Sleep problems eloquently indicate the presence of problems with the nervous system. Also, insomnia is characteristic of some psychiatric diseases; people with addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction) often suffer from sleep problems. It also happens that the inability to fall asleep and sleep through the night develops due to excessive psychological stress during the day. Such patients are in no hurry to see a neurologist, let alone a psychiatrist. How to solve the problem with sleep, if most strong sleeping pills can be purchased at the pharmacy only by prescription from a doctor? Light over-the-counter sleep medications will come to the rescue. About six high-quality and effective drugs can be purchased without a prescription - they will be discussed in this article.
Causes of insomnia
Most often, insomnia is not an independent pathology, but a symptom of neurological or psychological diseases. Sleep disturbances are often associated withthe following neurological diseases:
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- cervical osteochondrosis (when certain nerve roots are pinched between the vertebrae - the so-called "radicular syndrome"), in addition to insomnia, it can also provoke headaches, blurred vision and hearing, etc.;
- impaired cerebral circulation - can be both a consequence of traumatic brain injuries, and haunt a person from birth - for example, due to birth trauma or incorrect delivery;
- violation of the functioning of neurons of one reason or another.
Psychiatric causes of insomnia:
- chronic alcoholism leads to serious problems not only of a psychiatric, but also of a neurological nature - due to regular intoxication, hundreds of thousands of neurons die, the psyche weakens - depressive and anxiety disorders appear, delirium may begin. Insomnia is common in people with alcohol dependence;
- anxiety-depressive disorder, provoked by a violation of the production of neurotransmitters, also leads to disturbances in sleep phases: the patient often wakes up at four or five in the morning, while he falls asleep after midnight;
- obsessive-compulsive disorder often causes sleep problems;
- Eating disorders are accompanied by many symptoms, including increased anxiety, self-harm, insomnia, psychosomatic disorders.
Of course, insomnia can haunt people who will not havediagnosed with neither neurological nor psychiatric problems. Such a situation is not uncommon. Such patients are looking for a way to get drugs to improve sleep. It is impossible to get a really strong sleeping pill without a prescription from a doctor.
Features of buying sleeping pills
Since last year, a law has come into force that implies severe punishment for any pharmacist who decides at his own risk to sell a potent drug (they are listed in a special list) to a person who does not have a prescription from a doctor. A prescription is a document certified by one or two seals from a medical institution, drawn up and filled out in a special form.
Is it possible to buy sleep medicine without a prescription? Yes, but such a drug will not have a noticeable effect on the psyche. Today, not a single pharmacy will sell antidepressants and tranquilizers without a prescription from a doctor. But a mild sedative for sleep without a prescription for adults can be bought. Usually, even herbal preparations based on motherwort can return a sound and he althy sleep. Of course, if, in addition to insomnia, the patient suffers from a depressive disorder or from neurological diseases, then he will first need to alleviate the condition of the underlying disease.
If insomnia is only a symptom, and the underlying disease is complex, then there will be no sense in taking light sleeping pills. If the patient doubts the causes of insomnia, it is better to contact a neurologist. An experienced doctor, based on the totality of complaints from the patient, will quickly clarify the clinicalpicture and make a correct diagnosis. Making a diagnosis is the main step in order to prescribe the medicine that will really help.
List of effective sleep medications
Without a prescription from a doctor, the following drugs can be purchased at a pharmacy:
- "Melaxen".
- "Donormil".
- "Corvalol" (or its analogue "Valocordin").
- "Fitosedan".
- "Novo-passit".
- "Persen-Forte".
- "Glycine".
None of these drugs require a special prescription. Sleep medications without side effects, without causing drug or psychological dependence - this is not a myth. The main pros and cons of each drug are listed below. Knowing their individual characteristics and reactions to certain components, each patient will be able to choose the best drug for sleep. Without a prescription, an adult can buy these drugs at any pharmacy - the pharmacist has no right to ask about the purpose of the purchase, nor to require any document to purchase the medicine.
