Nytol

Nytol is a brand of sleeping pill produced by Prestige Brands. The active ingredient is diphenhydramine hydrochloride, a sedative antihistamine.

GlaxoSmithKline acquired the product in 2001 with the purchase of Block Drug. GSK sold a number of OTC brands in 2011 to Prestige Brands.

Diphenhydramine is claimed to enter the brain in significant quantities and can cause drowsiness. The manufacturers claim that it decreases the time taken to fall asleep and that it increases the depth and quality of sleep.

In the United Kingdom and Canada, it is available over the counter.

It is intended for short-term use as a sleep aid, or for alleviating effects of jet lag. It is available in both "One a night" and "Two a night" dosages. The maximum dose is 50 mg of diphenhydramine HCl per day.

Taking Nytol with alcohol is not recommended by the manufacturers. It is potentially dangerous to take more than the recommended dosage (although, unhelpfully, neither the packaging nor leaflet state what the interval between doses is - for example 12, 18, 24 hours, etc.), and those on other medication or pregnant women should seek medical advice before using Nytol. As with any other sleeping pill, one should never drive after taking a dosage. Long term usage is also discouraged as tolerance to the effect occurs over a couple of weeks. Diphenhydramine is claimed not to be addictive.