2 capsules of L-Tryptophan.
Eh - I’ve had lackluster results with melatonin. 3 mg puts me out readily enough, but I always wake up a couple hours later.
Sleep medication is typically very addictive and should be taken with extreme caution. Even with OTC meds, I would recommend talking to a doctor unless you only need it for the occasional night, such as before a job interview or an early wake up or something.
To me, the most effective remedy against sleep issues is exercise. One of the reasons we have such problems sleeping is our sedentary lifestyle doesn’t make us as tired as our bodies have evolved to expect to be.
Thanks for this thread, Foggy - I nearly started an identical thread myself, as I am visiting the US and was wondering if there were things I could bring back home with me that I was unaware of (the answer seems to be “yes” as I did not know about Unisom, which I will try to pick up).
My 2 cents on everything mentioned:
Melatonin: it doesn’t really seem to work for me, but I take it sometimes anyway hoping for a placebo effect. I may sleep slightly better, in that I still wake up rather alertly every 1-2 hours but possibly it is easier to get back to sleep quickly.
Valerian: great stuff, works well but gently - and the vivid dreams are a bonus, as someone else said in another SDMB thread on this topic. I take it 2-3 times/month.
Alcohol: great to fall asleep but doesn’t keep you there; causes sleeplessness throughout the night.
**
Benadryl/Tylenol PM/anything with diphenhydramine: **NO EFFING WAY!!! I have an idiosyncratic reaction, or whatever they call it - it leaves me twitchy, anxious, wide-awake, and miserable.
Benzos: In my experience, Klonopin is not an evil addictive substance. it used to be (not anymore) that you could get Rivotril (same as Klonopin) over the counter in Indonesia, where I live, if you asked nicely. In 2002, I got some pills of 2 mg each. I only wanted to take a dose of .25mg, but since I couldn’t cut that fine I ended up taking a dose of .5 mg whenever I needed it. Those pills lasted me nine years - sometimes I’d go weeks without taking one. I was always careful - my rule was “never more than 2 nights in a row, never more than 3 times in one week”. If I wanted to take some but would break those rules by doing so, I didn’t do it. So I never felt any addiction; for me it was more like a desirable sweet dessert: you enjoy it, but if you care about yourself you know that it would be stupid to overindulge.
Before I rush out and buy the Unisom - can anyone tell me if it is chemically similar to diphenhydramine? Because if it is, forget it. I don’t need that agony.
One other suggestion not mentioned above: Humulus Lupulus. In Egypt, this is available in combination with valerian as an OTC sleep aid called “Dormival.” Does it work on its own? I can’t say, as the capsules are combined with valerian. However, I find the Dormival to be gentle but helpful.
I laughed at this, but it is true for me too… 
Benadryl or Advil PM work pretty well for me. I have to be careful with Nyquil because if I take too much it keeps me awake.
I’ve never tried melatonin, and valerian doesn’t seem to work that well for me. I do sleep some but I feel like crap in the morning.
I can hear it now:
“Best Damn Counter You Ever Been Over…!”
Sell it through a Pharmaceutical Cartel & the AMA’d bring back house calls…
Well…like anyone, I can only say what has worked for me. Or still does. Melatonin has worked in the past, but the effect was erratic at best - sometimes it worked, usually, not so much. Nyquill always works. In spite of what jamie said about the effect being from the alcohol, well, I doubt that. I can’t take the liquid Nyquill because the taste to me is so disgusting that I can’t even swallow it - my throat locks up and I choke and spit it up before it even reaches my stomach. And I’m pretty sure that any alcohol in the capsules would not be of sufficient volume to induce sleep based on that alone. But the capsules will still knock me out. On the other hand, I don’t like taking Nyquill because the effect is too lingering - I will feel tired and ‘out of it’ for the next day. But that’s just me.
Benadryl is great because it helps me fall asleep and pretty much I just need something to help me fall asleep - once I’m asleep, I’m good! With benadryl, I will sleep til morning and wake up with no ‘druggy’ kind of hangover. Maybe if you’re problem is not so much falling asleep as it is staying asleep - well, that could make a difference. On the other hand, your body does adjust to benadryl rather quickly, so its really only good for the occasional sleepless night and not for long term.
As far as Rx drugs go, Clonopin was great for me for sleep. Trazodone is another that is great for sleeping, but it is a Rx anti-d and I don’t need that anymore. Plus, its another drug that your body quickly develops a tolerance for. But I don’t get Rx drugs anymore, nor do I want them.
At this point in my life, when I have trouble sleeping, I take one or two benadryl. But I know that I can only take them for a day or two if I want them to continue to be effective, so I reserve that option only for times that I feel that I really need the sleep.
As I said, there are two potential issues here - falling asleep vs staying asleep - and they are not the same issues. If all you need is something to help you fall asleep, then I think benadryl is the best OTC option. But if staying asleep is your issue, you might need to either go with an Rx drug, or take something like Nyquill which has a more lingering effect and may interfere with your ‘next day’ functioning.
But that’s just me…
Funny, this is exactly my same relationship with Clonopin. For years I have abided by the exact same rule, and also like to make the dessert analogy!