Sleep is critical to one’s general health because it strengthens immunity, lowers stress levels, and revitalizes the mind and body. The Sleep Foundation states that insufficient sleep can affect a person’s mood, concentration, and ability to process information. It can also impair brain function. The risk of health issues like high blood pressure, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes is also increased by sleep deprivation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What about those who experience sleep disorders like insomnia? Yes, using sleeping pills is beneficial. To avoid insomnia, one in three older adults actually takes a sleeping pill.
Despite being a popular treatment, sleeping pills have unpleasant side effects that can interfere with day-to-day activities and even lead to problems if a person becomes dependent on them for sleep. Discover the effects of sleeping pills on the body, and the side effects in this guide. Sleeping aids have been used for centuries and across numerous civilizations; in early days people used morphine, heroin, alcohol, and opiates. Eventually, they led to sleep disturbances even though they were generally effective in promoting sleep. Barbiturates were the first synthetic sleeping pills to be created in the early 1900s, and benzodiazepines came next in the 1960s. Numerous other sleeping aids have since entered the market. Undoubtedly, sleeping pills help people sleep better, but they can also lead to an over-reliance on the medication, which can exacerbate sleeping disorders when a person tries to wean off of it. For this reason, before taking sleeping pills, it is imperative to consult a sleep medicine specialist.
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Benefits of sleeping pills
The main advantage of most sleep aids is that they make you feel drowsy, which increases your chances of falling asleep and staying asleep all night. Many sleep aids can help reduce daytime drowsiness and impaired thinking from sleep deprivation by enhancing sleep in the short term. They might assist in resetting your sleep schedule so that you can sleep longer. But the majority of sleep aids aren’t designed to be used consistently. A sleep aid is frequently used in conjunction with doable actions, like bettering your sleep hygiene, to treat sleep disorders like insomnia and help you obtain restful sleep every night without the need for medication.
Side effects of sleeping pills
Whether purchased over-the-counter or with a prescription, all sleeping pills carry the potential for negative effects and health hazards.
Prescription drugs for sleep
Approximately eight out of ten people report having a “hangover effect” the day after using sleeping pills, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This can include lightheadedness, a groggy feeling, and difficulties balancing and thinking clearly. Hypnotic and sedative medications can also slow down a person’s response time and make it more difficult for them to perform simple tasks. This raises the possibility of injuries or auto accidents when using heavy machinery. Using Sleeping Tablets can also lead to insomnia or other sleep issues. These behaviors, which “include sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake,” are referred to by the FDA as “complex sleep behaviors.”
