Working at night after the kids are in bed doesn’t make it easy to fall asleep once I collapse into bed. The problem is my brain just won’t turn off. It’s like my bed helps me remember everything I forgot to do that day or all the things I need to do the next. Recently I learned about Answers at Walgreens which offers information and advice about various health issues such as healthy sleep solutions. I always like to do my research before I take any supplements or over the counter medication, so I checked it out.
See if you can relate to my sleep woes. I used to keep a notepad on my night stand so if something popped in my head, I would write it down. Getting it out of my head helped me fall asleep. . .eventually. I still had the other gazillion thoughts floating around. Once I finally fell asleep, my 3-year-old crawled into bed with me and my husband. Jaxson tosses and turns in his sleep. Ever been kicked in the head by a 3-year-old in the middle of the night? Or have him steal your covers? I can’t sleep through his shennanigans. Morning comes way too fast! We also adopted a cat about a month ago. Guess who her favorite night time human to cuddle with? Me. (I’m not complaining about that one, but I do need my sleep!)
The bags under my eyes and my sleep-induced crankiness is a cry for help. HELP!
As a Walgreens Balance Rewards member (it’s free to join), I can chat online with a Walgreens pharmacist. They’re available 24/7, which is perfect since the only time I have moment to myself is in the evenings. Let’s not talk about the irony of talking to a pharmacist about my sleep issues late at night! Nasseem was very helpful when I asked him for over the counter remedies to help me relax and fall asleep more quickly.
There are so many sleep aid medications available, I didn’t know where to start. I specifically asked him about all natural remedies. As you can see in our chat, he recommended melatonin and gave me the recommended instructions. He even sent me a link on Walgreens that listed all the options! Before we ended the chat, Nasseem told me I could find melatonin in the multivitamin section. Wasn’t he helpful?
Armed with an emailed copy of the chat transcript, I headed to my neighborhood Walgreens. Once I reached the multivitamin section, I was completely overwhelmed. So I walked to the pharmacy and talked to another pharmacist. He told me that our melatonin level rises as we get sleepy, so that’s what he recommended for me. It might sound like overkill, but I’d rather know exactly what I’m putting into my body. I didn’t catch his name, but the pharmacist was friendly, helpful and pointed me in the right direction. He was happy to help me.
I eventually bought the melatonin pearls you see pictured above. Aren’t they pretty? I like that the product doesn’t have any extra ingredients (except for the softgel casing ingredients), like some others that I picked up. Since I’ve never taken them before, talking to a pharmacist (or two!) about it and its side effects helped to reassure me.
While I might not be able to put in 8 hours of sleep every night, if I plan ahead, the melatonin might help me fall asleep faster. No more late night, illegibly scribbled notes next to my night stand!
I was very pleased with my experience with Answers at Walgreens, their 24/7 online pharmacists, and their in-store pharmacists. The pharmacy I normally use is always jammed packed so I would have never been able to have the one-on-one time like I did at my Walgreens. If you have questions about health issues, don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist for answers!
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