Many of those suffering from lack of sleep take over-the-counter products to help them. However, many sleep disorder experts say that the claims of the majority of these are misleading and that most supplements have not undergone any medical studies to determine their true effectiveness.
One in three Belgians has problems sleeping, according to the most recent statistics released by the VUB and the Brugmann Hospital in Brussels. In most cases, over-the-counter substances sold in pharmacies to help with sleep disorders are herbal food supplements, the manufacturers of which are not obliged to set up any efficacy studies because the supplement is categorised as a foodstuff, not a drug.
According to the experts, since food manufacturers cannot market substances that can treat health conditions and it is very difficult to take out patents, there are currently very few clinical trials undertaken on these products. Without these, they say, there is no supporting evidence that these supplements can help in the way they claim to do.
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Medically tested pharmaceutical 'sleeping' pills contain molecules of the benzodiazepine family while the food supplement alternatives mainly consist of the natural sleep hormone melatonin, or valerian, hops, passionflower and lavender — plants that are promoted as sleep inducers. While some degree of factual evidence supports these claims, especially in the cases of lavender and valerian essential oil, experts say it is hard to say how effective alternative solutions are without them undergoing clinical trials.
The best that many of these alternatives can offer, experts say, is to act as a placebo and convince the sufferer that it is helping; however, this effect is only temporary. If the sleep disorder persists, experts urge sufferers to consult therapists specialised in dealing with the problem.
