[health] Most over the counter sleeping pills can cause cognitive impairment

[mattbell]

For years I've been convinced that sleeping pills that have Diphenhydramine HCl as the active ingredient (this includes most over the counter sleeping pills: Tylenol PM, Nytol, Sominex, Benadryl etc) make you dumber.

This study was only done on older African-Americans who were regular users of such pills, but it did establish just such a connection.. 
http://www.physorg.com/news198238000.html

Apparently they're finding longer-lasting impairment, not just the next-day hangover effect I found. 

Take something else.  (eg Melatonin).  Or get some more exercise so you have less trouble falling and staying asleep.

Comments

[radiantsun.livejournal.com]

Yep. Anticholinergics. Certain people that have age related cognitivie decline, drugs with anticholinergic effects will massively accelerate this decline.

Blood thinner are also anticholinergics. In fact my Dad has been talking about the harm of anticholinergics for a few years now, there are other studies it isn't just this one. But Dr.'s don't care.

Deep Sleep

[acydrayn.livejournal.com]

Not sure of all the short/long term implications of all the herbs in here but this has worked wonders for me where the other stuff didn't make me drowsy and left me feeling groggy the next day. In fact, it's probably the only stuff I've actually felt work regardless of how much I wanted to keep myself awake which is common since I don't really like sleeping all that much until I am asleep. I always have this fear of missing "something." Best yet, I still dream instead of being in a dreamless/rememberless coma for 8 hours.

http://herbsetc.3dcartstores.com/Deep-Sleep-Softgels-60-ct-_p_93-67.html

Re: Deep Sleep

[maradydd.livejournal.com]

The valerian is probably what's inducing sleep (it has a poorly understood effect on GABA-A, which is what benzos hit), and the passionflower may be what's having an effect on the dreams. Chrysin from the chamomile might also be having an anxiolytic effect.

Re: Deep Sleep

[acydrayn.livejournal.com]

Well whatever it is I like it :-D Melatonin and valerian alone didn't have this much of an all at once effect.

[vega-33.livejournal.com]

I always found 5-HTP works well as a sleeping pill, at least on the few road trips I've used it regularly on.

[vega-33.livejournal.com]

Also kawa-kawa (sp?)

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

thanks for posting this.

[sarcazm.livejournal.com]

also, i was wondering if you or any of your friends have done any research on scullcap/skullcap weed? there's some info out there but not much. from what i've garnered it's been purported to treat epilepsy, sleep disorders, as an anxiolytic, other mood disorders, and even helps with inflammation.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about it. It's worth trying most sleep aids at least once and noticing how you tend to feel the next day.

[patrissimo.livejournal.com]

wow, I had no idea, and I use benadryl regularly as a non-addictive sleeping pill, that gives me shitty sleep, but when I can't fall asleep is better than nothing. Good to know!

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Also... this is anecdotal, but benadryl appears to significantly worsen sleep apnea (at least in the sample of people who sleep with me)