It’s very tempting to resort to sleep aid pills if you’re having trouble sleeping. There are now a bewildering array of different sleep medications and some of them can now be easily purchased over the counter. But before rushing off to buy these drugs you should ask yourself the following questions; Do these medications have side effects? Do they actually help me sleep over the long term and are they safe to use with other medications?
Taking sleeping pills is not a cure for insomnia and should only be used over the short term. In fact taking any sleep drugs can actually make insomnia worse by causing an addiction to the drugs and serious withdrawal symptoms if the drugs are stopped suddenly. Drug tolerance may also be an issue, tolerance is needing to take ever increasing doses of the drug to have the same effect.
There are other problems to consider if you’re using sleeping aid pills. Side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth are common. More serious are interactions with other medications you may be taking such as painkillers or blood pressure medications and rebound insomnia caused by trying to stop the drugs too quickly. Some hypnotic medications can cause sleep-walking or other dangerous behaviors such as driving whilst asleep.
In most cases, sleeping pills are used for those who suffer from short term sleep disorders. In cases of severe sleep disorders it is recommended to use sleep medication only as needed and not on a daily basis to prevent any of the problems stated above. Other solutions to insomnia are stress relief, cognitive behavioral therapy or brainwave entrainment. Always talk to your doctor before you start taking more sleep medication to be sure that it is safe for you to take them on a long term basis.
When deciding to take sleeping aid medication, make sure that you follow the dosage correctly, inform your doctor if you are taking any other types of medication apart from the sleeping pills, and also inform your doctor if you have any other type of illness or allergy to medication. It is also recommended not to drink any type of alcohol whilst taking sleep aid pills as they can interfere with the medication.
In conclusion, if you suffer with chronic or long term insomnia, it would be better to seek help from cognitive behavioral therapy, stress relief or brainwave entrainment. Sleep aid pills should be a last resort and then be taken for the short term only. Be sure to stick to the advised dose and check with your doctor if you experience any adverse effects.
