Melatonin vs. Prescription Sleep Medications: What UK Consumers Need to Know

When struggling with sleep issues, most people tend to turn to sleep medication or supplements for short-term relief from the symptoms. Melatonin and prescription sleep aids are both popular methods of dealing with sleep disorders like insomnia. While both are medically certified to help treat and regulate sleep problems, both come with unique benefits and risks. Like most sleep aids, they are usually differentiated based on how effective, safe, and side-effects-free they are.

However, it is essential to understand their mechanism and role in promoting sleep. To get maximum benefits out of these pills, you may need to readjust some lifestyle habits and sleeping routines to get the best health outcome. While taking the medications, you should take the exact dosage at the right time recommended by the doctor. Whether you want to consume melatonin or any other prescription sleep medications for your sleeping problems, you should know their effectiveness, side effects, and long-term impacts on sleep health. By the end of this blog, you will get all the information regarding melatonin and prescription sleep aids to make informed decisions about your health.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a natural hormone in the brain that makes you sleepy in light's absence of melatonin secretion. This hormone signals your body about when to be rested or active, mostly helping your body to sleep as a response to darkness. Hence, ingesting melatonin or supplements makes you sleepy, balancing your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin helps mimic the natural hormone's action in the body to control the sleep cycle and effectively treat insomnia.

Melatonin is a sleep medication that helps you sleep better naturally, addressing circadian rhythms for shift workers or people with jet lag. Melatonin is available as dietary supplements, including pills, capsules, and chewable gummy forms. Their availability in different forms makes it easier for patients to choose one according to their required dosage. However, melatonin should be treated as a short-term solution for people suffering from sleep disorders. It can treat occasional jet lag and insomnia and adjust to shift work or DSPS.

What Are Sleeping Pills?

Most prescription sleep aids are prescribed to be used for a short period, usually from two weeks to 2 months. They are used as a short-term treatment for sleep disorders, occasional jet lag, and insomnia. When you start taking them for a prolonged period, the effectiveness of the medicines wears off, leading to dependency. This causes a situation where you must take increased dosages of the same drug to reach the required efficacy.

However, when you take prescription sleep aids according to the doctor's suggestion, following their instructions and restrictions, you naturally minimize any risks and maximize the benefits. Prescription sleeping medications like Ambien, Lunesta, and benzodiazepines work by addressing the CNS to induce sleep, offering short-term relief from insomnia. While these medications are quite effective in alleviating symptoms, they can lead to dependency and withdrawal symptoms if discontinued suddenly.

Comparing Melatonin vs. Prescription Sleeping Pills

Listed below are some pros and cons of melatonin and prescription sleep drugs so you can make the right decision while choosing sleeping medications for your sleep needs.

Advantages of Melatonin:

• Mild and non-addictive: If your doctor prescribes you melatonin pills, you can take them as prescribed, following the administration instructions and other restrictions, to avoid the risk of dependency or overdose.
• Side effects are minimal: While you might encounter some common side effects like headache, dizziness, and nausea, they are mild and temporary and mostly subside within a day or two once you adjust to the medication.
• Treats Circadian Sleep Cycle Issues: Melatonin is a highly effective drug that addresses circadian sleep issues to ensure peaceful sleep and alleviate symptoms for people suffering from jet lag or shift work.

Disadvantages of Melatonin:

• Melatonin is useful for issues like circadian rhythm disorders but cannot be an effective treatment for severe insomnia.
• Melatonin's action tends to occur slowly compared to other OTC or prescription sleeping pills; hence, it needs to be taken appropriately.
• It must be taken under the supervision of a medical practitioner to ensure effective and safe treatment without any withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation.

Advantages of Sleeping Pills:

• Effective for Acute Insomnia: The effectiveness and mechanism of prescription sleep aids are quite powerful, helping individuals taking them relax and fall asleep comfortably.
• Suitable for Short-term use: These drugs are mostly used as a short-term treatment for insomnia, ideal for people with occasional insomnia caused by traveling time or stressful periods.
• Rapid onset of Action: These fast-acting drugs start working within 30 minutes of intake, helping people feel quickly after the intake.

Disadvantages of Sleeping Pills:

• Prescription sleep aids can lead to serious side effects like confusion, sleepwalking, or memory issues if not taken in the correct dosage according to the prescription.
• They tend to interact with certain medications and alcohol, resulting in unnecessary side effects.

OTC vs. Prescription Pills

There are many OTC alternatives, like melatonin supplements, that your doctor can prescribe you for short-term use to treat insomnia. Please consult your doctor before taking OTC or prescription pills for sleep disorders.

• Action: OTC drugs like melatonin supplements are scientifically proven to treat insomnia by regulating the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm and are safe for long-term usage. On the other hand, prescription drugs like Benzodiazepines are used as sedative-hypnotics, which can be an effective but short-term treatment of sleep problems.
• Effectiveness: OTC sleep aids such as melatonin supplements can be the best choice if you have jet lag and want to regulate your sleep-wake cycle. On the other hand, you can use a prescription sleeping pill such as Zolpidem for chronic or severe insomnia.
• Safety: When used by healthy adults, most OTC medications like Diphenhydramine and doxylamine are considered safe, while prescription pills should be taken under medical guidance for optimal safety and effectiveness.

How to use Melatonin and Prescription sleeping pills safely?

While there are several options to try between melatonin and Prescription pills, choose the one that can work best for you after understanding your medical history and current medication regimen. Consult a doctor for the correct dosage and administration guidelines for an effective treatment. Here are some general dosage instructions and procedures that you should follow:

• Avoid taking other OTC medicines or supplements while using melatonin or prescription sleep aids for sleep disorders.
• Take the prescribed dose of your sleep medication 30 minutes before bedtime, with a glass of water, without breaking or chewing it.
• Take it only as long as your doctor presumes it is safe, and discontinue it only under medical supervision to prevent any withdrawal symptoms.
• Do not share your sleep aid dosage with anyone, even if they share similar symptoms.

Conclusion

While some people believe that melatonin is illegal in the UK because it is unsafe, a health risk, and should be avoided, the truth says otherwise. It is understandable to assume that an OTC drug might be harmful or dangerous, but there are some reassuring benefits of melatonin and its functions. Melatonin is not illegal in the UK, but only requires a prescription from a doctor to buy them legally from any pharmacy. Now, whether you want to choose melatonin or prescription pills highly depends on your sleep problems, health profile, and lifestyle. It is always wise to consult a doctor to know the best option and make informed decisions for effective treatment.