Who Is Melatonin Best For
Melatonin is best for those suffering from circadian rhythm sleep disorders such as:
- Jet lagOfficially known as “Rapid Time Zone Change Syndrome,”jet lag messes with your sleep times and wake times as you cross into new time zones, especially when traveling east.
- Shift Work DisorderShift workers with inconsistent schedules have been found to get upwards of four fewer hours of sleep than the average person due to disrupted melatonin production.
- Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder Night owls who fall asleep late but have a hard time getting up in the morning .
- Advanced Sleep Phase DisorderEarly birds whose body clock causes them to fall asleep and wake up on the early side .
- Irregular Sleep-Wake Rhythm Disorder
Drug Interactions: Can You Take Melatonin With Benadryl
Sleep disorders are pretty common in this day and age. So, it’s only natural that you’d want to counteract them with sleep aids such as melatonin, which is considered a more natural way to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin helps you fall asleep faster and improves your overall sleep quality.
But what if you wanted to take a supplement with allergy medication like Benadryl? Allergy medications usually contain antihistamines, whose side effects can often result in daytime sleepiness and drowsiness. So, can you use them both simultaneously?
Can You Take Melatonin And Benadryl Simultaneously
- There are no scientifically established drug interactions between melatonin and Benadryl.
- Though Benadryl and melatonin do not dangerously interact, they may cause a person to become dangerously sleepy.
- People who struggle with insomnia should take these drugs separately, then weigh the effects they get from each to decide on the right choice for their needs.
If youre sick of tossing and turning night after night, you may be ready to try an over-the-counter sleep aid. Many sleep aids contain diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl. This is a well-tolerated drug, and is safe for most people, including pregnant women and children. Yet it doesnt work for everyone. Melatonin is a very safe alternative that naturally occurs in the body. But can you mix melatonin and Benadryl if neither drug on its own lulls you to sleep? Heres what you need to know.
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Side Effects And Risks
In addition to sleepiness, side effects of diphenhydramine include nausea, headache, and dry mouth. Most side effects are mild and will resolve within 24 hours. If they persist or are severe, stop taking the drug and let your healthcare provider know. You should also call your healthcare provider if you have trouble urinating.
If you are on medications for anxiety or depression, get your healthcare provider’s approval before taking diphenhydramine. You should never take diphenhydramine with a type of antidepressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor . Doing so can cause seizures, hallucinations, and a severe drop in blood pressure.
Diphenhydramine should never be used with alcohol. If you experience daytime drowsiness after taking diphenhydramine, do not drive or use heavy machinery until you feel fully alert again.
The Basics Of Melatonin
Melatonin is perhaps the single most natural supplement you can take because your body already makes it. The pineal gland is a small gland that produces certain hormones, including melatonin, in the body. In the body and the brain, this hormone is responsible for regulating the sleep-wake cycle. The exact process of how it works is pretty complicated, involving regulating the circadian rhythm, blood pressure, and other effects. Its even a minor antioxidant, though its not meant to be a dietary supplement.
Melatonin is found in two forms: natural and synthetic. Natural melatonin is an animal product that is harvested from the pineal glands of animals since animals have melatonin as well as humans. This form is not generally recommended for a few reasons. For one thing, its not vegan, so anyone on the vegetarian or vegan end of the spectrum will not want to consume an animal product. For another thing, theres a small chance that animal-harvested melatonin might be contaminated with animal viruses. This is a slim chance, but it means that well-processed natural melatonin is more expensive, and can still carry a slight risk.
The other option is synthetic melatonin, which is created in a lab out of precursor ingredients. This is guaranteed to be pure and safe and free of contamination, but it might turn off some people who worry about synthetic replicas of natural compounds. Chemically there should be no difference between the two, but some people like to avoid it anyway.
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Whats A Better Sleep Aidmelatonin Or Benadryl
Question posted by Anonymous on 21 Sep 2012
Last updated on 22 September 2012 by kaismama
hopefully getting off the meds to sleep. mirtazapine … most recent, and ativan prior. I still have to gtake some ativan in the day so I do withdraw to bad since i was on it for so long, therefore, I get this breakthrough rebound anxiety occasionally from the ativan. Mirtazapine was able to hide it, but not sure if melatonin or benadryl will do the trick. what do you think? thank you
kaismama
Melatonin works best for me, Benadryl leaves me with an awful hangover. For you its what works best for you.
+2MacIntosh12
Hi tammy, try Melatonin first and if that doesn’t work go for benadryl. Benadryl works great for me, but we are all different, as balbanese has indicated. Hope you get some ZZZZZZ’s!
+2
Hello tammy9876. For severe insomnia, neither will. A hypnotic will help in that case. Between the two you asked about, my personal preference would be Benadryl. Regards pledge
+2balbanese
Really depends on which how each one works for you, as in the other post I’m not too convinced they way y are directed to reduce and handle withdrawals is of the top-est of shelves, but as with most amendments, they all react and act in accordance with our individual tendencies. Best is to try one for a week or so then see if you believe another may incite the desired results. Best to you as in the other.
