Sleeping pills are a common remedy for people who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. However, they can cause a variety of health problems and are not always effective.
Before taking any medication, see your doctor to diagnose and treat the underlying causes of your sleep problems. If your sleep problem can be treated with lifestyle changes, you may not need medication at all.
Prescription
If you have a chronic sleep disorder, such as insomnia (trouble sleeping), your doctor may prescribe sleeping pills. These medications work by acting on receptors in the brain to slow down your body’s nervous system. However, they can cause dangerous side effects and can lead to drug addiction or dependency.
To prevent this, follow your health care provider’s instructions for taking and stopping the medicines carefully. Increase or decrease your doses, or stop the medicine, gradually to minimize your risk of side effects and rebound insomnia when you quit, Check out the post right here.
Some of these drugs, such as narcotics (opioid pain relievers), can be highly addictive and should be used under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider. They are safe to use only for short periods of time and only when other medications have failed or if they’re part of your regular treatment for pain or other problems. They also need to be stored in a safe and secure place at home.
Over-the-Counter
Fortunately, there are a number of medications that can be purchased over-the-counter without the need for a prescription. Some examples include Advil (ibuprofen), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and Tums (calcium carbonate). Over-the-counter products can be found in drugstores, grocery stores, discount stores, airports, and gas stations.
Aside from being convenient, over-the-counter medication is also often less expensive than their prescription counterparts. Using OTC medications can help you get relief from pain, fever, colds, coughs, allergies, and rashes. Some may even help you sleep.
While over-the-counter medications are a great option for some people, they should be used with caution. For example, some OTC sleeping medications contain caffeine or stimulants such as alcohol that can disrupt your sleep pattern. You should also make sure you are not taking other medications and supplements that might interact with the OTC drugs you’re taking. Finally, it’s important to follow the directions on the bottle and take the correct dose for you.
Non-Benzodiazepine
If you have been having trouble sleeping, your healthcare provider may prescribe a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic. These include zolpidem, eszopiclone, and zaleplon (also called Z-drugs).
These medications bind selectively to the a1 subunit of the GABAA receptor. Their effects are similar to those of benzodiazepines, but they have lower risks of dependency, abuse potential, and rebound insomnia.
They also have a narrower side effect profile than benzodiazepines and have minimal to no respiratory depression at recommended doses. Meta-analyses of randomized, placebo-controlled trials have shown that these drugs decrease sleep latency and the number of awakenings while improving sleep duration and quality.
Although these medications can be effective in treating sleep problems, it is important to use them as recommended by your health care provider. They can be habit-forming and cause withdrawal symptoms if used too long or too often.
Addiction
Sleeping pills are prescribed to treat insomnia, but they can also become addictive. These sedatives can have negative effects on brain function, including memory and concentration.
The most common signs of addiction are a need to increase the dose and cravings for more. Other signs include a history of taking the drug more than prescribed, or mixing it with alcohol.
Addiction to sleeping pills is usually treated in a residential treatment facility or an intensive outpatient program (IOP). These programs offer medical and psychological support.
Inpatient programs are a great option for patients with severe or long-term sleeping pill abuse problems and those who have trouble managing everyday life or who have a family that needs their help. These facilities will provide around-the-clock medical and psychological supervision to help patients overcome their addiction.