Sleep is vital to your health. When you don’t get enough sleep, you can feel tired, have trouble focusing, and have mood swings, among other things. Lack of sleep can directly result in serious health concerns, such as diseases of the heart and obesity.
Consider receiving a prescription for sleep medication if you have difficulty falling asleep. People can fall asleep and stay asleep with the help of prescription sleep aids. Before taking prescription sleep aids, knowing the risks and side effects is essential.
Prescription Sleep Aids Come in Two Main Types
Benzodiazepines are the oldest and most popular type of sleep medicine that doctors prescribe. They work by connecting to sleep-inducing receptors in the brain. Benzodiazepines can help people fall asleep and stay asleep, but they can also make people feel sleepy and dizzy, making it hard for them to move around.
Non-benzodiazepines: These prescription sleep aids are younger than benzodiazepines. They work like benzodiazepines but don’t make you feel as bad. Most of the time, people who want a safe and successful sleep aid choose something other than benzodiazepines.
Risks and Side Effects of Medications for Sleep
Depending on the type of drug, the risks and side effects of pharmaceutical sleep aids can differ. Some of the most common risks and side effects of sleep medications that doctors prescribe are:
Drowsiness: Sleeping pills can make you sleepy, making it hard to do things during the day.
Dizziness: Sleeping pills prescribed by a doctor can make you feel dizzy, making it dangerous to drive or use tools.
Coordination problems: Sleeping pills can make it hard to coordinate your hands and eyes while driving or cooking.
Memory problems: Some prescription sleep aids can make it hard to remember recent things, for example.
Dependence: Sleeping pills you get from a doctor can be dangerous, and if you take them for a long time, you may become dependent.
Withdrawal symptoms: If you stop taking a prescription sleep aid all of a sudden, you might feel anxious, have trouble sleeping, or shake.
When to Think About Sleep Medication on Prescription
If you have trouble falling asleep, you should talk to your doctor about whether or not you should take prescription sleep medicine. Prescription sleep aids should only be used briefly when you have trouble sleeping. If you can’t sleep for more than two weeks, you should see a doctor to ensure you have no severe health problems.
Alternatives to Sleeping Pills Prescribed by a Doctor
In addition to sleeping drugs, which you must obtain from your doctor, there are other options you might try if you have difficulties falling asleep.
These things are:
Good sleep is a set of habits that promote your ability to fall and stay asleep. These habits include going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, making a relaxing nighttime routine, and avoiding coffee and alcohol before bed. Cognitive and behavioral treatment (CBT-I) for sleeplessness: CBT-I can help you change the way you think about sleep and start getting better sleep. Uses of nature: Melatonin, valerian root, and chamomile tea are all-natural treatments that can help you sleep. The dangers and negative effects of any prescription sleep medications you are considering taking should be discussed with your doctor. You can try many things instead of prescription sleep aids, and your doctor can help you determine what will work best for you.
