As the name suggests, sleeping pills are used for the treatment of sleeping difficulties such as insomnia. Sleeping pills may be called other names such as sleep aids, sedatives, hypnotics, and tranquilizers. These types of pills work to induce sleep and help individuals maintain their sleep throughout the night.
Sleeping pills come in different forms and strengths to treat all types of sleeping disorders. Although this therapeutics produces calming effects to induce sleep, they may also cause certain side effects such as concurrent health issues, other medication, and abuse of therapeutic. Not everyone will experience the same side effects because each individual is different.
The side effects can be categorised into two groups, which are sort term and long term side effects. The common short term side effects of sleeping tablets include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, heartburn, headaches, and muscle weakness. These effects usually last for 1-2 days and disappear once the body is used to the therapeutic.
Long-term side effects include loss of alertness, addiction, dependency, impaired coordination, depression and daytime drowsiness. These long term side effects usually come up when there is a long term use of the medication. Although sleeping pills side effects may cause discomfort and impair functioning, they can be treated by psychological therapy as well as other medications.
Interacting sleeping pills with other medication may also cause side effects such as over sedation and dizziness that increase the risks for accidents.
Prescription and Over the Counter Sleeping Pills
Over the years there has been an increase in research on sleeping difficulties and its treatment methods. These methods include psychological and pharmacological treatment to help people change their mind sets and aid in inducing sleep.
Studies have shown that comorbid diseases such as sleep apnoea, restless leg syndrome, migraines, diabetes and arthritis among others, can be a contributing factor in the cause of insomnia. People with comorbid diseases may be using other medication, so they need to be aware of the interactions with sleeping pills before purchasing the pills.
Non-prescription sleeping pills work just as effective as prescription sleeping pills, but are more easily accessible and used for occasional insomnia. These types of sleeping pills are generally for those who are unable to or do not wish to visit a doctor. Examples of this therapeutics include Benadryl and Unisom, among others.
Common prescription sleeping pills include Sonata, Restoril, Ambien, and Lunesta, among others. Prescription sleeping pills are basically considered controlled substances and are not easily available due to the risk of physical dependency.
However, this is not the case for everyone as one study showed that out of 50 participants in group 1, there were only 17 that developed dependency. Group 2 had 186 participants and a follow up was done on 182 patients of which only 8 continued using the medication even after the treatment period.
Furthermore, selected online pharmacies sell prescription medication without requiring script or complicated processes. Instead they require basic patient information and offer information on proper usage and dosage, precautions and so forth.
Types of Sleeping Pills
Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that usually co-occurs with other health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and pain and so on. These health conditions may cause individuals to stay up at night for many reasons, and therefore resulting in insomnia.
Sleeping pills work to cause sleepiness and at the same time may work to decrease the severity of other conditions. According to Proctor and Bianchi (2012), the different types of medication used to treat sleeping difficulties include anti-depressants, anti-convulsions, benzodiazepines, antihistamines, strong painkillers and neuroleptics.
The above-mentioned therapeutics is used to treat different types of health conditions. By treating these underlying conditions, sleeping difficulties may lessen. These medications produce similar calming effects as sleeping pills. You can get this medication on prescription or over the counter.
The therapeutics may be effective for a short period of time however, using sleeping pills will give an individual greater effects. The dose for these therapeutics will depend on the condition experienced and how severe it is.
Sleeping Pills Side Effects
Although the common sleeping pills side effects last for a short time and can be treated effectively, the effects can worsen if the medication is not used appropriately. If one misuses the therapeutic, it may be likely to not work as good as it should be. Therefore, it is important to use the medication correctly and in a safe manner. Here are a few safety tips when using sleeping pills:
- Drink plenty of water when swallowing the tablet and it is not recommended that you chew the tablet.
- Do not consume alcohol together with the medication as sedative effects may heighten.
- Make sure to use the correct dose prescribed to you and do not exceed limit.
- Do not co-administer two or more strong sedatives.
- Make sure you do not engage in activities that require you to be fully alert and aware when using sleeping pills.
These few safety tips are important to follow in order to decrease the risk of the side effects of sleeping pills. If, for whatever reason, the medication feels too strong for your body to handle or you feel that the side effects are impairing your abilities, make sure to lower your dose or avoid using the medication. Daytime drowsiness may also occur in some people, so if you experience this the next day, you may take a nap until the effects wears off.
How and When to Take Sleeping Pills?
In order for a medication to perform its action effectively and treat sleeping difficulties, it is important to use it at the correct time. The best time to use sleeping pills is about 1-2 hours before you go to bed.
These 2 hours gives the medication time to initiate its action in the brain and certain parts of the body. Once it kicks in, you will feel sleepy; therefore, it is important to ensure you are going to have at least 7-9 hours of undisturbed sleep. To decrease the risk of sleeping pills side effects, only use the medication when necessary.
Sleeping pills are only to be used if one is finding difficulty in falling or staying asleep. If you are using prescription sleeping pills, your pharmacist or doctor will advise you on the period of your treatment, but if you are using non-prescription sleeping pills, it should only be for a short period of time. Taking this medication with food does not decrease the treatment effects, but it can slow down the onset of action of sleeping pills UK brand medication. For best results, use the medication after food, preferably after dinner before bedtime.
Ask for more tips: our online pharmacy staff can shed further light on optimal usage instructions!