"Melaxen": instruction, cost, action
The cost of a package with 24 tablets (3 mg of active ingredient each) is about 600 rubles. It is a popular and safe sleep aid. Without a prescription from a doctor, you can buy this drug in almost any pharmacy. Judging by the reviews of patients, "Melaxen" is almost always available. main operatingcomponent - melatonin, it is the so-called "sleep hormone". When taken in the recommended daily dosage (one tablet) half an hour before the expected moment of falling asleep, melatonin helps to trigger the processes in the body that are characteristic of the onset of the sleep phase. As a result, almost everyone falls asleep: even in the presence of serious diagnoses that prevent normal falling asleep, a person very quickly plunges into a sound sleep.
Judging by the reviews of patients with insomnia, "Melaxen" gives a pretty good sleep. In the first week of admission, there are no early awakenings or nightmares. But after a week or two, tolerance begins to develop. This is the process by which the body adapts to the regular intake of melatonin and the person needs a higher dosage. If tolerance has set in, then you should refrain from taking it for several nights, and then start taking one or two tablets again half an hour before the expected moment of falling asleep. Many patients are attracted to this drug precisely by the fact that the medicine can be bought without a prescription.
Sleep drug "Melaxen" can be recommended for mild and moderate forms of insomnia, in the complex therapy of functional disorders accompanied by sleep disorders, and also as an independent tool for faster adaptation to rapid change of time zones in order to avoid the development of the so-called jet -lag).
"Donormil": features of administration and composition of the drug
The main active ingredient -doxylamine succinate. The drug has an analogue called "Sonmil", it can also be purchased without a prescription. This sleeping pill for sound sleep, the use of this drug provides a relatively rapid (about 20 minutes) onset of sleep. It is important to take the pill just before the moment when it will be possible to indulge in sleep. Accordingly, it should be relatively dark and quiet, a person should be able to lie down comfortably, feel safe. If these conditions are not met, then the drug may not have the expected effect.
"Donormil" has two forms of release - these are regular tablets and effervescent (they should be diluted in water). Judging by the feedback from patients, the second form of release (effervescent tablets) acts more clearly. The cost of a package with 30 tablets is about 350 rubles, regardless of the form of release. In some pharmacies, effervescent tablets are slightly more expensive, the difference in cost can be up to 50 rubles).
Alas, Donormil and Sonmil have quite a lot of side effects. These are a number of side effects that are characteristic of drugs with antihistamine properties:
- dry mouth;
- inhibited state after waking up;
- slow reaction rate in some patients;
- impaired urine outflow;
- disturbance of the rhythm of breathing during sleep.
Features of use and composition of "Corvalol"
Corvalol, like its counterpart Valoserdin, oftenused by people to quickly fall asleep and calm the nervous system. the main active ingredient is phenobarbital. In European countries, it has long been banned, as it can, if used regularly, cause physical and psychological dependence. However, in our country, "Corvalol" is still one of the most popular cheap sleeping pills for sound sleep. It can be purchased without a prescription at any pharmacy. If you use the drug several times, then the dependence will not develop. But if you regularly use Corvalol for a month, then there is a high risk that after cancellation a person will not be able to fall asleep at all. In exceptional cases, the drug can only be used by adults.
Drops for sleep without a prescription are sold in any pharmacy - "Corvalol" or "Valocordin", they are cheap (the cost of a bottle is about 50 rubles). Sound sleep occurs approximately 20 minutes after taking the required dosage. However, patients report that with regular use of this over-the-counter sleeping pill for sound sleep, there is a high risk of increasing tolerance, and as a result, you have to slightly increase the dosage every evening to achieve sleep. An increase in tolerance is highly undesirable and eloquently indicates that the use of this sleeping pill should be abandoned.
Psychiatrists and narcologists recommend using over-the-counter sleeping pills with phenobarbital in the composition only if other drugs are not available. In addition, the liquid form of "Corvalol" is prohibited touse by people with alcohol dependence. The main ingredient of the drops is ethyl alcohol, it is in it that phenobarbital is dissolved. For people who cannot take even a few drops of alcohol, there is a tablet form of Corvalol.
