Sleeping pills are meant for you to take before a full night of sleep to reduce the risk of excessive grogginess the next day. "It really just depends on the person, everything else that's going on, the options out there, and their medical history." How to safely use sleeping pills "I think this is where you have to tailor the medication with your physician to your situation," Dasgupta says. Overall, the safety and effectiveness of sleeping pills depends greatly on the individual. According to the FDA, these drugs have been connected to 20 reported deaths and 46 non-fatal but serious injuries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates label warnings on three nonbenzodiazepine drugs - eszopiclone, zaleplon and zolpidem - because of "rare but serious injuries and deaths" from sleep-walking or sleep-driving when taking these medications. Some nonbenzodiazepines are affiliated with dangerous and complex sleep-related behaviors, such as sleepwalking and sleep-driving. Sleeping pills are mostly safe, but they carry some known side effects, which can pose a risk to your health.įor example, benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines can cause daytime grogginess, which can increase the risk of falls or other accidents, Dasgupta says. This results in a safer drug with less side effects than benzodiazepines, but also makes nonbenzodiazepines less effective at maintaining sleep throughout the night. Nonbenzodiazepines, such as Ambien or Lunesta, target GABA as well, but these drugs have a shorter half life than benzodiazepines, meaning they don't last as long in the body.These drugs can be habit-forming, says Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and the risks often outweigh the benefits. However, they are not commonly prescribed to treat insomnia anymore, as they aren't always effective and can be harmful if taken long-term. Benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax, target a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that reduces nerve activity, relaxes muscles, and promotes sleep.Studies have shown melatonin-receptor agonists reduce the time it takes to fall asleep in both adult and elderly patients, with little evidence of side effects the next day or withdrawal symptoms upon stopping the medication. These drugs work by mimicking melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone produced during sleep. Melatonin-receptor agonists, such as Rozerem and Hetlioz, target the melatonin receptors in the brain that are responsible for the body's sleep-wake cycle.Prescription sleeping pills, known as sedative hypnotics, fall into three categories: If you have addressed other possible medical conditions that can make it difficult to sleep, but still find that insomnia interferes with your daily life, a prescription or over-the-counter sleep aid could help get you back on track.
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