned that he used Ambien to help him sleep. Whether the drug played any part in his death remains to be seen, but it does raise some questions about what type of effect these drugs have on us all.

I've had experience with two different sleeps aids, one over the counter and one prescribed, and I'm going to share my experiences with both. It may help to give you all a little back story as to why I needed to use them in the first place. A few months back, I was diagnosed with depression and was prescribed Lexapro to help. It has been great for me, but, like most drugs, has a laundry list of side effects and the one I got saddled with was a severe case of insomnia. My doctor prescribed Rozerem to see if that would help.