Benefits and risks of using sleeping pills

Medical Video: Sleep | About Sleeping Pills | StreamingWell.com

Sleeping pills are usually the main choice in dealing with insomnia and conditions that make it difficult for us to fall asleep, such as thinking about work, bills, or family. Many people who say that sleeping pills can help them get good sleep, but many people say that sleeping pills are not the right solution, because it can cause long-term dependence. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping pills? Let's see more below!

Benefits of sleeping pills

Insomnia is not a condition that can be taken lightly. Insomnia has been linked to obesity, anxiety, decreased immunity, heart disease, and diabetes. Lack of sleep can also affect you during daytime activities, so you tend to increase your caffeine intake or take a long nap. Lack of sleep can also increase cortisol and adrenaline levels which make it harder for you to fall asleep.

Benzodiazepines are the most commonly prescribed drugs for sleeping pills. This compound can stimulate GABA neurotransmitters which are responsible for sedation. Other popular sleeping pills can affect melatonin receptors, these drugs can help to induce sleep and regulate your sleep-wake cycle. In addition, antidepressants can produce sedative effects by reducing anxiety.

Although benzodiazepines act on various types of GABA receptors throughout the brain, benzodiazepines also have other effects, namely:

Reducing anxiety
Muscle relaxation
Eliminate memories of certain events when taking drugs
Euphoria

Risk of sleeping pills

All prescription sleeping pills have varying side effects, depending on the drug and certain dosage, and how long the drug lasts in your system. The most common side effects are such as prolonged drowsiness the next day, headaches, muscle aches, constipation, dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, daze, and insomnia.

Other risks include:

Drug tolerance. For a certain period of time, your body will build tolerance to sleeping pills, so you will consume more than usual so that the drug can work in your body. With the more sleeping pills you take, you will experience greater side effects.
Drug dependence. You may depend on sleeping pills to sleep, and will not be able to sleep or even have a bad sleep if you don't drink them. Prescription drugs can usually be very addictive, so it will be very difficult to stop them.
Pain symptoms. If you stop using the drug suddenly, you may experience symptoms of sickness such as nausea, sweating and trembling.
Drug interactions. Sleeping pills can interact with other drugs. This can worsen side effects and sometimes be harmful, especially with prescription painkillers and other sedatives.
Insomnia. If you stop using sleeping pills, sometimes insomnia will get worse than before.
Cover the main problem. There may be medical or mental disorders that underlie insomnia or even sleep disorders that cannot be treated by sleeping pills.

How do you have good sleep habits?

Although drugs can help us to have good sleep, it will make you psychologically dependent. You will begin to believe that you cannot sleep without drugs and that is not a good habit for your sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, good sleep habits must be followed by:

Do not consume caffeine later.
Avoid nicotine and alcohol 2-3 hours before going to bed.
Maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule every day including weekends.
Exercise regularly and stop a few hours before going to bed.
Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before going to bed.
Create a sound sleep environment by reducing noise, light and extreme temperatures by clogging the ears, using blanketsand AC.

Experts agree that sleeping pills can be an important and necessary part of the success of sleep programs, but this is not the only answer. Research has shown that changing your sleep habits and lifestyle will be a long-term drug for your sleep problems. Behavior and environmental changes can have a more positive impact than sleeping using drugs, because they have no side effects and risk of dependence.

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