Do sleep aids really work?

Do sleep aids really help if you're suffering from a sleep disorder? We asked an expert to find out.

First up, our expert tackles melatonin. Dr. Candice Alfano, a sleep expert and clinician at the University of Houston suggests tracking the timing of when you take the supplement since naturally our bodies produce melatonin when the sun begins to set or two hours before bedtime.

"The challenge for melatonin is that you can get it over the counter. There are no official guidelines for how much to take or even when to take it."

In fact, a recent lab study out of Massachusetts found nearly 9 in 10 melatonin gummy brands were mislabeled. It's also not regulated by the FDA because it's considered a dietary supplement.

Dr. Alfano says, "Most people unfortunately are taking dosages that are too high for them. The risk for that is that it's creating too much melatonin. When you wake up in the morning, you're not feeling refreshed, you're still feeling groggy."

As far as chamomile tea, Dr. Alfano says you might be surprised by the findings.

"Chamomile tea or sleepy time tea to help you sleep doesn't really exist. The studies that have been done have basically found that chamomile does not have an effect on sleep. So I think in many cases it might be what we call a placebo effect."

If it works for you though, Dr. Alfano says, that's great!

If you opt for other products like ZZquil or sleep aids in liquid form, she warns, most have a certain ingredient found in things like Benadryl.

"It does make us sleepy; the problem is that for most people they use ZZquil or diphenhydramine much more often than they should. After about a week or so, unfortunately, we adapt to the effects of diphenhydramine, which is why people find they need higher and higher doses, or they say it just doesn't work anymore."

Dr. Alfano also mentioned how it's important to remember that sleep is only restorative when you do it in a consolidated fashion. So, if you're a napper or try to "make up sleep" on the weekend, that's likely not helping because as we cycle in and out of lighter and deeper sleep it's in those deeper states that we really start to rest our bodies.