For many people, getting and stay asleep can be difficult. Some people suffer from insomnia for a short period of time, but for others, insomnia has been a problem for years. After trying various non-drug therapies such as biofeedback and relaxation techniques, you may decide to visit your family doctor to find out what other options there were to help insomnia.
Your doctor will probably give you a complete physical. They may discover you don’t have any underlying health issues which might be causing your sleep difficulties. Following this, your doctor may suggest that you try an over-the-counter sleep aid containing antihistamines and diphenhydramine called Sominex. Some people experience a great deal of grogginess on the days after taking it. If you travel for your job, you may be concerned about the “hangover” feeling you may get when using Sominex. The best choice is to go back to your doctor to see if there is anything else that could help.
You may find that the doctor suggests that you begin a dose of Lunesta. Lunesta is considered to be a “new” prescription sleeping pill. In the past, benzodiazepines and older types of sedatives were prescribed to help people sleep. These older sleeping pills had high rates of dependency and were often deadly when people inadvertently mixed taking them with drinking alcohol. “Newer” sleeping medications such as, Lunesta, Ambien, and Sonata are considered to be “safer” but still should not be mixed with alcohol and should only be taken under the close supervision of a physician. It is recommended prescription sleep medication be taken on a short-term basis and for no more than 10 days at a time.
Many try Lunesta for about two weeks and often have mixed results. Lunesta does help you fall asleep, but you may be surprised that it can take about an hour to feel the effects, even the over-the-counter Sominex will act in a shorter amount of time. However, those who try Lunesta find that once they fell asleep, they did sleep through the night. Many who took Sominex would sleep in four-hour shifts.
As with Sominex, many users experience grogginess the day after taking Lunesta. The grogginess may not last as long as it does with Sominex, but they find it can be a little more intense in the beginning. One of the things some notice when they stopped taking the Sominex is their insomnia came back and was even worse than when they stop taking the over-the-counter medication. Many find the same thing happens after they finish their trial of Lunesta. In fact, some feel they are almost “dependent” on the Lunesta to get any type of sleep.
Many insurance companies won’t cover Lunesta so you’ll need to pay for the fourteen-day trial. Often this is eight times more expensive than what you pay for Sominex.
So, while you may be thrilled to get an entire night’s sleep while taking Lunesta, you may be concerned about the side effects. For some, Lunesta is not the best solution. For people who suffer from short bouts of insomnia, the type which comes from stress or travel, Lunesta might be helpful.
If you want to try Lunesta, be sure to discuss it thoroughly with your doctor. Make sure you know your sleep patterns and be open to trying a variety of interventions. If your doctor does suggest Lunesta, ask your health care provider about Lunesta’s free trial offer. The company which makes Lunesta will often give doctors free samples of the product and they offer consumers a seven day free trial of the medication. (Your doctor may have to contact the company to validate the offer.) As with any new medication, if you notice any unusual side effects, seek medical assistance immediately!
Sweet dreams and good luck in your quest for a night’s rest!