Sleeping problems and insomnia affect a greater number of people today than ever before, and pharmaceutical companies are trying to capitalize on the problem in a big way. If we look at sleep medications, it is important to be clear about what they are created to treat and what their side effects are, if any. In this article we will present an overview of sleep medications, what they were created for and what side effects they may have.
An Overview of Sleep Medication
The largest group of sleep medications are those targeted for general insomnia. These sleep medications work to assist people to either fall asleep or to fall back to sleep when they have awoken.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are drugs in the class of hypnotics and contain an older generation of drugs such as Valium or Ativan. These drugs are prescribed for insomnia, but may also be used to treat sleep disorders, or parasomnias, like night terrors or sleepwalking. Unfortunately, they can have side effects such as drowsiness, impaired memory, and even in some cases, depression. They also have a tendency to be addictive and can cause rebound insomnia when a person comes off them.
Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotics
Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotics are a form of sleep medicine which contains more modern and more familiar drugs, which have recently been promoted, such as Ambien, Sonata and Lunesta. They are often prescribed for short-term insomnia treatment. They may cause some of the side effects of the Benzodiazepines, but reports so far seem to indicate that these are simply less common with these drugs. They may also be addictive, but since they are new there is less evidence of this at this time.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants were not designed to assist sleep, but doctors often prescribe drugs such as Trazodone as a sleep medicine because it tends to cause sleepiness as a side effect. Although since they were not designed as a sleep medicine, their long term effects are not fully known. Antidepressants may be addictive and can cause withdrawal problems when treatment stops.
Rozerem
Rozerem is distinctive in that it works differently from the other drugs by working on brain cell receptors for melatonin to induce sleep. Although it also has similar side effects such as drowsiness the next day, a reduced sex drive and the possibility of a return of insomnia once the treatment has stopped.
Drugs for Sleeping Disorders
There are also a range of sleep medications which are used to treat problems which prevent a person from getting a good night’s sleep. For example, dopamine agonists like Requip are used for the treatment of restless legs syndrome. Anticonvulsants such as Neurontin are also used for conditions such as RLS, Nocturnal Eating Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement disorder. These also have side effects and should be thoroughly discussed with a medical professional.
Herbal Sleeping Supplements
Finally, using a food supplement which is known to assist sleep is a better first resort. For example, there are herbs such as Valerian and Chamomile and compounds as 5-HTP which help that the brain to sleep naturally and produce the appropriate neurotransmitters to sleep well.
In all cases, it is important to seek medical advice, but be careful that the physician not too fast is to prescribe a sleep medication without first ensuring there are no other remedies. Drugs may help you sleep in the short term but are not a long term remedy and typical underlying causes such as stress, depression, poor sleeping habits or lack of exercise should be approached.