+1
A Popular Nighttime Option
You might not realize that sleep experts discourage the use of sleep aids when you’re walking through the drugstore, where the shelves are typically stocked with various brands. Some 15% to 20% of American adults take a nonprescription sleep aid in any given month, says Dr. Bertisch. But the wide variety of brands may be deceiving.
“People don’t realize that these companies are basically just repackaging one product,” she says. Most sleep aids are antihistamines, which are also commonly used in allergy medications. “People taking sleep aids are essentially taking Benadryl . They don’t realize that’s what most sleep aids are,” said Dr. Bertisch.
Antihistamines are used in sleep aids because they affect what’s known as a histamine receptor in your body, which plays a role in wakefulness. This is why taking an antihistamine can make you feel sleepy. But while a pill can induce that sleepy feeling right before bed, it can linger in your system and can cause a groggy, hung-over feeling the following day.
While some people feel that these over-the-counter products help them get a better night’s sleep, there is limited research on their effectiveness, and the few reports out there indicate that improvements in sleep quality are very modest, says Dr. Bertisch. Therefore, the benefits are unclear, while there appear to be real risks associated with long-term use.
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Benadryl And Melatonin: The General Problem With Sleep Aids
It is very common for people to turn to sleep aids such as Benadryl and melatonin to help with the treatment of insomnia and sleep issues. While medications can be helpful with a variety of conditions, they tend to be less helpful for sleep issues specifically. This is because there are so many factors that impact sleep, including our mood, lifestyle, thinking, and sleep behaviors.
Sleep issues have impacted even more people since the start of the pandemic. A 2021 study in the Journal of Sleep Medicinelooked at sleep problems during the COVID pandemic and found that up to 40% of individuals across various studies have experienced significant sleep issues and sleep disturbance during the pandemic.
As more people suffer from sleep issues, turning to sleep aids is more common.
The General Problem with Sleep Aids
The general problem with sleep aids is they often do not address the underlying issue that is causing the sleep impairment. Sleep issues are often related to sleep behaviors, lifestyle factors , medical conditions, and mood concerns such as stress, anxiety, and PTSD.
Therefore, sleep aids are more like a Band-Aid for the problem, rather than getting to the root of the problem. Here are some common underlying reasons for poor sleep that are not addressed with sleep aids:
Sleep Behaviors
Lifestyle Factors
Medical Conditions
Mood Concerns
As you can see, there are many aspects that can impact sleep that need to be addressed for the sleep problem to resolve.
Decide Which Is Better For Your Melatonin Vs Diphenhydramine
Now its time to put the previous three steps together. You can see it as a matrix. Here are the four outcomes:
- Serious sleeping problem + high risk tolerance = diphenhydramine
- Serious sleeping problem + low risk tolerance = melatonin
- Less serious sleeping problem + high risk tolerance = melatonin/benadryl
- Less serious sleeping problem + low risk tolerance = melatonin
Only in the third case you can choose between both options. In this case it will depend on for how long you will be taking it. If you suffer from the occasional insomnia , then it is no problem to take diphenhydramine. However, if you want to take it everyday I recommend you choose melatonin for this scenario.
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When To Take Benadryl
Benadryl should be taken when you have some kind of virus thats triggering a histamine response. In other words, take it when youre having bad allergies, or cold is making your eyes water and your throat scratch.
In those instances, take the drug closer to bedtime than you might want to. It can make you very tired, drowsy, and unable to operate a car or take care of certain tasks.
It might not be the best idea to take Benadryl as a regular sleep aid, though. If youre having an impossible time sleeping and the only thing you have to help is Benadryl, it could help you if you already know that your body response well to the drug.
The best move would be to run out and grab some other kind of sleep aid the next day, though. A long-term relationship with Benadryl could help your sleep, but your body might respond poorly and develop issues in other areas.
Another thing to mention is that you should not give Benadryl to children under 2 years old. The drug has long been used to help put children to sleep, but it turns out that this isnt always the safest method to get kids to bed.
Is There Anything I Can Take Safely If Im Having Trouble Getting Sleep
If sleep is a problem, there are several things people can do. There are other natural products people can take to help them get some sleep, such as melatonin. As far as we know, melatonin in general is a perfectly good substitute for diphenhydramine. Its a natural supplement. Its the chemical in the brain that actually induces sleep in a natural way.
If youre having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor about enrolling in a sleep study. We have locations in Chapel Hill or Wake County.
Editors note: Dan Kaufer, MD, died July 2, 2020. He was the founding director of the UNC Memory Disorders Program. Renowned for his research and treatment of memory disorders, Dr. Kaufer was deeply devoted to his patients and their families.