"Phytosedan" - herbal tea for sound sleep and tranquility
If you're looking for a fast-acting, no-prescription sleep aid for sound sleep, try Phytosedan. This is a tea made from natural herbs - valerian, motherwort, mint, which has almost no side effects. An exception is individual intolerance to the herbs that make up the composition. Take "Fitosedan" should be 50 ml half an hour before each meal. However, judging by the reviews of the people who took it, a more popular way to restore normal sleep is the following: take a strong infusion from one bag just half an hour before the expected bedtime. After that, lie down, turn off the light, do not be distracted by the TV or phone - and sleep comes. Moreover, during the night there are no awakenings, a person wakes up rested and alert. Tea will not work if you are looking for sleep pills without a prescription. For the elderly, the effect of Fitosedan may also be rather weak.
The difference between Fitosedan herbal tea and prescription sleeping pills is that the tea does not cause either physical or psychological dependence. At the same time, its effect is quite noticeable: already after a single dose, patients notice a decrease in irritability, pleasant drowsiness, mild sedationeffect.
"Novo-Passit" for sound sleep: instructions and patient reviews
Herbal preparation (includes extracts of plants such as valerian, lemon balm, elderberry, passion flower, St. John's wort, hawthorn, hops, guaifensin). There are two forms of release - syrup and tablets. Depending on the goals of the patient, one or another form should be chosen. More often they buy pills - simply because they are more convenient to take. In fact, the syrup is absorbed faster and works better in terms of reducing irritability and providing a sedative effect (which is necessary for normal falling asleep and sound long sleep). The cost of tablets is about 500-550 rubles (30 tablets per pack), syrup - about 300 rubles (200 ml bottle).
Novo-Passit is a non-prescription, mild sleeping pill for sound sleep that can be taken by people 16 years of age and older. If possible, it is better to choose a liquid form of release. Sleep pills for the elderly (patients of any age can buy Novo-Passit without a prescription) are also an excellent choice. Its rapid action is noted by both young and older patients.
"Persen-Forte": instructions, composition and patient reviews
The drug has a mild sedative and hypnotic effect, insomnia is mentioned in the indications for use in the instructions. It has a mild antispasmodic effect, so it can be used to treat migraines provoked by various kinds of sleep disorders. Unlike "Novo-Passit", notcontains guaifensin, and unlike Corvalol, it does not have an obsessive odor and phenobarbital in the composition. You can buy "Persen-Forte" without a prescription. These sleep pills for the elderly often become indispensable, tolerance develops. So you should keep in mind: if it became difficult or even impossible to go to sleep without the drug, then you should stop taking it for a while.
This drug has a small minus - there is no liquid dosage form. Buy "Persen-Forte" is possible only in tablet form. Usually the liquid form has the desired effect faster, so some patients still opt for Novo-Passit. "Persen-Forte" is not recommended for people with diseases of the biliary tract, as well as for children under 12 years of age. May cause constipation with prolonged use (especially when using large doses).
Amino acid "Glycine" and its effect on sleep quality
"Glycine" - inexpensive (about 70 rubles per pack) small white tablets, have a sweetish aftertaste. Influence cognitive functions, improve cellular metabolism. The main active ingredient is the amino acid glycine. Thanks to regular intake, sleep improves, a person becomes psychologically and emotionally more stable. "Glycine" is one of the few drugs whose action has been proven, and which are guaranteed not to cause drug dependence. True, very impressionableindividuals prone to hypochondria may develop psychological dependence (but this statement applies to absolutely all drugs, including those with a placebo effect).
"Glycine" should be taken during a period of increased psycho-emotional stress, with problems with sleep, with memory impairment. A noticeable effect occurs after about a week of regular use: after a single dose, the effect of the drug will not appear. As a rule, neurologists recommend drinking "Glycine" in a course that lasts at least one month. Tablets should be taken sublingually, that is, dissolved under the tongue.
