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Over-the-Counter Sleep Medication: What Are the Active Ingredients?

Despite endless shelves of options, OTC sleep aids tend to involve one of two active ingredients.

Lauren Smith, MASanjai Sinha, MD
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD
Updated on September 15, 2025
Featuring Stacia Woodcock, PharmDReviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD | September 16, 2025

At the pharmacy, you can find endless shelves of medications that aim to support sleep. It may surprise you that most of these medications are just different versions of the same two ingredients: doxylamine and diphenhydramine. 

In this video, learn how these sleep-promoting ingredients work and how to pick an over-the-counter sleep medication, according to Stacia Woodcock, PharmD, Pharmacy Editor at GoodRx.

References

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

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Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Sanjai Sinha, MD
Reviewed by:
Sanjai Sinha, MD
Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.
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