Originally Posted by
ltsisk
Interestingly enough if you check the active ingredients in most of the OTC stuff it is just Benedryl.
Yeah, it is usually either diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or doxylamine (the antiihistamine in Nyquil); more rarely another antihistamine (like chlorpheniramine) or dimenhydranate (Dramamine)
As a general rule when buying OTC stuff, always ignore the brand and label, and look at the active ingredients ... figure out what you need, and then by on price/dose.
Personally, the sleep med I have had the best luck with is trazodone. It's a sedating antidepressant, and lacks the addictive properties of others, although it will lose its side effect of sedation if you take it too regularly. Knocks me right out, although it lingers enough that it's only useful for super-long hauls, or when I've got severe sleep trouble at home.