Don't Put Your Child To Sleep with Benadryl: Try This Instead

Some moms are taking drastic measures to get a child to sleep.

In a Moms’ and Parenting poll of more than 26,000 mothers, one in five admitted to giving their children ‘medicine’ such as Benadryl or Dramamine to get through a big event, like a long car ride or plane trip. Even more disturbing, one in 12 moms confessed to regularly dosing their kids with sleep-inducing medication, just to get some peace and quiet on a normal night. (source)

See safe, alternative choices to obtain deeper and more restful sleep for both little ones and adults below…

Don’t Try to Make Your Child Sleepy with Benadryl

2 minutes.

“Giving sleep aids to my children caused the death of my infant daughter. I was using Benadryl to help my children sleep during the night so that they would not disturb their father while I was working third shift. I never meant to harm, let alone cause my infant’s death. As a result I also lost custody of my other children and ended up serving a prison sentence for my actions”. ~ Justine Barber (Connecticut Public Health Alert)

Benadryl – The First Generation of Antidepressants

Scientists began to notice the antihistamine Benadryl often elevated mood, and they set out to create the first generations of antidepressants.

In the 1970s, the molecule diphenhydramine (Benadryl) was “rearranged” to create Prozac, the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. (source)

You should know the dangers of Prozac (which is a Black Box drug) including an increased risk of suicide and violence for patients prescribed to Prozac.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the active ingredient diphenhydramine could increase the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy.

Benadryl (aka Diphenhydramine) in Many OTC Sleep Medications

Diphenhydramine is the most common ingredient found in dozens of OTC sleep medicines. There are many more than I have listed below. Check labels carefully.

Why is it so easily available and doctor recommended for regular use? It makes no sense.

Addiction Leading to Dementia?

Addiction to Benadryl is possible. People do develop a psychological dependence on the drug, thinking they won’t be able to get to sleep without it.

Parents would be setting their child up for dependence on Benadryl where they won’t be able to sleep without it.

And be AWARE OF the harm it can do to young and old: a report published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed compelling evidence of a link between use of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl and DEMENTIA.

Common Side Effects of Diphenhydramine

Side effects include nausea, vomiting, increased chest congestion, excitement (especially in children), erectile dysfunction, constipation, dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, muscle weakness, blurred vision, difficulty and painful urination, nervousness, and dizziness.

Also, confusion and delirium, rapid and irregular heartbeats, irritability, short-term memory loss, hallucinations, muscle spasm and twitching.

When mixed with alcohol or with virtually any other drug that is sedating, the effects will be exaggerated and dangerous.

Considering its profound effects on the brain, which can linger for days, it’s a mystery how this drug could be recommended by any thoughtful health professional for such complaints as seasonal allergies and insomnia, when there are so many better and safer alternatives that don’t take a toll on the brain.

(Here’s my list. I have only chosen ones that are really safe and work for many. Please add your suggestion if there is something I’ve forgotten.)

Top Natural Alternative List for Both Insomnia & Antihistamines

For Correcting Sleep Issues From Age 1 through Adult:

• Homeopathic Nux vomica 30C – Sleep issues can often arise in infants and children who have been exposed to conventional meds. Even if the child has not been subjected to their own OTC drugs or prescriptions, the pharmaceuticals used during pregnancy and delivery can also have a lasting effect on the unborn child. Give twice daily until very much better.

• Coffea cruda, 200C – is another homeopathic remedy to consider for overstimulation from meds. In this case, the infant or child can go to sleep initially, but wakes up. Goes back to sleep, then wakes up. If the child is nursing, this pattern can also result from Mom drinking coffee, eating chocolate or other stimulating substances. This child will appear busy, busy, busy during the day, and perhaps a bit nervous or anxious. Coffea 200C would be utilized once a day, before bed.

• Homeopathic Chamomilla 200C has historically been shown to calm an irritable teething baby, allowing them to fall asleep more readily when bedtime rolls around. Given twice daily until very much better.

• WishGarden Herbs Sleepy Nights for Kids (for ages 1 and up)

• Hyland’s Kids Organic Sleep Products (ages 2-3 and up) both Gummies & Liquid Amazon Choice

• SleepCalm™ For Kids ages 3 and up (Mom’s Choice Award) Meltaway Tablets (Sleep Relief) Amazon Choice

• Mommy’s Bliss Kids Sleep Liquid (ages 3 and up) Amazon Choice

• Calms Forté Sleep Aid (for age 6 thru adult) Amazon Choice

• Insomnia Drops (by Professional Formulas), 2 fl. oz (for children age 12 and up)

• Magnesium Calm non-flavored (as directed, 30-45 minutes before bedtime)

• ***Melatonin w/ passionflower, hops, GABA, lemon balm, ashwagandha, and L-theanine a half hour before bed. Great ingredients. (Children never need melatonin as they have high levels already).

