Taking a sleeping medication sounds like a simple way to get a good night’s sleep. Swallow a pill and you’ll drift off to dreamland. However, even health care professionals admit that taking sleep medications has downsides and significant health risks, especially if you take them every night or for long periods of time.
Why should you be wary of sleeping pills? Most prescription sleep medications fall into a class of medications called benzodiazepines. Doctors prescribe these drugs to treat anxiety, insomnia, and to relax muscles. Although they help with insomnia, they become less effective over time, as you develop a tolerance to their sleep-inducing effects. This means you must take more of the medication to get the same degree of sleepiness. Over time, they can stop working altogether and leave you, again, struggling to fall asleep. So, they aren’t a sustainable solution for insomnia.
The Side Effects of Sleep Medications
Another negative of benzodiazepines are the side effects. When you take these medications, you can experience troubling symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, brain fog, lightheadedness, problems with balance, dry mouth, dry eyes, and constipation. Studies show they relax the central nervous system, but also cause slowing of brain function in several ways. Your reaction time slows, along with your thinking.
Benzodiazepines, and other sedating medications, are of special concern to people over age 65. In older people, these medications increase the risk of falling. An older person may get up in the night to go to the bathroom and fall and break a hip because of the side effects of benzodiazepines. Plus, there are cases of people experiencing accidents, including car crashes, the day after taking sleeping aids. Smart health care providers try not to prescribe them to older patients.
Are Benzodiazepines Harmful to Brain Health?
Beyond the slowing of brain function, while you’re on sleep medications in the benzodiazepine family, there could be longer-term risks to the brain. A study that looked at 9,000 men and women, some of whom had Alzheimer’s disease, found those who took a benzodiazepine medication for 3 to 6 months had a 32% greater likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease while people who took one for 6 months or longer had an 84% greater risk.
The association held even when the researchers controlled for other factors that affect the likelihood of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. If you take these medications, it’s best to limit their use to less than 3 months. Although it’s unproven that benzodiazepines cause Alzheimer’s disease, it’s safest to avoid using them longer-term.
Scientists also point out that sleep medications may worsen insomnia if you take them frequently or for long periods of time, mostly because of the tolerance effect. The brain stops responding to a given dose and you need more to get the same benefits. That’s not the kind of medication you should be taking long-term. Plus, taking a medication does nothing to help your body adopt healthier sleep habits. Instead, these medications increase your dependence on them.
Safer Approach to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
If your health care provider prescribes a sleep medication, like a benzodiazepine, ask about safer alternatives. Changes in your sleep habits can make a difference. For example, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day and on weekends helps establish a regular sleep schedule. With a regular schedule, your body learns when to shut down. Another tip is to turn off technology within 2 hours of bedtime. The blue light from these devices reduces melatonin, a hormone that regulates your internal biological clock and helps bring on sleep.
Other factors that affect sleep are diet and caffeine consumption. If you have problems sleeping, discontinue caffeine after 12:00 p.m. each day. Also, reduce sugar and ultra-processed foods that are high in refined carbohydrates. The fluctuations in blood sugar they cause can trigger frequent awakenings during the night.
Exercise is beneficial for sleep too. A moderate workout, such as a brisk walk or jog, each day can help you fall asleep faster based on research. Even exercise in the evening doesn’t seem to interfere with sleep, although studies show morning exercise is the most beneficial for getting a good night’s sleep. Make sure you’re exposing your eyes to natural light during the day too, as early in the day as possible. Open the blinds and let the sunshine in as early in the day as possible. Get outside early too to expose your eyes to light.
Certain supplements, like melatonin or chamomile, may be beneficial for some people. A randomized, double-blind study also found that older adults enjoyed better sleep when they drank a tart cherry beverage. Tart cherries contain significant quantities of melatonin. Talk to your physician before taking any supplement. Some can interfere with other supplements or medications.
The Bottom Line
Sleeping pills may help you get a better night’s sleep short-term, but they come with serious side effects and may have more serious side effects longer-term. Work on getting a good night’s sleep the natural way.
References:
- Stewart SA. The effects of benzodiazepines on cognition. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66 Suppl 2:9-13. PMID: 15762814.
- Harvard Health Publishing. “Benzodiazepine use may raise risk of Alzheimer’s disease”
- SleepFoundation.org. “Side Effects of Sleep Medication”
- Health.clevelandclinic.org. “What You Should Know About Sleeping Pill Side Effects”
- Fitzgerald T, Vietri J. Residual Effects of Sleep Medications Are Commonly Reported and Associated with Impaired Patient-Reported Outcomes among Insomnia Patients in the United States. Sleep Disord. 2015;2015:607148. doi:10.1155/2015/607148.
- “Do Benzodiazepines Cause Alzheimer’s Disease? | American ….” 01 Jun. 2020, https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20040375.
- Pigeon WR, Carr M, Gorman C, Perlis ML. Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2010;13(3):579-583. doi:10.1089/jmf.2009.0096.
- Pigeon WR, Carr M, Gorman C, Perlis ML. Effects of a tart cherry juice beverage on the sleep of older adults with insomnia: a pilot study. J Med Food. 2010 Jun;13(3):579-83. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0096. PMID: 20438325; PMCID: PMC3133468.
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