Are Sleep Medications Safe?

If you use them appropriately, the answer is yes

How to Take a Sleeping Pill

• Always ask your doctor before using any sleep product, to make sure it won’t interact with other drugs you’re taking.
• Read the instructions carefully on when and how often to take the pill. Many sleeping pills take effect very quickly and should be taken immediately before bedtime.
• Plan on short-term use. Most sleep drugs aren’t approved for more than a couple of weeks.
• Allow enough time for sleep. With Ambien and Lunesta, you’ll need eight hours to avoid residual effects.
• Don’t give sleeping pills to children or the elderly without consulting a doctor.
• Avoid hypnotics if you’re pregnant or have kidney, liver or lung disease.

 

Is It Safe to Take That Sleeping Pill?
Learn what medications are safe for insomnia, how and when to take them, and how to identify signs of an underlying sleep disorder. FREE

Mon., Oct. 23; 7-8 p.m.
At LVH—Muhlenberg

Richard Strobel, M.D., medical director, Sleep Disorders Center
Stephanie Betz, director, Sleep Disorders Center

For those who spend their nights tossing and turning, a sleeping pill is a tempting solution—and ads for sleep aids are inescapable nowadays. But what about those sometimes-bizarre side effects? Are sleep drugs really safe?

They can be both safe and helpful if used correctly, says family physician Bruce Ellsweig, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. But a pill shouldn’t be your first strategy for sleep problems. Step one is a talk with your doctor.

“The solution may be as simple as changing your sleep habits,” Ellsweig says. For example, avoid caffeine or alcohol late in the day, don’t overeat near bedtime, and keep a regular sleep schedule.

“In other cases, we find that the problem stems from an underlying health condition such as heart disease or depression,” he says. Many of the patients suffering from insomnia who come to see sleep specialist Richard Strobel, M.D., discover they have a clinical sleep disorder such as apnea or restless leg syndrome.

Another common cause of poor sleep is prescription drugs, including beta blockers, steroids and many antidepressants. “Switching to a different drug or taking it at a different time often resolves the problem,” Strobel says.

If you’re losing sleep temporarily over family problems, work stress or grief, the right sleep medication may well help you through it, Ellsweig says. “Some drugs can even ease longer-term insomnia from problems like chronic pain.” Here are your options:

Over-the-counter products. Antihistamines like doxylamine (Unisom) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may help you sleep, says Lehigh Valley Hospital clinical pharmacist Jessica Price, but there are side effects including drowsiness and a hung-over feeling. Nontraditional choices include melatonin, kava and valerian. “Since they are unregulated, quality can be inconsistent,” Price says.

Hypnotic medications. These federally controlled prescription drugs, which work by slowing the brain, come in two classes:

Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam (Ativan)—They can help you fall asleep and stay asleep, but over time they can cause tolerance (a need for higher doses to get the same effect) and withdrawal symptoms.

Non-benzodiazepines such as zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and zaleplon (Sonata)—Some of these newer hypnotics are good for getting to sleep, others for staying there, and you’ll have fewer side effects. What about those stories of people on Ambien driving, shopping or binge eating in their sleep? “Such cases are rare when the drug is used appropriately and as directed,” Price says.

Ramelteon (Rozerem) is the first noncontrolled prescription drug for insomnia. It works like melatonin on your internal clock, helping you get to sleep. Like Lunesta, Rozerem can be used for longer periods.

Want to Know More about taking your prescriptions safely? Click here.

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