Sleep Without the Drugs

Reliance on prescription sleep aids has reached almost epidemic proportions, with Americans spending almost $3 billion in 2007, according to Consumer Reports. That represents 50% more than in the prior decade, with the sharpest increase found in young adults and women. According to a Duke University study, poor nutrition, fluctuating hormones and higher anxiety are to blame for insomnia.

Rubin Naiman, PhD, sleep and dream specialist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine, is a staunch adversary of prescription of sleep remedies, advocates a more natural approach to slumber. "Truly restful sleep requires quantity and quality," he says. "Most sleep drugs literally knock you out and can compromise both REM and deep sleep, so you often wake up hungover.  Dependency is also a huge issue."

Naiman's first recommendation is to quit the pills cold turkey. "Keep them around for emergencies, but stash them out of sight."

"Steer clear of over-the-counter 'PM' products, like Tylenol PM containing diphenhydramine [Benadryl] which remains active in the body well into the morning and can negatively impact cognition and perception. The only thing I'd recommend is melatonin."

Scale back on cocktails, as alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that facilitates sleep initially, but hinders it later and disturbs dreaming once the drowsy buzz wears off.

Another recommendation is to break the habit of unwinding in front of TV reruns because the blue component of light from the TV disrupts melatonin production.  Instead, adopt a bath-and-aromatherapy ritual, which coaxes the body and mind into rest.

Lastly, personalize your bedroom environment. The goal is to make it intimate, to look the way you would want it to look if you were spending eight waking hours there.