Unisom

Let’s talk about Unisom. In my clinic, it’s the little blue pill patients pull out of their purse or pocket at least twice a week, asking, “Doc, is this okay? It’s the only thing that works.” It’s not melatonin, it’s not valerian root—it’s doxylamine succinate, an old-school, first-generation ethanolamine antihistamine that happens to knock you out. Most people think of it as just a “sleep aid,” but its pharmacology is more interesting, and its implications more significant, than the average over-the-counter remedy.