There are several reasons why you would require sleeping pills. A stressful event can cause you to find it difficult to fall asleep. When travelling, your internal clock could be out-of-sync with your new locale and therefore make it harder to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

On the other hand, perhaps you find it easy to fall asleep, but the issue lies in you staying asleep and uninterrupted. Whatever your reasons are, there are times which prescription medications are the only sensible, necessary and advisable option.

But how do you decide which sleeping pills are the best or perfectly suited to your needs? There are a few factors to consider when seeking the buy sleeping pills.

• Type of action – are you looking for a sleeping tablet which helps you fall asleep, stay asleep or both? This is a decision you have to make based on the type of sleep disturbances you are experiencing. A medical evaluation could be a possible route of determination, but you can also analyse your own symptoms by noting your sleep patterns.
• Safety and efficacy – when you use a medication, whether on a short, or long-term basis, the risk of dependence and tolerance is always a cause for concern. What you require for sleep only should not become something which you cannot do without. The safety and efficacy of the best sleeping pills ought to be researched before you decide.
• Generic or brand – there are generic versions of popular sleeping pills on the market but should you use them? The approved generic form is just as good as the original. Generic medications are also known to be highly cost-effective, making them the preferred option for most patients nowadays.

How Quickly do Best Sleeping Pills Work?

How quickly a medication takes effect is known as the onset of action. There are some which have a rapid onset of action and help you fall asleep quicker, whilst others may take longer to induce sedation.

The best sleeping pills for you, once again, depends on whether you are using the medication for sleep induction or to reduce middle-of-the-night awakenings. There are specific formulations for these purposes.

Immediate-release formulations of a sleeping tablet release the active ingredient quickly into your system, so that the therapeutic benefits of the medicine are felt rapidly. These assist you in falling asleep not long after the pill is administered. The extended-release form releases the main ingredient slower so that the effects are prolonged. This can help you stay asleep for longer and reduce nightly awakenings.

There are also some sleeping pills which fulfil both of these purposes – increase total sleep time and reduce the time to sleep induction.

What is the Best Sleeping Pill to Take for Insomnia?

Older sleeping pills

• These include the classes of benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. They are common go-to sleep aids and bring about their therapeutic benefits by activating gamma aminobutyric acid or GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) receptors.
  
  The difference between benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines lie in their chemical structure. They are typically prescribed for short periods of time as they have a risk for tolerance and dependence (depending on the medication).
• Gabapentinoids are different to benzodiazepines in their mode of action. They increase the concentration of GABA rather than activating the receptors. This class of medication can be useful for sleep disturbances arising from pain such as neuropathic pain, but also carry a risk for side effects and dependence.
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are used for depression, but also assist sleep difficulties. These are used less often these days as there has been an increased risk of unpleasant side effects. It is believed that TCAs do not suppress deep sleep but their primary action is directed to the histamine-1 (H1) receptor. Even though most of these antidepressants can be used for sleep, not all have sedating effects.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs) are different from TCAs as they are more selective in the receptors they work on. They are used for the treatment of depression but can also assist with sleep disorders. Side effects and dependence are also possible with SSRIs and SSNRIs.

Newer sleeping pills

Newer sleeping pills include sleep-wake cycle modifiers. There are not many brands of this type of sleeping pill on the market. This medicine functions by acting directly on the body’s sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm). They bind to specific areas of the brain to bring about their effects. The drawbacks of the sleep-wake cycle modifiers can include the cost. There are also side effects possible with this sleeping pill.

Amongst the best sleeping pills are those which induce the highest level of therapeutic action without adverse events or a significant risk for tolerance.