Many prescription and over-the-counter sleep medicines have side effects. They can linger in your system for longer, leaving you drowsy the next day and increasing your risk of falls and car accidents, especially as you get older.
You can reduce these risks by sticking to good sleeping habits, such as going to bed and waking up at the same times each night. Also, never mix sleeping pills with alcohol or other sedative drugs.
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Dependence
A doctor may prescribe sleeping pills for a legitimate reason, but this type of medication can also lead to addiction. The older sleep medications known as benzodiazepines, including Valium and Xanax, are highly addictive. Newer sleeping pills, like Ambien and Sonata, which are sometimes referred to as Z-drugs, have less of a physical addiction risk but can still foster psychological dependence.
Sleeping pills online that are used long-term can change the brain’s chemistry, leading to addiction. People who become dependent on these drugs often experience cravings and intense psychological distress when they try to stop taking them. This can be difficult to overcome without professional help, such as therapy.
Sleeping pill dependency can also be dangerous because it can interfere with the ability to think and react quickly. This can make it more likely that people will get into accidents while driving or doing other hazardous activities, such as operating machinery. It can also cause a person to engage in complex sleep behaviors, such as sleep eating or having sex while they are in a drugged state.
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Side Effects
Taking sleeping pills on a regular basis can cause intense side effects. Some of these include high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and depression. Those who have taken sleeping pills long-term may also experience tolerance and dependency. Over time, the body builds up a tolerance to these medications and takes larger doses to get the same sleep-enhancing effects. This can lead to dangerous and even fatal overdoses, shedding light on the actual dangers of sleeping pill addiction.
Depending on the type of sleep medication, there can be many other side effects as well. According to The Cleveland Clinic, over-the-counter sleep aids can produce a “hangover effect” the next day that includes grogginess, dizziness and trouble with balance and focus or memory. Sleep medications that fall under the benzodiazepines, sedative hypnotics and zopiclone categories can also reduce reaction times, increasing your risk for accidents or injuries.
These sedating drugs can also interfere with breathing in those with chronic lung diseases like asthma or COPD. Using sleeping pills with other sedatives, such as alcohol, can increase the risk of over-sedation and result in a slow or shallow breathing pattern that could be life threatening.
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Interactions
In addition to being dangerous when used for long periods of time, sleeping pills can interact with other medications and can cause severe side effects. They can also increase the risk of accidents and injuries for older adults. Sleeping pills should only be used under a doctor’s supervision and in combination with other treatments for insomnia, such as therapy or dietary changes.
Some prescription and nonprescription drugs interact dangerously with sleep medication, including many common antibiotics, antidepressants and pain relievers. Some herbal remedies and dietary supplements can also interfere with the effectiveness of sleep medications.
Never take a sleeping pill with alcohol. It increases the sedative effect of the drug and can lead to dizziness or confusion. It can also make you more susceptible to rebound insomnia, a withdrawal symptom from addiction to buy sleeping pills online uk. It is important to carefully follow all instructions for use, especially when starting a new drug or increasing or decreasing dosage.
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Overdose
If you take too much of any kind of medication, including sleeping pills, you could overdose. This is particularly dangerous if you mix sleeping pills with other sedatives or alcohol. The sedatives in sleep medications like zaleplon (Sonata), Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo) or melatonin can depress the central nervous system to the point where breathing becomes difficult. This can lead to a coma or death.
Intentional overdose is rare because many people don’t want to die, but accidental overdose on sleeping pills is common. Taking too high of a dose can cause clumsiness, confusion or delirium, impaired motor skills, low blood pressure and loss of consciousness or a coma.
Continual use of sleeping pills can cause severe addiction. It’s important to speak with a therapist or other medical professional who can help you taper off sleeping pill use under supervision and treat any underlying issues that may be contributing to the problem. Treatment programs can also teach you healthier ways to get good sleep and manage your insomnia. These programs can also offer dual diagnosis treatment, which can address mental health problems that contribute to drug misuse and addiction.
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Accidents
Even though modern sleeping pills are safer than their predecessors, death from overdose is still possible. This type of medication is considered a central nervous system depressant and a lethal dose is likely at levels higher than 10 mg per day for adults and higher for older adults. Driving while taking these medications is also dangerous. An accidental overdose from sleeping pills can cause drowsiness, impaired vision and difficulty responding to stimuli. It can also increase the risk of nighttime falls and injuries, which is particularly dangerous for older adults. This is why it is recommended to talk with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist about gradually lowering the dosage over time (this is known as tapering). This brochure may be helpful to start the conversation.
