Sleeping Pills
The benefits of sleeping pills are very tiny and the side effects are significant - Dr. Brian Murray
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I can’t sleep. What drugs can I (safely) take?
If you’re having trouble sleeping, medicines shouldn’t be your first option. Exercise regularly, cut back on coffee (and other caffeinated drinks) after midday, eat less in the evening, ease up on “screen time” before, and in, bed, practise meditation and try to have a quiet, dark bedroom dedicated mostly to sleep.
But what if you’ve tried everything and are still struggling with sleep? Many people will want to turn to a medicine for help. Navigating the various options for effectiveness, safety and the potential to become habit-forming can be difficult.
Long-term regular use of medicines to promote sleep should be avoided, as initial effectiveness declines rapidly over…
Resources
Alarming number of teens are using sleep aids, doctors warn of potentially risky results
Teens don't get enough sleep and one in four cope by medicating. Less than three percent of teens get the recommended 8 or 9 hours of sleep a day, according to a recent Pediatrics study. So, robbed of slumber, a quarter of them seek relief in herbal, over-the-counter pills and prescriptions.
Are Sleeping Pills Safe? Here's What Research Says
Sleeping pills have well-documented side effects...
Can’t Get to Sleep? Lay Off the Drugs
It’s easy to get into the habit of popping a pill to have a good night’s sleep. Insomnia, which affects a third of adults, becomes more common as we age. But as evidence has mounted about the risks of drugging the brain to induce or maintain slumber, more doctors are steering patients away from sleep aids, including over-the-counter medications, and are offering innovative behavioral-change solutions.
FDA: Here Are The New Warnings About Sleeping Pills Like Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata
Sleepwalking, sleep-driving, and sleep-using-a-stove are not things that you want to do. Therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced that eszopiclone, zaleplon, and zolpidem will now have to include "boxed warnings" of such possible side effects.
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep Without Drugs
Alternatives to prescription drugs for insomnia offer better, safer and more long-lasting solutions, experts say.
The Trouble With Sleep Aids
Not all sleep medications are the same. Here’s how to find one that works for you.
Ambien: The Good, the Bad, the Reality
New reports link the sleep medication to a spate of E.R. visits for hallucinations, agitation, and sleep-walking, among other complaints. But it also helps a lot of people. What's to know?
Americans Are Getting Worse at Taking Sleeping Pills
The number of emergency-room visits related to prescription sleep aids has doubled in recent years, according to a new study.
Cool, This Sleeping Pill Helps You Fall Asleep a Whole 6 Minutes Faster
Sleep aids are a booming pharmaceutical niche sector that boasts memorable jingles and some of the most popular drug names around...
Do Sleeping Pills Undermine Sleep’s Memory-Boosting Power?
The best long-term strategy is to develop a strong, sustainable sleep routine that does not rely on prescription sleep medication. There’s no question this takes work, but the rewards are worth it. Your sleep, your overall health — and perhaps your memory — will be better for it.
Explainer: what is Seroquel and should you take it for insomnia?
Doctors prescribe quetiapine off-label for various conditions, including anxiety, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and obsessive compulsive disorder. It is also increasingly prescribed off-label for insomnia, usually at lower doses of 100mg or less a day. But the evidence so far suggests the risks of prescribing quetiapine off-label outweigh any benefits.
FDA halves recommended Lunesta dose, warns effects can persist into next day
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited data showing that a person may be less alert and do things such as driving less safely the day after taking Lunesta.
Good Snooze for Insomniacs--Therapy Is as Effective as Sleep Drugs
A review of studies on the treatment of chronic insomnia finds that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective alternative to drug interventions.
I Used Myself as a Guinea Pig for 8 Alternative Sleep Aids
Prescription sleeping pills may be popular, but they can be dicey—the tales of side effects for drugs like Ambien and Halcion are legendary. This has led many to explore herbs, natural remedies, and over-the-counter products that, in theory, have fewer ill effects. But do they work?
Pharma Watch: A User's Guide to Sleeping Pills
A new pill adds to the choices but behavioral therapy can be a better option for some.
Propofol, The New Illicit Prescription Drug
It took a high profile case such as the death of Michael Jackson to bring worldwide attention to the misuse and dangers of Propofol. Access and availability should be restricted, a move than will save lives.
Quaalude Nostalgia: A Retro Drug That Everyone Remembers Fondly
Sleeping pills were a dime a dozen, and even if you had a preference for Quaalude, well, until 1973 Quaalude was, if not a dime a dozen, at least easy to come by, and probably not much harder for a decade or so afterward.
Sleeping Pills Are Not the Answer to Insomnia
The benefits of sleeping pills are very tiny and the side effects are significant," says Dr. Murray. Rather than reaching for a pill, you would be better off addressing the underlying cause of the insomnia and using non-drug treatments to improve your sleep.
The Best Medication for Insomnia: Ambien, Sonata, or Lunesta?
These three medications are all so-called “z-drugs”: Non-benzodiazepines that calm the brain and induce sleep by inducing a sort of hypnotic effect. They’re considered safer to use than the benzodiazepine drugs, which have a higher risk of dependence and overdose. How effective are these sleep drugs, anyway, and who do they work for best? It’s a straightforward enough question. But answering it isn’t so simple.
The Big Sleep
Insomnia drugs like Ambien are notorious for their side effects. Has Merck created a blockbuster replacement?
The Case for Sleep Medicine
Oh no, I groaned, reading the headlines, not another scare story about sleeping pills. As a lifelong insomniac who has extensively researched the topic, I find such stories alarming — but not because of the information they present. Rather, I’m afraid that they will cause doctors to stop prescribing these medications to people who need them.
The Evidence Points to a Better Way to Fight Insomnia
For me, and many patients, C.B.T. works. And as studies show, it works better than drugs. That moment with my children, a couple of years ago, was the last time I fell asleep reading to them.
What Are the Side Effects of Prescription Sleeping Pills?
Side effects have bedeviled prescription sleep medications since scientists began tinkering in their labs more than a century ago.
Who Is Taking Sleeping Pills?
There is a great deal we don’t yet know about long-term risks and complications of these newer sleep medications. We are also just beginning to get a sense of how frequently they are being used by adults in the U.S.
I can’t sleep. What drugs can I (safely) take?
Long-term regular use of medicines to promote sleep should be avoided, as initial effectiveness declines rapidly over a few weeks and dependence and adverse effects become problematic. But in the short short term, sleep medications do have their place. Unfortunately they are often over-used, especially in older people.
Ambien
AMBIEN (zolpidem tartrate) is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep initiation. AMBIEN has been shown to decrease sleep latency for up to 35 days in controlled clinical studies...
Clarocet
Clarocet is a biologically-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) that is specially formulated for nighttime use.
Lunesta
LUNESTA ® (eszopiclone) is indicated for the treatment of insomnia. In controlled outpatient and sleep laboratory studies, LUNESTA administered at bedtime decreased sleep latency and improved sleep maintenance.
Sonata
Sonata is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. Sonata has been shown to decrease the time to sleep onset for up to 30 days in controlled clinical studies. It has not been shown to increase total sleep time or decrease the number of awakenings.
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