Sleeping Pills Are Your Last Resort For Curing Sleep Disorders

Research has shown that approximately 40% of Americans are experiencing occasional bouts of insomnia and one out of every ten people suffers from more chronic insomnia that is ongoing.

Some people can have relief from their sleeplessness with the help of sleeping pills and your chances for getting a restful night’s sleep will also improve.

Doctors will only prescribe sleep medication for insomnia as a last resort after other methods such as lifestyle alterations and behavioral techniques have been undertaken.

Instances under which sleeping pills can be considered

The National Sleep Foundation has set down guidelines as to when medicating a person for sleep relief becomes essential. Firstly, the cause of the sleeplessness has to be clearly identified.

Sleeping pills might need to be taken if difficulties with sleep patterns are affecting an individual’s ability to accomplish many routine daily tasks then sleeping pills. It may be time for sleeping pills if behavioral techniques have been refused by the insomniac or have not helped.

Sleeping pills can be used as a remedy if a person is suffering from a form of insomnia-related distress. Many doctors start their patients on a small dosage of sleeping meds at the start of behavioral therapy as they favor using the two in conjunction with each other.

Other two instances in which sleeping pills can be considered for relief is if the insomnia is short-term or temporary and/or if the insomnia is connected in any way with a diagnosed medical or biological condition or a stressful event such as a job interview, public speaking or the fear of flying.

Other indications that sleeping pills may be in order are if you suddenly find that your memory is not so good, you have a slow response time and if you find it hard to control your emotions.

It can prove dangerous to yourself and/or others if you are drifting off to sleep at the wheel.

You are in need of a last resort to get a good night’s sleep if performance problems at work have you concerned, if you find it hard to concentrate on the simplest tasks and your attention span is very small.

Situations under Which Doctor Prescribes Sleeping Pills

When doctors prescribe sleeping pills to patients it is necessary for certain criteria to be met.

• Firstly, the lowest effective dosage should be given
• It should be given on a nightly basis if short-term but if for long-term purposes
• It should be intermittent
• Finally it should be used in conjunction with psychology

In decide a solution to the problem it is very significant to figure out whether a person is suffering from short or long-term insomnia.

In treating short-term insomnia is related to a stressful life situation behavior modifications are often very successful while long-term insomnia may have other considerations.

Over-the-counter Medication

An alternative to prescription sleeping pills is Over-the-counter medication (OTC). Over-the-counter sleeping pills are best used for short-term bouts of insomnia but changes to sleeping habits and/or lifestyle changes are encouraged.

It is not advisable nor is it healthy to become dependent on OTC sleeping pills and excessive use can in fact increase the debilitating effects of insomnia.

Over-the-counter medications can have adverse effects on the body so it is significant to pay attention to how one’s body reacts to the use of them.

If you experience any of these common side effects then discontinue use of the pills

• Blurred vision
• Constipation
• Dried mouth and throat
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness the following day
• Forgetfulness
• Urinary retention

Antihistamine

Antihistamine is the most common ingredient to be found in over-the-counter sleeping pills according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride, diphenhydramine citrate and doxylamine succinate are the other names for this ingredient.

The sleep experienced while taking OTC pills is not the exact same quality as the normal sleep of those not taking sleeping pills. It is believed that deep sleep of approximately 5% of the night is experienced by the people who use OTC sleeping pills.