Sominex

Sleep used to be something that I excelled at - pop a dvd on and I tended to be zonked out within minutes. A time I view with rose tinted glasses, as, folks, this has recently been shaken up. My work pattern has been changed and sleep has retreated into hibernation. As this is a temporary situation, I decided to pop into my local chemist (Boots) and see what they have over the counter to remedy this new found zombie state I find myself in. I explained my symptoms and was shown Sominex. They did not have the herbal tablets available so I opted for these. I had a vague recollection of seeing an advert about this, so made the purchase. There were other variations that I'd heard of, but for some reason the Sominex advert was being replayed in my head and I felt it was my destiny to be put to sleep with these.

The box of 8 tablet cost me £3.46 at Boots which, for some relief I didn't think twice about. I am sure they can be purchased for much less than this and vaguely recall that Asda had them on offer for a brief period at just over £2. The packaging itself is an image of a pillow with a light tint of blue and white. There are clusters of stars on the box which imply they will take you to the land of dreams.

Thinking about their advertisement made me think - count sheep to sleep?....where did that come from? There is no scientific backing to imply that this method works. It works for some people on the notion that inducing a repetitive series of images will induce enough boredom to make you drop off. According to a study carried out by students at Oxford University imagery of a waterfall or beach was more likely to make people drop off. The premise behind this seems to be that the more mental energy used the quicker fatigue and then sleep would occur. Personally, counting sheep has never done the trick, probably due to my lack of imagination.

For the purpose of this review I have discovered that the word Sominex was derived from the Latin word somnus which means 'sleep'. Somnus was the embodiment of sleep, and akin to the Greek God Hypnos.
Now, back to my problem:- Prior to making the decision to resort to tablet to aid my sleep, I followed the bog standard advice for creating a positive sleeping environment (good sleep hygiene). Avoiding caffeine a few hours before going to bed, not eating a heavy meal close to the midnight hour (I am part gremlin you know ;-). Wearing ear plugs, as even the slightest noise became a monster in my vivid imagination. These actions did not do the trick and I just found that I was deaf (due to the ear plugs) as well as an insomniac, so it was time to look for a medical solution.

With medications of this nature there are various precautions you should take. If you are taking any other medication, it is best practice to see your GP as Sominex could interfere with your treatment. As I stated earlier, this is not to be seen as a long term solution and if your sleep pattern does not return you should seek the advice of your GP.

When it comes to medication of this nature it unleashes itself on your pineal gland and sends signals to the brain mimicking those produced naturally by the hormone melatonin. This makes the body less alert and begins to induce the sleep drive. The gradual release into your central nervous system brings upon the natural feelings of sleepiness.

The advice on the packaging is that you begin to prepare for bed about an hour before you want to be zonked out. I began around 9PM as this would take me to 10PM and allow me to have my 8 hours. Once you're in your sleep environment, it's time to pop that pill. 20 minutes after I'd taken it I began to feel drowsy and was finding it hard to keep my eyes open. I can't recall seeing the end of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, so I know it worked. I woke the next morning to feel a little groggy, but all the better for having slept throughout the 8 hours. RESULT!

The night after I felt apprehensive about trying to fall asleep unaided, so used the tablet again - in the name of research. Again, it worked, like clockwork. As I did not wish to rely on pharmaceuticals to get me to sleep I gave nature a chance and managed to regain my sleeping pattern. I have still got the remaining tablets and, touch wood, have not had to rely on them since.

If tablets of this nature don't begin to take effect my advice would be to seek further medical advice as there may be an underlying issue, be it physical or psychological, why you are unable to sleep naturally. For me, it had the desired effect and I would rate them highly, but only for a short period. I end on the note :-
'You could be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare
Either way I don't wanna wake up from you'

Thankyou for reading! :-)