I take 25mg of benadryl (diphenhydramine) every night to aid in me falling asleep, rather then taking any sleep meds. any better alternatives?

Learn to sleep: Your brain has forgotten how to sleep. You need to relearn this skill. Partially that will entail getting drug free and some nights of insomnia. Learning good sleep hygiene is part of this. Perhaps a sleep doctor can help. Or a drug and alcohol treatment program would be helpful. Many of them recognize Benadryl (diphenhydramine) as a potential addictive medicine in this scenario.

Sleep hygiene: http://yoursleep.aasmnet.org/Hygiene.aspx while there are specific illnesses that can affect sleep they are uncommon (but treatable!) Mostly, it's bad habits and expecting to get to sleep more quickly and more uniformly than what we really are capable of doing. That Being Said... Benadryl is quite safe, no withdrawal.

Good habits: Good habits : -regular sleep time -no TV/light source in the bedroom -cool temperature -no caffeinated drinks late afternoon -no computer games before bed time -regular exercise during the day -calming breathing exercising before sleep Can also consider calming teas, herbal suplements