sleep medicines are very harmful. the effects are same as painkillers. too many pain killer tablets or sleep medicines can destroy your kidney in the long run.
The best way to cure sleepless sympton is to take exercises regulary and keep a healthy diet. Taking pills would only make one addictive to them and then hard to solve the basic problem.
eat honey at night before you sleep and it is the best way to have a good night sleep. Doctor's recommend the use of honey. there are many other uses of honey.
never take medicines if u cant sleep. They will help you in starting --but its a addiction. You cant leave it and becomes more difficult.
The best thing for any problem like tension or not having sleep properly is to do MEDITATION. Take time to get up early and do meditation. It's the best medicine for every health related problem.
I am not sure if such medicine is harmful but I guess it would be. The best cure for sleeplessness is do Yoga everyday. Its a permanent cure without any side-effects. Or it has only positive side-effects.
For sleep and stress, I would recommend rescue remedy/pastilles, valerian root and lavender, beta-blockers, things like that
one odd time its ok but if u make it our habit then you will not be able to sleep without tem .So avoid as much as you can
How about Yoga for stress free life? Nobody can be stress free but yoga plays a great part in removing stress from our lives.