Since Nyquil is an over-the-counter medicine, it is not always explained as well, as a doctor would, when prescribing another drug. Therefore, there are still unanswered questions, such as “How long does Nyquil last and what does it do?” Below, we will try to inform you on its use, and the effect Nyquil will have on your body when you take it. We will also explain why it is made to relieve a cold and flu symptoms and not to be used as a sleeping aid.
What Is Nyquil?
Nyquil is a medicine to relieve the symptoms of a cold or a flu. It has been brought to market by Procter & Gamble under the “Vicks” brand in 1996, in the USA. The various products labeled under Nyquil usually contain alcohol, hypnotics and sedating antihistamines. It reduces the pain and induces sleep. Therefore, it is better to take it before going to bed. These days, there are also some Nyquil products which don’t cause somnolence.
How Long Does Nyquil Last?
This is a question that many people ask. Why? Because many times, when people wake-up in the morning, they have trouble getting out of bed and going about their daily activities. This effect is caused by the sedative ingredients found in Nyquil. And although it is indicated that the Nyquil effect will remain active for up to eight hours, it may last longer for some.
Every individual will show a different degree of tolerance to the Nyquil active ingredients, which in turn will mean that it will last longer or not. That said, it is not uncommon to have people finding it difficult to function the day after they took Nyquil on the precedent evening. If you work with machinery or you drive all day, taking Nyquil may not be the best solution to relieve your cold symptoms, due to this side effect. If you insist on taking Nyquil, you can buy the version without sedative in it. Otherwise, the Nyquil formulas which contain doxylamine succinate will remain in your body for an average of 2.3 days. That doesn’t mean you will feel sleepy for that long, but it does show that it can affect your sense of wakefulness for quite some time.
How Long for Nyquil to kick in?
This depends in part if you ingest Nyquil in tablets or syrup. The second one will go to work faster than the first. Within ten minutes, it should kick in, and you should feel your body starting to relax. It will bring you a sensation of warmth, and the pain will slowly go away. Because of the sedative ingredient, you will feel your eyes slowly closing, as your eyelids become heavy. If you take it during the day, it will be difficult not to fall asleep, and even if you take it in the evening, you will still experience the Nyquil hangover, the next morning.
What is the Nyquil Hangover?
When people take Nyquil, it is because they are not feeling well. They have a runny nose, they ache everywhere and their throat is sore. It usually comes with a lack of energy. Nyquil will relieve the symptoms and send you to sleep profoundly, without being awakened by the pain or blocked nostrils. However, when morning comes, the side-effect of Nyquil will kick in, making it almost impossible to fully awaken.
That is part of what people call the Nyquil hangover. You will feel tired, and you will want to go to sleep at the breakfast table, in the bus to your work, and even at your desk, once you arrive. In fact, you will probably wish you had not chosen to take Nyquil the night before. No matter how many hours of sleep you will have slept, it won’t be sufficient to fully remove the sensation of tiredness caused by the sedative ingredient inside Nyquil.
Should You use Nyquil to help You sleep?
Now that you know Nyquil can put you to sleep, you may think it is a great idea to use it as a sleeping aid. However, it is not suggested. Yes, Nyquil will make you sleep through the night. For those who suffer from insomnia, it may sound like a dream come true. However, you are just exchanging one problem for another, by doing so. In the long run, it will cause interrupted sleep while enticing bizarre dreams, that will raise the anxiety level inside you.
Many people who tried Nyquil as a sleeping aid, ended-up taking other pills to break the disruptive sleep sessions caused by Nyquil. All addictions are bad, as they always create new ones, to break the first cycle. It would be much better for you to learn breathing techniques that will help you relax and find the route to sleep than to use medicine.
Nyquil is made to relieve a cold and flu symptoms; not to sleep. So, if you decide to take Nyquil, be aware that it can be very difficult to function normally the next day.
