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Comparing Sleeping Pills

Q. Please send me any information you have on sleep. I suffer with insomnia, as do my friends. We have all tried zolpidem. It sometimes helps me drift off to sleep but it doesn’t last more than a few hours. After that I am like a tree full of owls again, wide awake.

Over-the-counter sleep aids don’t work at all or cause the men in my group discomfort from prostate problems. We would like to know more about Sonata, Rozerem and other sleep aids.

A. Part of the problem may be the generic formulation of zolpidem (Ambien). Many readers report that certain generics are less effective than others.

Zaleplon (Sonata) is a short-acting sleeping pill that can be helpful for people who wake in the early hours of the morning. If they have at least four more hours to spend in bed, it can help them fall back to sleep.

We are sending you our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep for more information on zolpidem, zaleplon and ramelteon (Rozerem) plus non-drug approaches. The sedating ingredient in OTC sleep aids, including drugs like Tylenol PM or Advil PM, is diphenhydramine (Benadryl). It can cause problems for men with enlarged prostates.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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