Even if you are extremely tired, having trouble falling asleep at night or frequently waking up after falling asleep, along with various insomnia symptoms that make you feel like you haven't slept at all, are among the main culprits ruining daily life. Repeated insomnia can significantly impair concentration and judgment, and also lead to various health problems such as weakened immunity.

If you're suffering from insomnia and considering trying over-the-counter medication, let's first find out what kinds of medicines are available.

 

◇Allergy medication Zol is an antihistamine that utilizes side effects.

 

All insomnia medications available at pharmacies without a prescription are over-the-counter drugs. A representative ingredient is first-generation antihistamines. Antihistamines are drugs that block the substance 'histamine,' which causes allergic reactions such as runny nose, hives, and skin itching. When antihistamines cross the blood-brain barrier and block H1 receptors in the cerebral cortex, side effects such as sedation and drowsiness occur, which is utilized in first-generation antihistamine sleep aids.

The ingredients used as insomnia treatments are among first-generation antihistamines with strong sedative effects. First-generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and doxylamine are used as sleep aids. Diphenhydramine is used to relieve temporary insomnia, while doxylamine is used as an adjunct therapy for insomnia and for sedation.

 

◇Thought it was herbal medicine and beer ingredients? It's actually 'herbal medicine' that provides calming effects.

 

There are herbal remedies made from medicinal herbs for the treatment of insomnia. A representative formulation mainly used for herbal insomnia treatment is Glycyrrhiza glabra. Glycyrrhiza glabra is the root of licorice and is known to suppress brain activity by inhibiting the breakdown of GABA or GABA metabolites, or by acting on GABA receptors to inhibit excitation and produce a calming effect.

 

Used for insomnia caused by nervousness, agitation, and anxiety. Since it needs to be taken continuously for several days to weeks before effects appear, it is not effective for acute insomnia. After long-term use, the dosage should be gradually reduced.

 

Another herbal medicine is hop. Hop, the female flower of Humulus lupulus, the raw material for beer, produces methylbutanol, which has sedative and calming effects, or increases GABA activity, and is used for insomnia caused by nervousness or agitation. It is used in combination with valerian root to induce sleep and improve sleep quality.

 

◇No alcohol or medication allowed... Not suitable for patients with glaucoma or benign prostatic hyperplasia

 

There are a few things to remember when taking over-the-counter sleep aids. The first is to avoid alcohol. Antihistamines, valerian root, and hops have central nervous system depressant effects, and alcohol can enhance the effects of sleep aids, potentially causing adverse reactions. Medications and alcohol should not be taken together.

 

Additionally, patients with glaucoma, prostate enlargement, or respiratory difficulties should not take sleeping pills indiscriminately. This is because antihistamine ingredients can cause anticholinergic side effects such as dry mouth, difficulty urinating, constipation, as well as palpitations, dizziness, headaches, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and blurred vision. People taking cold or allergy medications should also be cautious. Antihistamines can have overlapping effects when taken with cold medicines, allergy rhinitis medications, or motion sickness drugs.

 

Meanwhile, over-the-counter insomnia medications are used to induce sleep and improve sleep quality for temporary and short-term insomnia. If insomnia persists for more than three weeks, it is better to seek medical consultation for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment rather than relying on over-the-counter medications.

 

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I don't know what the galchogeun I am eating is.

For the treatment of headaches and insomnia

I took herbal medicine, and it works well for a good night's sleep.

There are certainly individual differences.