• Tart Cherry 6000 capsules (may help improve sleep quality due to its natural melatonin content, which can aid in regulating sleep cycles).

• Somnapure – herbal blend (2 tablets 30-60 minutes before bed)

• Passionflower (500 mg before bed) Helps relax the nervous system and doesn’t cause drowsiness.

• Valerian (600-700 mg before bed) Is effective for insomnia, but may be a stimulant for some. It’s pretty amazing that a herbal remedy like Valerian root can have the same anti-anxiety effects of prescription drugs without all the serious side effects of psychotropic drugs.

• Calcium and magnesium together (500 mg calcium/250 mg magnesium) These minerals work together for relaxation.

• Vitamin B12 (1500 mcg daily) Vitamin B12 supports cellular function and a deficiency which can cause insomnia.

• Diffuse lavender EO before bed and during sleep to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.

• Eat melatonin-rich, sleep-inducing foods like pistachios, cherries, mushroom (powder) or a half banana as a bedtime snack. (source)

Natural Antihistamines to Replace Benadryl:

• Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine. One study suggests taking 2,000 mg. or more daily.

• Plain and natural out of the hive RAW honey!!!!

• Allergy Health contains 4 of these natural histamines (Amazon Choice product)

• Boiron’s RhinAllergy For age 2 and up for hay fever, itchy and water eyes, sneezing, runny nose, and itchy throat and nose (Amazon Choice product)

• Bromelain is popular for swelling or inflammation, especially of the sinuses and following injury or surgery.

• Quercetin is a natural antihistamine that helps stabilize mast cells to prevent both the manufacture and release of histamine.

• Stinging nettle leaf blocks histamine receptors. The leaf can function just like Allegra or Claritin with none of the side effects.

• Boiron Histaminum Hydrochloricum 30C is a powerful remedy for stopping histamine reactions. (Amazon Choice product)

• Euphrasia Officinalis (eyebright herb) has been utilized since the middle ages as a tool for treating all sorts of allergies and allergy related symptoms

• Probiotics help balance of gut bacteria and boost a person’s immune system, which can help the body fight off allergies.

And how about different parenting techniques and life style choices? But that is another topic…

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.“ ~Psalm 4:8

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Medical Disclaimer: I am no longer a practicing medical professional, and I am not doctor. I am a mother. I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and remedies I use. Using remedies is a personal decision. Nothing I say on this blog is intended to treat or prevent disease. Consult your own doctor.

gena

May 05, 2025 at 3:35 am

Jackie – hate to admit it, it was most likely not done in the best way. I was living over 100 miles from the VA, and, at that time, gas was over $4 a gallon. I didn’t have the money to get there and back, tried to change the appointment I had been sent, and the VA refused to change my appointment, so I had no choice other than to skip it. So the VA told me they would not mail me any refills until I went there in person, which I tried to tell them I did not think it was safe for me to drive, once I had started the withdrawal from the Navane and Prozac. So I went cold turkey getting off the medicine. I could not stand to drink coffee or cola beverages for a couple of months, I could not listen to the radio (and did not have TV at that time), because all of those made me way too nervous. If I had not been on Gabapentin at the time, which enabled me to sleep, I don’t think I would have made it. I was living by myself, with the exception of various dogs and cats, so I didn’t have to deal much with other people. I was staying in a horrible mobile home on a friend’s ranch, and pretty much stayed to and by myself for a couple months. Every night I would venture into town and buy 2 24-ounce cans of beer, and other than that, stayed away from other people. I had told my friend what was going on and that I was not fit to be around people until I got off the stuff. It was rough, but with the help of my friends, and the grace of God, I got through it, and since then, 2006, have not taken any psych meds at all, nor even spoken to a mental health practitioner in person. Gradually I realized what I had already begun to suspect, that my symptoms were a reflection of severe OCD and they were caused by the medicine. I don’t know which one, but I do know the self harm, and obsessive thoughts gradually went away, the longer I was off those meds. And they have not returned. I was no longer sleeping half my life away, was thinking more clearly, and was able to do meaningful volunteer work. I will say I originally had, for 2 or 3 years, pretty severe PTSD from the abuse I had gotten over the years at psych clinics and hospitals. I don’t want to get into that, I really would far rather to forget it all. And never, never subject myself to that again. There are a lot of psychos who get into mental health work for the power they have over the patients and I have seen and been subjected to a lot of it. I have also been manhandled on more than one occasion “to teach me a lesson,” and I have seen staff who were bored goad other patients into getting violent so they could call a code.
I have been told I am “hyper-vigilant” about what goes on around me, and I could tell you stories of things I have personally seen that you would probably have a hard time believing. One incident I remember was an older woman who was admitted late one evening to a private hospital.
she kept telling everyone she did not feel good. The nurses had been told she had been thoroughly checked out and that there was nothing physically wrong with her, and they just kept reassuring her she would feel better after she got a good night’s sleep. Well, in the morning, when she didn’t get up, her doctor went down to her room, came out calling a code. She had died over night. I felt bad for her and also for her young room mate, who said she had also tried to wake her up for breakfast, but that her color was so bad, she figured she probably needed more sleep, so she left her alone. The doctor had called the code off immediately, he said rigor mortis had already set in and there was no bringing her back.

