Students who constantly experience sleepless nights might have solutions for insomnia that don’t require going to a doctor’s office.
Along with the typical sleep aids that treat the common cold, substances such as ZzzQuil promise the calming effects minus the cold medication.
Options like melatonin and Marley’s Mellow Mood drink, meanwhile, claim all-natural remedies for the fitful or non-existent slumber.
An estimated 50 to 70 million adults in the U.S. have a sleep or wakefulness disorder, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Insomnia among college students can also cause low GPAs, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The study said among 64 psychology, nursing and medical students, 69.7 percent of those with low GPAs had difficulty falling asleep.
“We’re pretty limited over the counter,” said Ben Holter, pharmacy manager at The DrugStore at O’Bleness. “Most of those medications contain diphenhydramine.”
Diphenhydramine, otherwise known as Benadryl, is the ingredient found in ZzzQuil, a sleep aide released by the makers of NyQuil. Meg Nicol, a senior studying biological sciences, recently tried the drug.
“I took it and I slept really well,” she said. “I didn’t have any side effects.”
Despite her success with both NyQuil and ZzzQuil, Nicol said she has her doubts about using it routinely.
“I don’t want my circadian rhythm to become dependent on it,” she added.
Drugs like melatonin, Holter said, are what the body naturally produces in response to darkness. He recommends melatonin over other aids because it’s natural. Marley’s Mellow Mood also has a natural ingredient — valerian — which also comes in pill form.
Genevieve Gurnick, a junior studying geology, is a rower. For practice, she has to wake up at 4:30 a.m., finishing up her days at about 6 p.m.
“When I come home, my mind’s spinning and I have a hard time turning my mind off,” she said. “I have to take sleep aids to turn my brain off and go to sleep.”
Gurnick said she takes vitamins and melatonin routinely, and at the end of the semester sometimes she takes ZzzQuil. She also takes Benadryl if she is also experiencing allergies.
“It’s definitely a common thing among my group of friends,” she added. “I feel like generally among college students there’s a fair amount of people who do (take sleep aids).”
Holter said though these kinds of medications are not proven to be habit-forming, medications that contain diphenhydramine will become less effective over time.
“I think probably the best way is not to take any of these things,” Holter said. “Following a proper diet, exercising … these lifestyle changes are going to keep your sleep in line.”
Holter said for extreme insomnia symptoms, like going days without sleep, students should consult a doctor before proceeding.
eb104010@ohiou.edu
@EmilyMBamforth
