Suffering From Insomnia? You Need To Use The Right Sleep Medicine
If you've tried every over-the-counter sleep aid on the market to overcome your insomnia but still can't sleep, you could be taking the wrong sleep medicine. The right sleep medicine not only helps you sleep, but it also addresses the reasons behind your insomnia. Learn more about your situation and how the right sleep medicine helps below.
Why Don't Your OTC Sleep Medications Help?
Although OTC sleep medications, or aids, can help you find some relief from insomnia, the products may not address the root causes of insomnia. Root causes can be underlying conditions, such as diabetes and sleep apnea, or they can be emotional or personal things, such as financial stress and anxiety. OTC sleep medications might not contain ingredients that address the physical, personal, and emotional concerns in your life.
OTC sleep aids generally contain ingredients that make you feel drowsy enough to fall asleep, such as chamomile and valerian root. The medications may not contain ingredients that prevent or ease physical pain and emotional stress, such as those prescribed by a doctor.
The right sleep medicine helps you rest better because it addresses and treats the root causes of your insomnia. You'll need to see a sleep specialist or doctor for the medications and treatments you need.
What Type of Sleep Medicine Do You Need?
Sleep medicine doesn't just rely on pills and supplements to help you sleep better. Sleep medicine also uses different types of therapies and sleep modalities to fight insomnia, including bright light therapy and oral appliance therapy. The treatments help improve your body's natural ability to fall asleep, maintain sleep, or both.
Some types of sleep medicine require you to use breathing or respiratory aids at night. People who suffer from bruxism, sleep apnea, or snoring may not find it easy to fall or stay asleep at night. The breathing aids keep your respiratory system open at night so that you can breathe easier.
Sleep medicine also uses special treatments to address the underlying causes of insomnia. The treatments may include:
- pain medications to minimize the discomfort you feel at night
- diet and lifestyle changes to reduce stress and anxiety in your life
- referrals you to outside specialists for additional treatment
A sleep medicine specialist will evaluate your situation thoroughly before they prescribe any of the treatments above to you.
If you're tired of struggling with insomnia and need treatment for it, contact a sleep medicine doctor for an appointment today.