[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

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.