Melatonin. This hormone tells your body when to sleep and wake. Some research suggests that melatonin supplements can ease sleep issues like jet lag and trouble falling or staying asleep. For the most part, melatonin is safe for healthy adults if taken for only a few weeks or months.

The primary benefit of most sleep aids is that they induce drowsiness to help you fall asleep or increase the likelihood that you will stay asleep through the night. By improving sleep in the short-term, many sleep aids can help alleviate daytime drowsiness and impaired thinking from sleep deprivation.

“You may want to try melatonin for sleep if you have difficulty for more than a night or two.” Research shows that a supplement may help people with insomnia fall asleep slightly faster and may have bigger benefits for those with delayed sleep phase syndrome - falling asleep very late and waking up late the next day.

Magnesium, melatonin, GABA, L-theanine, valerian root and chamomile are supplements that have been shown to improve sleep quality, increase calm and decrease anxiety. Speak with your doctor before starting any supplements.

It is typically safe for adults to take melatonin every night for short periods of time.

Supplements for anxiety

• Vitamin D3:
• Magnesium:
• Melatonin:
• Omega-3 fatty acids:
• Chamomile:
• Valerian root:
• Ashwagandha:
• Kava:

Even though melatonin is usually safe for most people to take short-term, talk to your health care provider if you are considering taking it daily for sleep issues. Also, if sleep troubles are starting to affect your daily life, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and potential treatment options.

Those who use sleeping pills over a long period of time are likely to experience intensified side effects. As they continue taking these pills over time, the substance builds up in their body and produces unwanted side effects. These effects may include high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and depression.

Is It Safe To Take Sleeping Pills Every Night? Most experts agree that sleep aids should not be used long-term. Sleeping pills are best used for short-term stressors, jet lag, or similar sleep problems.

Your body likely produces enough melatonin for its general needs. However, evidence suggests that melatonin supplements promote sleep and are safe for short-term use. Melatonin can be used to treat delayed sleep phase and circadian rhythm sleep disorders in the blind and provide some insomnia relief.

Other, less common melatonin side effects might include:

• Vivid dreams or nightmares.
• Short-term feelings of depression.
• Irritability.
• Stomach cramps.
• Diarrhea.
• Constipation.
• Decreased appetite.
• Urinary incontinence at night.

Melatonin should only be taken for a maximum of 13 weeks to treat short-term sleep problems in adults, but longer courses may be used on the advice of a specialist.

How could sleeping pills or minor tranquillisers help me? These drugs are usually prescribed to: reduce your symptoms of anxiety, such as feeling very agitated or shaky. help you overcome insomnia, so you can return to a more healthy sleep pattern.

There are no serious side effects or significant risks associated with taking a small dose of melatonin before bed occasionally, or for a few weeks. However, because the long-term side effects haven't been studied, you shouldn't take melatonin every night for more than a month or two.

“Sleep medications should not be used long term. They should be taken on an 'as needed' basis and, if possible, not scheduled nightly,” Dr. Devnani says. You shouldn't take sleeping pills for longer than two weeks at the most, Cline says.

Sleeping pills, especially over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids, are generally not meant to be taken every night.