Every morning I am greeted by Facebook friends complaining of sleepless nights or awakenings. I know the feeling — as do many other people.
In a 2005 survey of 1,506 Americans by the National Sleep Foundation, 54 percent reported at least one symptom of insomnia — difficulty falling asleep, waking up a lot during the night, waking up too early or waking up feeling unrefreshed — at least a few nights a week over the previous year. Thirty-three percent said they had experienced symptoms almost every night.
If insomnia visited me that often, I'd be tempted to pick up something at the pharmacy — something easy, something safe, something that didn't involve making a doctor's appointment. Indeed, 10 percent to 20 percent of Americans take over-the-counter sleep aids each year, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.