A Quick Glance…
NyQuil, a common over-the-counter cold and flu medication, typically lasts for around four to six hours per dose. However, the exact duration can vary depending on factors such as an individual’s metabolism, dosage, and the specific formulation of NyQuil being used. It is important to carefully follow the instructions provided on the packaging or consult a healthcare professional for accurate information regarding the duration and appropriate usage of NyQuil.
Cold and flu season is here and you will be looking for medicine that can help you combat those symptoms. NyQuil is a common cold and flu relief medication that is sold over-the-counter in either liquid or pill form.
It is usually used to relieve coughing, but it also produces a feeling of relaxation and drowsiness. Additionally, some people who have conditions with associated pain use NyQuil to help maintain a pain-free state of sleep.
How long until nyquil kicks in?
Using Nyquil as a sleep aid is known to make you sleepy and drowsy. The duration of your sleep really varies from person to person. For some, Nyquil can be good for making you sleep from 4 to 6 hours. While for others, your sleep can last anywhere from 7 to 8 hours.
Once you take Nyquil, it can usually take around 30 minutes for the effects to kick in. More likely than not, your sleep will be continuous and uninterrupted, but warning, you may also experience a sleep that is disrupted by lucid and weird dreams, increased anxiety, breathing stoppage, and then have trouble falling back asleep.
Nyquil can stay in your system from anywhere up to 5 days. This may lead you to try and consume more of the drug in a shorter time and this is not a good idea.
What is in nyquil that makes you sleep?
A main component of Nyquil is Doxylamine Succinate, an antihistamine that causes drowsiness by blocking histamine from attaching to receptors in the brain. Since doxylamine succinate does not discriminate between which histamine receptors they block, they cross the blood barrier and inhibit receptors involved in regulation of sleep.
The disruption of this particular function of histamines in the brain results in drowsiness. Though Nyquil contains components that lead to better sleep as a side effect, relying on it to make you sleep is not smart and strongly warned against. Like any drug that will help you sleep better, using Nyquil regularly could lead to several problems.
Can you take nyquil as a sleep aid?
According to doctors, Nyquil does not present substantial risks when you are using it to help with a cold or flu, if it is used for anything other than what it was made for, that is when the dangers of it come into play. If you use it too much, you may find that the recommended dosage does not affect you anymore.
Instead, it may take longer for you to fall asleep, or worse, it may not help you fall asleep at all. When you take too large of a dose, all it does is help your body develop a tolerance towards the medicine. If you continue down that path, your body will likely create a dependence and addiction to it. As it is with any drug, when your body creates a dependence and addiction, the withdrawal symptoms may be severe.
If you are experiencing anything like that, it is important you seek help from medical or mental health providers. Nyquil is a drug and should be treated with as much care and attention as possible.
References:
- https://healtholine.com/how-long-does-nyquil-last/
- https://suntrics.com/health-blogs/how-long-does-nyquil-last/
- https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/12/09/how-long-does-nyquil-stay-in-your-system/
