Misc Sleep medication: α2 agonists vs H1 antagonists vs 5-HT2A antagonists

Wich drug class is the best to induce sleep?

Im curious about drugs like: clonidine, tizanidine, mirtazapine, hydroxyzine, ketanserin.

Mirtazapine is a pretty good choice if you're also looking for an antidepressant. Hydroxyzine also isn't half bad. Both will give you a pretty heavy case of the munchies, though.

As for Clonidine, I don't find it particularly sedating.

Have you tried Melatonin or L-Theanine? In Canada (and presumably the US) you should be able to find OTC sleep aid combos consisting of both, and I actually found them more helpful than Ambien at one point where I was so sleep-deprived that my lack of sleep was apparently potentiating the Zolpidem to the point of producing so much euphoria and psychedelic effects that I no longer *wanted* to go to sleep.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I take melatonin but it is not sufficient for me. I think I will try one of the antihistamines.

Dormonoct for me. Midazolam was good at getting me to sleep but not keeping me asleep. For 10 years I can count the times I've taken more than my prescribed one pill at night on one hand.

Ive only personally tried hydroxyzine, but 100mg hydroxyzine pamoate makes me more tired than any benzo, z-drug, or barbiturate I have tried. I use none of these regularly so it isn't tolerance and even the hydroxyzine can be hit or miss. But given the choice between it and a more traditional sedative/hypnotic, I would take hydroxyzine every time. Mirtazapine probably is just as good as they both show similar potencies at antagonizing 5ht-2a and H1 receptors but have no experience with it.

I've taken both (hydroxyzine) and mirtazapine is a far more effective sleep aid.