Home Symptoms Insomnia

Insomnia — what to take?

Insomnia = difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep or unrefreshing sleep, impacting daytime function. It affects 10-30% of adults.

5 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for insomnia

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Types of insomnia

Acute (under 3 months) - linked to stress, travel, changes. Chronic (over 3 months) - requires structured management.

OTC treatment

Melatonin 1-3 mg 30-60 min before bed. Useful for jet lag, shift work or elderly. A larger dose is not more effective.

Valerian 400-900 mg in the evening. Mild sedative effect, good safety profile, no dependence.

Diphenhydramine, doxylamine - antihistamines with sedative effect. Can be used occasionally. Avoid in the elderly.

Magnesium, L-theanine, passionflower - complementary supplements with moderate evidence.

Sleep hygiene - first line

  • Fixed bedtimes and wake times, including weekends.
  • Dark, cool room (18-20°C), quiet.
  • No screens 1h before bed.
  • Avoid caffeine after 14:00, alcohol in the evening.
  • If you can't fall asleep in 20 min, get out of bed and do something relaxing.
  • Exercise during the day, NOT in the last 3h before bed.

CBT-I - first-rank treatment

Cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia has superior efficacy to medication in the long term. Available via psychologist or online apps.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a physician or pharmacist. For diagnosis and treatment, consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for insomnia

Insomnia doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for insomnia

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for insomnia

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For insomnia most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for insomnia runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Insomnia over 3 months without improvement
  • Loud snoring with breathing pauses
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Severe daytime sleepiness

Frequently asked

Common questions

Does melatonin cause dependence?
No - it does not cause physical dependence. It can be taken long-term.
How many hours of sleep do I need?
Adults: 7-9h. Quality is what matters, not just quantity.
Why can't I fall asleep even though I'm tired?
Hyperarousal (elevated cortisol), anxiety, poor hygiene, late caffeine.
Does alcohol help sleep?
You fall asleep faster, but sleep is fragmented with night-time awakenings.

See also

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