I’m writing this post for those of us who live in noisy college dorms, busy city areas, and those of us who work the graveyard shift. Here is a solution to blot out the sun and eliminate noise (you no longer have to sleep in your closet). There is a solution and it is less costly than you may think! Nothing compares to a good night’s sleep!

30+ Decibel Ear Plugs

Block out annoying neighbors, traffic, and the dog you keep calling the cops on for noise complaints (:

Cost: Box of 50 for $10

Cotton Bandanas

Bandanas are more comfortable and work better than blindfolds. Blot out more light with darker colors.

Cost 1 dozen for $9 at Tans Club

Aluminum Foil + Duct Tape

This is a really cheap alternative to the following and is a good way to seal off every nook and cranny of you window.

Cost < $5-10 depending on window size.

Black Out Curtains

Do not confuse with thermal curtains. Light cannot actually get through the fabric of these curtains, but you will get a bit of light around the edges. You may still need some of that fancy duct tape.

Cost $80-$100 (2 panels) at Linen’s & Things

Benadryl

Cost < $5 per month

You may not know this, but all of the FDA approved over-the-counter sleep aids contain diphenhydramine (diphen-what?). Diphenhydramine is just the active ingredient found in Benadryl. Don’t be fooled into spending $10 or $15 dollars on products with fancy brand names. Benadryl has the exact same active ingredient and will send you off to dreamland just as well.

Upside: It may help you sleep, is FDA approved, and has a long history of use.

Downside: It often causes morning grogginess.

Melatonin

Yet another option for sleepless nights, Melatonin has been studied primarily for its effects on jet lag. The substance is actually a hormone that your body produces when it starts getting dark outside. The products you find in store are synthesized in a lab so you don’t have to worry about contracting prion disease from human corpses.

Cost < $5 per month

Upside: It may help you sleep.

Downside: Primarily studied for short term use in jet lag.

Valerian root

Valerian root is a very cheap and very old herbal supplement. It is found in most herbal sleeping concoctions and it thought to be a safe, natural alternative for insomnia in much of the world.

Cost < $5 per month

Upside: It has been around since the Middle Ages and is well studied in Europe.

Downside: The pills smell funny ):

**The following are inexpensive prescription drugs. See your doctor for complete information.**

Ambien (zolpidem)

If nothing else works Ambien is one of the cheapest prescription sleep aids available. Although it may cause rebound insomnia for a day or two, it is not physically addictive like Xanax or Konopin (older sleep aids).

Cost = $17.99 per month at drugstore.com

Upside: Knocks most people out in about 15 minutes and causes less morning grogginess than many other sleeping aids.

Downside: It has a shorter duration of effect (usually 4-6 hrs) than other prescription sleep medications. It needs a prescription. It rarely causes sleep walking incidents.

Amitriptyline

Cost= $4 per month

Upside: It is cheap, it works, and it has a long track record.

Downside: Amitriptyline can cause morning grogginess and other minor side effects.

Sweet Dreams!

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