You probably came here because you’re having trouble falling asleep. Which is normal. Millions of people all over the world suffer from insomnia and it’s becoming one of the biggest problems out there. You can take a couple of natural precautions that will help you fall asleep, but chances are high you’ve already tried those. And maybe you also don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars every month expensive prescriptions medicines, so that’s why today I’ll give you a quick list of a couple cheap sleeping tablets that you can buy in virtually every pharmacy (some even in regular stores).
Note: before you start taking supplements for going to sleep, please note that I am not a doctor. I’m writing here about how I’ve used some of these supplement for falling asleep and getting better sleep quality in general. If you’re worried about a specific supplement, please check with a doctor first before taking it. Some of (chemical) sleeping tablets can have bad side effects if you’re allergic or take to much of it.
I also want to give you a small list of stuff to check before you take any cheap sleeping tablets. So if you’re suffering from insomnia, try a couple of these things first:
- Don’t check your screen 1 hour before bed – or install flux on your phone/laptop. The blue light from screens simulates daylight and blocks melatonin production (the *sleepy* hormone)
- Eat light at night – don’t wolf down a double cheeseburger menu with a large coke, it will take ages to digest and if you’re feeling full in bed, you’re not going to fall asleep well.
- Avoid caffeine after 3 PM – in most people that 5PM espresso is still active when you’re in bed at 12 at night. So quit the caffeine after halfway afternoon and you’ll find that it’s easier to fall asleep.
That’s enough preaching. Feel free to incorporate these things into your life. You may find that it makes a big difference in falling asleep.
Looking for cheap sleeping tablets?
Cheap sleeping tablets are available everywhere. You just need to watch out that you’re not getting bad quality things. In general, if you decide to go the herbal sleep supplements route, you can experiment safely, but watch out for cheap chemical tablets. They can have surprisingly side effects and you don’t want to mess with your sleeping system by taking the wrong chemical sleep tablets.
Herbal vs chemical sleeping tablets
You might have guessed it from the previous paragraph: there is a distinction between herbal and chemical sleeping tablets. In general, the chemical ones are more effective in the short-term (aka they knock you out), but can be harmful in the long-term. The herbal sleeping tablets on the other hand are more subtle (they induce a sleepy state, but you could stay awake if you’d really wanted to), but have few – or no – negative side effects.
So it’s up to you. I’d recommend to try out some of the natural sleeping supplements before you try out chemical ones. I’ve made a list of 3 cheap sleeping tablets that you can buy virtually everywhere in the world. And I’ve put them in the order which ones to try first. The list goes from subtle sleep enhancing – but no side effects – to a stronger sleep inducing tablet, but with more (potential) side effects.
#1 Natural: L-theanine
L theanine is an amino acid that you can find naturally in green tea (hence the name). People all over the world use it for its relaxing effects. it’s a subtle thing, but it works great to make you more calm and to reduce racing thoughts in your head. I take it about once a week before bed if I’ve had a stressful day. It really helps me turn my thoughts off and get ready for a good night’s sleep.
Bonus: L theanine reduces the anti-sleep effect of caffeine. So if you’ve drunk too much coffee, you can take l theanine to become calmer.
How to use: take 200 mg of L theanine 1 hour before bed.
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#2 Natural: melatonin
Melatonin is the natural sleep hormone that your body produces. So it only makes sense to add a little extra if you’re having trouble falling asleep. There are no side-effects, but if you take it for more than several months on end, it might compromise your own body’s capability produce melatonin a bit. So try to use it only when you need to (or stop after a month).
Bonus: melatonin will make you have wacky dreams. Depending on you, this can be either fantastic – or too overwhelming.
How to take melatonin: it’s not too dose dependent – everything between 0.3 and 5 mg will work.
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#3 Chemical: benadryl
Benadryl (chemical name is diphenhydramine) is a OTC chemical sleeping tablet that is being used for a wide variety of ailments, such as nausea and allergies. But most people take it for insomnia. It will reduce feelings of stress and make you feel sleepy after taking it. It’s an effective supplement, but you don’t want to take it for months on end. Although it is considered to be one of the safer chemical sleeping tablets, I’d recommend this only if the previous ones didn’t work.
How to take benadryl: take 25-50 mg 1 hour before bed. Do not exceed 300 mg in 24 hours.
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It all depends on what you want
In the end you are the deciding factor. If you suffer from insomnia once a while and just want something that knocks you out – benadryl would be the likely choice for you. If insomnia is a daily problem in your life, and you want a natural supplement (without side effects) that you can take for long periods on end, then I recommend either l-theanine or melatonin. Try them both and see which one you like personally.
And if you don’ really have any preferences and just want to sleep – then start with L theanine and see if its effect is strong enough for you. If it’s not, try melatonin and so on.
Hope you enjoyed this article… and happy dreams!
P.S. you can also take an all-natural formula called Serenity Sleep Aid. Click here for my complete review of this herbal supplement.