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Benadryl is a common antihistamine (OTC) Used to treat allergies , colds, hay fever and itching skin - but its active ingredient, diphenhydramine, is also known to cause drowsiness.

"Diphenhydramine blocks the effects of histamine in your brain and this reduces symptoms. It enters the brain in large quantities and this can make you top , "Explains the national health services of the United Kingdom (NHS)." Diphenhydramine also blocks the effects of another chemical called acetylcholine ", a neurotransmitter that excites nerve cells from the brain.

For this reason, some people use Benadryl as a outlaw . However, many experts warn against the use of antihistamines to help you fall asleep, especially every night. Read the rest to find out what's going on if you take Benadryl before bed every night, including serious side effects that could put you in danger.

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Benadryl makes you sleep, but using it as sleep help may not go exactly as planned. According James Walker , MD, doctor and contractual medical advisor For Welzo , it is because Benadryl causes "important sedation and drowsiness, which can persist the next day. This can interfere with daily activities".

It is particularly important to Avoid driving Or operate heavy machines while taking Benadryl, adds poison control. "Benadryl can harm your coordination and your reaction time due to drowsiness", which makes serious accidents more likely, warn their experts.

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Another potential side effect of taking Benadryl on a night base is that it can lead to a cognitive decline . In fact, a 2015 report published in the journal Jama internal medicine concluded that people who took Benadryl or a similar anticholinergic drug for three years or more had a Dementia risk 54% higher , compared to those who take the medication for three months or less.

"Benadryl can alter cognitive function, including memory and attention. This can cause difficulties in concentrating and performing tasks that require mental vigilance," warns Walker.

If you take Benadryl every evening in a sleeping pill, you can also be more likely to fall. "Benadryl can affect balance and coordination, which makes individuals more subject to falls, especially in the elderly. This risk further increases when combined with other sedating substances such as alcohol," explains Walker.

In fact, the Harvard Medical School has listed Benadryl as one of the drugs most likely to increase your risk of falling . "The drugs that remove the central nervous system are among those most likely to contribute to the fall, because they reduce vigilance and cause slower reactions and movements," explain their experts. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Prolonged use of Benadryl is also known to cause certain bladder problems, warns Walker. In particular, he says that this type of antihistamine can cause urinary retention, which makes the bladder emptiness difficult. "This can be particularly worrying for people with preexisting urinary problems or an enlargement of the prostate," he said Better life .

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Finally, the use of Benadryl as a night sleeping sleeping room can harm your health if you take some other drugs. More specifically, Walker notes that Benadryl can interact dangerously with sedatives, tranquilizers and certain antidepressants. "These interactions can intensify sedative effects and increase the risk of undesirable reactions," he said.

Instead of opting for a night Benadryl, Walker suggests talking to your doctor to determine what causes your insomnia. "It is crucial to remember that the use of Benadryl or any other drug for sleep assistance should be temporary and under the direction of a health professional," he said. "Chronic insomnia or persistent sleep difficulties must be assessed by a health professional to identify and treat all the causes or underlying conditions."

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.