Licensed Pharmacist Hard Ranks Sleeping Pills

Summary

The presenter, a pharmacist who says he has struggled with insomnia, ranks nine sleep aids based on his personal experience. He scores each for how strongly it made him feel sedated (“knockout”), how restorative his sleep felt, and how alert he was the next day. He notes that these are subjective ratings, not a clinical comparison.

He opens by mentioning common sleep-hygiene steps—avoiding screens before bed and keeping the room cool and dark—but says they did not always resolve his insomnia.

Rankings, from worst to best

1. Belsomra (suvorexant): He says it did not help him sleep and left him awake for an unusually long time. He describes it as blocking orexin, a system involved in wakefulness.

2. Zaleplon: He says he noticed little effect and felt his sleep and next-day state were close to normal.

3. ZzzQuil (diphenhydramine): He says it did little to help him fall asleep, though he felt rested and fairly alert the next day. He distinguishes feeling tired from actually becoming sleepy.

4. Eszopiclone: He describes strong sedation but less-restorative sleep, next-day effects, a persistent unpleasant taste, and one instance of sleeping for an unusually long time. He warns that he considers Z-drugs habit-forming.

5. Promethazine: His experience varied. Sometimes it helped, but at other times he felt mentally foggy and exhausted the next day.

6. Zolpidem: He says it strongly sedated him, but his sleep felt less restorative than natural sleep and he still noticed next-day effects. He cautions against relying on it long term.

7. Lorazepam: He reports that a low dose seemed to provide a subtle nudge toward sleep and good sleep quality, with little next-day impairment for him. He emphasizes that benzodiazepines carry dependence risks and are not suitable for long-term use without medical guidance.

8. Melatonin with magnesium glycinate and L-theanine: He says this combination does not consistently knock him out, but he feels it can help him settle into sleep and wake feeling well. He describes it as his current preferred approach. These effects are his personal account, not a guarantee.

9. Trazodone: His historically preferred option, which he says often helped him fall asleep and gave him restorative sleep. However, he recently experienced several hours of pronounced morning sluggishness. He presents this as his opinion, not a universal recommendation.

Key takeaways

• The presenter argues that strong sedation is not the same as restorative sleep. He considers next-day functioning an important part of evaluating a sleep aid.
• He repeatedly warns that Z-drugs and benzodiazepines can carry dependence risks. Medication choices and duration should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
• He says he has not tried doxepin and may consider mirtazapine, while noting that he has heard positive reports about them.
• The rankings and supplement combination reflect one person’s experience. They should not be treated as medical instructions; medications and supplements can have individual risks and interactions.

Presenter and sources

Grant Harting is the sole presenter. He refers generally to clinical knowledge, studies and literature, and a conversation with a pharmacist colleague, but names no specific publications or other sources.