Ramelteon for sleep online

Ramelteon is a sedative-hypnotic drug in a medication class known as melatonin receptor agonists. This class of medications works in a similar way to melatonin, which is a natural hormone found in the brain that helps with your body’s internal clock, circadian rhythms, and sleep.

Ramelteon acts on melatonin receptors, which help regulate the sleep cycle. Most melatonin receptors are in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is a bilateral structure found in the brain’s hypothalamus that manages the circadian rhythms of wakefulness and sleep. Ramelteon binds to specific melatonin receptors in the SCN, which helps promote sleep. Its effect on melatonin receptors is 3 to 16 times higher than the body’s natural melatonin.

Ramelteon comes in 1 strength, 8 milligrams. Providers typically prescribe that 1 8-milligram oral ramelteon tablet be taken within half an hour of going to bed. You don’t want to take it with or right after eating a high-fat meal. Swallow your tablet whole rather than crushing, chewing, or splitting it. 

The maximum dose for ramelteon is 8 milligrams a day.

Ramelteon isn’t recommended if you have severe hepatic (liver) impairment and should be used cautiously if you have moderate hepatic impairment.

If you take ramelteon, follow the instructions on the prescription label. And ask your provider or pharmacist if there’s anything you don’t understand on the label.

Ambien (zolpidem) is one of the most popular insomnia medications in the U.S. Like ramelteon, it’s a non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic medication and was approved by the FDA for short-term treatment of insomnia because of difficulty falling asleep in 1992. Unlike ramelteon, Ambien is a controlled substance and has a high risk for dependence, abuse, and addiction. Side effects include headache, dizziness, diarrhea, allergic reactions, trouble breathing, withdrawal symptoms, odd behaviors or thoughts, suicidal thoughts, and increased depression.

While ramelteon is a sedative-hypnotic, Quiviq (daridorexant) is a brand name orexin receptor antagonist (ORA) medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of insomnia due to difficulty of sleep onset or sleep maintenance in 2022. Side effects include headache, fatigue, CNS effects, worsening of suicidal ideation or depression, sleep paralysis, sleep hallucinations, complex sleep behaviors like sleepwalking or sleep driving, and breathing issues.

Doxepin was originally approved by the FDA in 1969 as a tricyclic antidepressant. It was later approved to as brand-name Silenor to treat chronic insomnia, specifically trouble staying asleep, in 2010. While ramelteon is approved to treat difficulty falling asleep, doxepin is approved to treat trouble staying asleep. Adverse events of doxepin include sedation, upper respiratory tract infection, gastroenteritis, nausea, hypertension or high blood pressure, abnormal behavioral changes or thinking, worsening of depression, suicide risk, and CNS effects.

Belsomra (suvorexant) is a brand-name ORA medication approved by the FDA in 2014 to treat chronic insomnia associated with trouble falling or staying asleep. Side effects of Belsomra include diarrhea, dry mouth, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, abnormal dreams, cough, CNS effects, daytime impairment, worsening depression or suicidal ideation, complex sleep behaviors, sleep paralysis, sleep hallucinations, and breathing issues.

The best way to find out which insomnia medication is best for you, if any, is to talk to an insomnia specialist.