For acute insomnia, you may not need any treatment. In mild cases, it often can be cured with good sleep habits. If your insomnia makes it hard for you to function during the day, your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills for a limited time. These quick-working, short-acting drugs can help you avoid next-day drowsiness. There is not a lot of evidence that over-the-counter sleeping pills are effective for insomnia. They may have troubling side effects like daytime drowsiness.