What Are the Pros and Cons of Sleeping Pills?

When you absolutely cannot sleep at night and when natural remedies fail you, you sometimes turn to taking sleeping pills. See your doctor whenever you can’t sleep to discuss the actual sleeping problem you are having and so he or she can prescribe something for you that can help you reclaim your sleep habits again. Each pill has a different reason behind using it and each pill affects you differently with different side effects.

Sleeping Pills that Help you Fall Asleep

Some folks just can’t get to sleep at night but, once they fall asleep, they stay asleep just fine. There are sleeping pills of shorter duration of action that get you to sleep at night but that do not have the carry-over effect of getting you groggy during the day. You awake feeling refreshed and ready to get going during the morning.

Lunesta is one of the best prescription medications for this problem. Doctors say you can take them longer than two weeks at a time and is less addictive than some sleeping pills. You can get withdrawal symptoms if you take them for a long period of time. Withdrawal symptoms include unusual dreaming, stomach cramps, muscle cramps, anxiety, nausea, shaking, sweating and vomiting.

If you have a past history of being a drug abuser, you may not want to take Lunesta. While the addictive potential is less, it still has some addictive qualities so that you might get addicted. Consider using it for two weeks or less so that the addictive potential is minimal.

Sleeping Pills That Allow You to Stay Asleep

If you are one who awakens frequently at night but fall asleep okay, then there are pills for you that last all night long in a sustained release formula. One of these is Ambien CR which has an extended release formulation that lets out small amounts of the drug during the night so that you sleep all night long. It can be used longer than original Ambien formulation but still has addictive potential. It also can contribute to daytime drowsiness, especially in the morning.

Sleeping Pills that are also Antidepressant Medications

Depression can have sleeplessness as one of its side effects so it is a good thing to have a pill that helps you sleep and controls depression as well. It will help you sleep better and you’ll be less depressed during the day. One of the most commonly used medications for this is trazodone. You cannot, however, take trazodone with certain herbal supplements so you should talk with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

Those with high blood pressure, trazodone may not be the choice of medication for you. It is not addictive, however, so it is a good medication for those who are addicts or who have an addictive personality.