Whether it’s triggered by career-related stress or family issues, insomnia is on the rise in present day and affecting even the youth. While an occasional lack of sleep might not be a thing to worry about, chronic insomnia is a serious issue. In fact, up to 10 percent of adult Americans suffer from chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia not only makes you feel tired throughout the day but also puts you at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It can also decrease cognitive functions and lower your productivity at work. Sleeplessness can also lead to anxiety, sadness, or irritation, which contributes to further worsening the symptoms for people suffering from depression and anxiety.
Treating sleeplessness
Getting treatment is important to improve sleep. This can also help improve other symptoms and conditions that may be affecting your health. Several types of medicines can assist you with proper sleep. However, it is advisable that you avoid taking them for extended periods because of the several side effects they carry.
Medications for sleeplessness
Most traditional sleeping pills contain benzodiazepines which are central nervous system depressants. They help slow down the nervous system to induce sleep. Some other medications include Valium and Halcion that stay in your system for a long duration. These medicines also help treat other sleep-related problems like sleepwalking and night terrors.
Some of the newer and best sleep medicines are non-benzodiazepine sleeping pills which have fewer side effects compared to those with a benzodiazepine. These pills, however, can still pose risks for you, especially if you are suffering from some medical conditions like a disease in your kidneys or liver. It is essential that you consult your doctor when you try different treatments to deal with insomnia.
Some of the best sleep medicines that help treat insomnia generally include:
– Eszopiclone (such as Lunesta)
– Ramelteon (such as Rozerem)
– Zaleplon (including Sonata)
– Zolpidem (including Ambien and Edluar)
– Some other drugs like antidepressant trazodone.
Types of prescription sleeping pills
Following are some of the best sleep medicines available on the market:
Doxepin (Silenor): This is one of the best sleep medicines that help you remain asleep.
Estazolam: This medicine helps you fall and stay asleep. The consumption of this medication, however, should be controlled as it can lead to dependence.
Eszopiclone (such as Lunesta): This is also one of the best sleep medicines and helps you fall and stay asleep but can lead to addiction. Lunesta has a long half-life which is the amount of time taken to eliminate half of the drug from the body. This means that if you take it and do not get a full night’s sleep, you will feel sleepy in the morning.
Ramelteon (such as Rozerem): This drug helps in falling asleep. Rozerem works by acting on the body’s melatonin receptors. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by your brain whenever you are exposed to blue light. Rozerem acts specifically on the sleep center of your brain, reducing the production of melatonin to induce sleep. The biggest advantage of this drug is its safety. Research shows that it has no side effects or withdrawal effects.
Temazepam (Restoril): This medicine also helps you fall and remain asleep but may lead to dependence.
Triazolam (Halcion): This helps in falling asleep but can lead to addiction.
Zaleplon (Sonata): Similar to other drugs, Sonata also helps you fall and remain asleep; however, this can also lead to addiction. Sonata has one of the shortest half-lives of all drugs. This allows you to try falling asleep on your own after consuming it.
Zolpidem (Intermezzo, Zolpimist): These drugs help in falling asleep but can again lead to dependence. Ambien is good for making you fall asleep but might not help if your problem relies on remaining asleep.
Zolpidem extended-release (Ambien CR): This is one of the best sleep medicines that help address both the issues of falling asleep and staying asleep.
Side effects of most sleep medications
It is essential that you speak to your doctor before you decide to use any of the sleeping pills mentioned above. Some side effects of sleeping medications include
- Dizziness
- Digestion related issues such as nausea and diarrhea
- Headache
- Extended drowsiness when you take certain drugs
- Acute allergic reaction
- Sleep behaviors like sleep-eating
- Problems with performance and memory during the day.
While newer drugs effectively address several sleep-related problems, both relating to falling and staying asleep, the best sleep medicine is a lifestyle and behavioral change accompanied with the use of these drugs. These changes can include modification of sleep cycles, diet, and keeping your stress in check. These help address these issue at the core without producing side effects. It is essential that you deal with insomnia before it interferes with your daily lifestyle and productivity at work.
Besides medication, persistent insomnia may be treated via behavioral changes as well. You can learn some of these techniques through therapy that addresses your insomnia. It is also important that you stick to a regular sleep schedule, exercise, reduce stress and avoid caffeine and nicotine.
