A Word about Sleeping Medication
Many people have a hard time falling and staying asleep today. With smart phones being the equivalent to small computers in our pockets there are different things that contribute to different people having difficulty falling asleep at night, such as the stimulation from the bright lights from people’s cell phones. When someone has gone through lifestyle changes and made some adjustments to try to help them fall asleep at night, but still struggle they may begin to wonder if prescription sleeping pills may be a right fit for them. Insomnia is when a person regularly has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. When considering taking prescription medication for trouble sleeping the best thing to do is make an appointment with your doctor and begin asking questions.
Before you ask your doctor about a prescription, some behavioral changes a person can make on their own include sleeping on a regular schedule, avoiding caffeine late in the day, exercising regularly, not taking naps during the day, and handling stress in mindful ways. There are risks when taking most sleeping pills especially when a person has certain medical conditions, such as kidney or liver disease. Older adults may also be at certain risks as well when taking sleeping medication. A doctor should go through some questions with you when determining if a prescription sleeping medication is for you. Some questions a health care provider may ask you are things like what are your sleeps patterns? Ordering some tests to see if there are underlying conditions, seeing if you have taken other prescription sleeping medication before, seeing if medication would be short or long term, and more questions. Some types of sleeping medications are Ramelteon, Triazolam, Zaleplon, Lemborexant, and there are many more. There are some sleeping medication that can lead to dependance on them, so again it is very important to discuss all side effects with your doctor when deciding on a sleeping medication. Some side effects of sleeping medications may include headaches, dizziness, nausea or diarrhea, changes in behavior such as agitation or bizarre behavior, and daytime memory and performance issues. Always take sleeping medications as strictly provided by your healthcare provider and do not take sleeping medication with opioids or alcohol.
Additional Resources
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/in-depth/sleeping-pills/art-20043959
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/15308-sleeping-pills