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Youre Taking Melatonin And It Works
If youre taking melatonin and it works youre in a good position. You can continue doing this for as long as you feel necessary. You can after 2 weeks experience with lowering the dosage of melatonin, although this is not necessary. You can also once a while try not taking melatonin before going to bed and see if your sleeping problem has been solved.
When To Take Melatonin
Melatonin can be helpful to those who find themselves slipping into an unhealthy sleep cycle. Additionally, you might try melatonin supplements if you have a sudden life change like starting on the night shift at work, for example.
It can be used for other sleep issues as well, but a lasting intake of melatonin could have adverse effects on hormone production in certain people. You have a number of options in terms of products as well. You could try an over-the-counter option or explore something more refined like SugarBear melatonin.
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Melatonin Vs Benadryl For Sleep: Which Is Better
Trouble sleeping is something that can throw a wrench into every area of your life. Its a common problem, too, with somewhere from 50 to 70 million people in the United States having some kind of sleep disorder.
Fortunately, there are a number of over-the-counter methods to address difficulties sleeping. Two of the most common sleep aids are melatonin and Benadryl. Were going to take a look at melatonin vs. Benadryl, giving you a better idea of which czould work for you.
Lets get started so you can start getting better sleep!
How Do You Pick The Best Sleep Aid For You
Working closely with your doctor is the best way to compare and pick a sleep aid. A health professional can recommend the best sleep medication for your situation, accounting for factors including:
- The symptoms and cause of your sleeping problems
- Your age and overall health including other medical conditions
- Other medications that you take
Whether youre considering prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, or dietary supplements, your doctor can explain the potential benefits and risks and help make sure that you take the right dosage at the right time of night.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is a medical society that organizes expert panels to help guide treatment for sleep problems. AASMs recommendations for sleep medications offer useful information about sleep aids for insomnia, but your doctor can best explain how those recommendations apply in your individual circumstances.
In some cases, the best sleep aid may not be a medicine at all. Non-drug treatments such as a type of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or a focus on sleep hygiene can often make it easier to get to sleep. These approaches may be combined with medications as part of a plan to get better sleep over the long-term without relying on sleep aids.
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Can You Mix Melatonin And Benadryl
Generally speaking, yes, you can mix melatonin and Benadryl, but you should be careful about certain side effects such as:
- Difficulties with concentration
Older people may also experience poorer motor coordination as well as impairments in judgment and thinking.
It’s highly advisable not to use alcohol if you’re taking melatonin and Benadryl together. Also, don’t drive or operate heavy or dangerous machinery until you have more information on how Benadryl and melatonin affect you.
Whatever you consider doing, first talk to your doctor and tell them about your concerns and any questions you might have. Also, make sure to tell them about other medications you’re taking at the moment, even if it’s just herbs or supplements and vitamins.
Taking Melatonin And Benadryl Together
Although they work via different mechanisms, melatonin and Benadryl are not recommended to be taken together.
The use of both together can cause additive CNS depression and sedation.
Some studies also show that the combination can increase the risk of a next-day ‘hangover’ effect.
Lastly, both drugs have contradictory effects. Benadryl disrupts the sleep-wake cycle while melatonin promotes a return to a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
In general, Benadryl is best used intermittently to produce sedation for acute problems with insomnia.
Melatonin is best suited in those with low melatonin levels, or who are in a situation in which their sleep-wake cycle is disrupted .
There are certainly some situations where taking both Benadryl and melatonin may be necessary , but be done consistently to help you sleep better.
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How Much Do Sleep Aids Cost
The cost of sleep aids can vary considerably. For prescription medication, the cost depends on a persons health insurance coverage and whether a generic version of the drug is available.
The price of over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements depends on the brand, formulation, and where they are purchased. Shoppers can frequently compare prices online or in different stores.
Final Verdict Melatonin Vs Diphenhydramine
Lets do a quick summary. Both melatonin and benadryl work. but melatonin is the natural variant of these sleeping aids. And benadryl is the stronger chemical variant:
So it all depends on what you prefer. Do you want to take the natural route without much risk? Then take melatonin.
Do you have a severe case of insomnia and you just want to fall asleep? Then benadryl might be the right option for you.
In the end, I urge you to take a good look at your sleeping problems and focus on natural solutions, such as lifestyle tips in order to get better sleep. However, this might not be for everyone and in that case you can take melatonin or diphenhydramine. And even though I myself dont have problems with falling asleep , I still occasionally take a tab of melatonin before going to bed if I really need a good night of sleep.
I hope this article about melatonin vs diphenhydramine has helped you a lot to see which of these two sleep aids can help you solve your sleeping problem. If theres anything that you want more clearly explained, or you have some other questions about any of the information on this page, please leave a comment.
P.S. Still having trouble deciding between melatonin and benadryl? Melatonin is the better option in the long run. Order a bottle of melatonin now!
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