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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- For Thursday’s Facebook Story of the Day, KTVO’s Facebook fans wanted to know more about what they can do to help battle insomnia and lack of sleep.

According to Ron Hartman of NuCara Pharmacy in Ottumwa, there are several over the counter medications you can take. However, you must be careful when taking them because those medications can harm other organs in your body.

Hartman says that one big thing that most Americans deal with is low melatonin levels.

“If you are talking about over the counter sleep aides, there are only two categories, one is melatonin, which is actually a hormone your body produces, which helps your sleeping rhythm, which is how you fall asleep and stay asleep. It is not uncommon for melatonin levels to be low, so most people can take three milligrams a day on it,” said Hartman.

The other medication Hartman spoke of, actually deals with a type of allergy medication.

“It makes people really sleepy, so there is a whole host of sleep aides that are driven on the side effect of the allergy medication. Those are Tylenol PM, Advil PM and Unisom. Every single one has the same ingredient in it,” said Hartman.

Hartman did caution that these medications are only for temporary relief and that if you still have trouble sleeping over a long period of time to contact a doctor.