Widely Used, Rarely Studied-the Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids

Abstract

It is estimated that the some 18% of the population have taken an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid with some 41% using OTC sleep aids for more than one year [1].While the Federal Drug Administration recognizes OTC Insomnia drugs of Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and Unisom (doxylamine), the marketing of other products fill pharmacy shelfs and offerings from online mailings [2]. Insomnia has been reported in some 30% of the general population based on large scale survey studies (Sleep In America Polls).Thus, the high need for a treatment to address the poor sleep quality of Insomnia is eminent. Measurements of OTC use of Sleep aids are survey are restricted to the reporting’s of the usage but not the reasons and ways in which the OTC sleep aids are used. Further, the measurement of possible complicating factors such as interaction effects with other medicines the patient is taking, the effectiveness of the OTC counter sleep aid, the aftereffects of the OTC sleep aids, and habit forming behaviours are reduced to reporting’s rather than measurement.