Comments

gena

May 04, 2025 at 2:14 pm

I was deeply involved in the pro-life movement in San Antonio in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of my best friends at the time had six kids of her own and she and her husband later adopted another 8 or 9 children. When I was talking to the eldest son, after he graduated high school, he had laughingly remarked that he and his brother and sisters had quickly learned if they got too hyper, their mom would decide their allergies were acting up and break out the bottle of Benadryl and dope them with it. I had asked his mom and she admitted to doing that now and then. I had told her it was dangerous, but doubt she accepted that at that time. All the kids survived their childhood, all grown, most finished college and several also got graduate degrees.

eugenia

May 04, 2025 at 2:22 pm

I had no idea that Prozac and Benadryl were related. When I had been put on antipsychotic medication by the VA they would tell me to take Benadryl for the EPS and it would give me what I think they call restless leg syndrome. And I was put on Prozac by the VA a year or two before it was approved for use by the public and when I first started taking it, I would wake up at night feeling about like I had stuck my finger in an electric outlet. I would be so restless I would have to get up and walk around for awhile. That side effect eventually went away, but years later, when I quit taking all that crap, I realized that the majority of my symptoms were caused by the medicine, which had apparently caused a very bad OCD which went away shortly after I quit taking those medicines. So did my “schizophrenia and major depression.” Since 2006 I have not taken any psychiatric medications. I largely wasted over 30 years of my life being heavily medicated for diseases I did not have, and which caused symptoms I would not have had without those drugs.

- Jacqueline
  
  May 04, 2025 at 8:33 pm
  
  Eugenia, thank you for sharing your personal story here! I hope many people will see it and listen up! Can you share the story of how you weaned off your meds? ~Jacque
  
  - gena
    
    May 05, 2025 at 3:35 am
    
    Jackie – hate to admit it, it was most likely not done in the best way. I was living over 100 miles from the VA, and, at that time, gas was over $4 a gallon. I didn’t have the money to get there and back, tried to change the appointment I had been sent, and the VA refused to change my appointment, so I had no choice other than to skip it. So the VA told me they would not mail me any refills until I went there in person, which I tried to tell them I did not think it was safe for me to drive, once I had started the withdrawal from the Navane and Prozac. So I went cold turkey getting off the medicine. I could not stand to drink coffee or cola beverages for a couple of months, I could not listen to the radio (and did not have TV at that time), because all of those made me way too nervous. If I had not been on Gabapentin at the time, which enabled me to sleep, I don’t think I would have made it. I was living by myself, with the exception of various dogs and cats, so I didn’t have to deal much with other people. I was staying in a horrible mobile home on a friend’s ranch, and pretty much stayed to and by myself for a couple months. Every night I would venture into town and buy 2 24-ounce cans of beer, and other than that, stayed away from other people. I had told my friend what was going on and that I was not fit to be around people until I got off the stuff. It was rough, but with the help of my friends, and the grace of God, I got through it, and since then, 2006, have not taken any psych meds at all, nor even spoken to a mental health practitioner in person. Gradually I realized what I had already begun to suspect, that my symptoms were a reflection of severe OCD and they were caused by the medicine. I don’t know which one, but I do know the self harm, and obsessive thoughts gradually went away, the longer I was off those meds. And they have not returned. I was no longer sleeping half my life away, was thinking more clearly, and was able to do meaningful volunteer work. I will say I originally had, for 2 or 3 years, pretty severe PTSD from the abuse I had gotten over the years at psych clinics and hospitals. I don’t want to get into that, I really would far rather to forget it all. And never, never subject myself to that again. There are a lot of psychos who get into mental health work for the power they have over the patients and I have seen and been subjected to a lot of it. I have also been manhandled on more than one occasion “to teach me a lesson,” and I have seen staff who were bored goad other patients into getting violent so they could call a code.
    I have been told I am “hyper-vigilant” about what goes on around me, and I could tell you stories of things I have personally seen that you would probably have a hard time believing. One incident I remember was an older woman who was admitted late one evening to a private hospital.
    she kept telling everyone she did not feel good. The nurses had been told she had been thoroughly checked out and that there was nothing physically wrong with her, and they just kept reassuring her she would feel better after she got a good night’s sleep. Well, in the morning, when she didn’t get up, her doctor went down to her room, came out calling a code. She had died over night. I felt bad for her and also for her young room mate, who said she had also tried to wake her up for breakfast, but that her color was so bad, she figured she probably needed more sleep, so she left her alone. The doctor had called the code off immediately, he said rigor mortis had already set in and there was no bringing her back.