I think the main problem was "recommending seeing a doctor is "awful advice"" -> "don't see a doctor" -> "then where does one get prescription medicines?" -> "those dodgy internet pharmacy or other dodgy sources overseas." You can see where the alarm bell starts ringing a bit? What I was referring to is not so much illegal act, though. It had more to do with what you obtain can potentially be dangerous or ineffective.

I think personal importation of a limited quantity of medicines for personal consumption is legal in the UK, although I am not sure if that extend to all medicines. However, you can't be assured that all the internet pharmacies are supplying the legitimate drug manufactured under appropriate quality control. At leas, if you get it on a proper prescription, you know what you are getting. Not that I agree with state control of everything, but at least you don't often come across stories of tainted medicines getting into the official distribution channels in the western world.

However, I have read, not in the dodgy "Murdoch media", but in some serious journals and not sponsored by pharmaceutical companies (so I think they are reasonably reliable) some studies where they found that some of the internet-sourced medicines contained inappropriate, some potentially dangerous, substances or not having any active ingredients in it, or even far more than it should contain. Not a good thing to happen either way.

I find antihistamines useless too, yet leaves me really grumpy the next day (in case you ask, I did not take one last night! ). Same with melatonin and valerian.

My favourite method of putting myself to sleep is definitely pure and simple sleep deprivation - "if I need to sleep, I will sleep, at some point" method. I have been described as "looking like you were dead because you haven't moved at all" by a cabin crew member through this method. I could overdo that and almost miss out on a meal, though. Also music played through in-ear ear phones to block out the surrounding noise if it's noisy.