Survey: Half of sufferers turn to sleep aids

As many as 39% of Americans feel restless when they sleep at least once or twice every week, and 27.5% feel restless at least three or four nights each week, according to a survey conducted in May by Field Agent on behalf of Drug Store News.



Most respondents turn to the Internet (41%) or family and friends (40%) to deal with their sleep problems. However, nearly the same amount (35%) do not seek advice from anyone.



And only half of consumers (50.5%) have used a sleep aid remedy in the past year. Of those, 84% opted for an OTC remedy. When shopping for an OTC sleep aid, nearly half (47%) will choose the lowest-cost option, and 41% will search for a natural remedy.



And yet, well-known brands continue to dominate the sleep aisle of the drug store. When asked which brand they had bought most recently, 48.2% had purchased a ZzzQuil product, and 44.7% placed Tylenol PM near their nightstand.



The survey of 200 respondents was conducted from May 26 to 28 by Field Agent, which provides business information and consumer insights by leveraging traditional methodologies and incorporating new, cutting-edge crowd-sourcing and mobile technologies to deliver real time information about purchasing behavior and attitudes. As many as 60% of the respondents were women, and 38% were between the ages of 31 years and 40 years.



To learn more about Field Agent, visit www.FieldAgent.net.