Sleeping Pills: To Pill or Not to Pill

When you are having trouble sleeping night in and night out it is only natural to start looking for ways to rectify the issue. But when it comes to the question of taking sleeping pills there is still quite a lot of confusion around the topic.

Sleeping pills vary in safety and it is safety that is the main sticking point when it comes to their repeated use. Sleeping Pills of any strength are only ever meant for short-term use. Sleeping pills are most effective when used sparingly for short-term situations, if sleeping pills are used over the long term they need to be used very carefully to avoid dependence, tolerance and other dangerous ramifications. For short-term use sleeping pills can be very effective, but sleeping pills never really cure the underlying issues and in many cases can actually make your sleeping problems worse in the long run.

Why it is important to be careful with sleeping pills

SIDE EFFECTS

Side effects can range from minor to severe and cause significant long-term health concerns. Everything from moderate to severe drowsiness the next day, dizziness and forgetfulness, clumsiness, constipation, urinary retention and blurred vision can be expected to a certain extent with the use of some sleeping pills – the other concern is, like all medications, they can affect each individual differently. Sleeping pills have a range of side effects and you simply won’t know the effects until you try them.

DRUG TOLERANCE

Over a period of time there is every chance that you may build up a tolerance to sleeping pills. You will have to take more and more for them to work, which in turn can lead to more and more of the side effects listed above.

DRUG DEPENDENCE

You might become so reliant on sleeping pills that you simply can’t sleep without them. Not only will you not be able to sleep without them, the likelihood is you will probably get an even worse sleep.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Mixing sleeping pills with other medications can be very harmful in the short and long-term.

Do not combine alcohol and sleeping pills

Mixing alcohol, even small amounts with sleeping pills is fraught with danger. The combination increases the sedative effect of the sleeping pills and can actually be fatal. The rule should be if you plan on drinking, don’t take any sleeping pills whatsoever.

Safety

There still remains a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the safe use of sleeping pills. When it comes to the use of any pills safety is the most important aspect. You should always practice caution when taking sleeping pills and always consult your doctor before trying a new pill.

Should you use a sleeping pill if you can’t sleep?

Most sleeping pills stop working after several weeks of nightly use and if you continue to use them over the long-term they can actually interfere with good sleep. Mild sleeping problems can be prevented by simply practicing healthy sleep habits like exercising, keeping your room dark and quiet, limiting alcohol and caffeine, reducing your use of electronics before sleep, finding a nice mattress and pillow and learning some relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation. If you have tried all of these and you are still struggling to sleep – maybe you should consider talking to your doctor about using sleeping pills.

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