Insomnia is often related to stress and/or anxiety and therefore some of the remedies for sleep disorders are anxiolytic, antianxiety, or antipanic drugs. They generally require prescription. Many of them can lead to
dependence or addiction. Some other drugs used to aid sleep are sedatives (drugs that are calming) while others are hypnotics (drugs that make one drowsy or sleepy). The latter two groups are generally OTC drugs (over-the-counter drugs that do not require prescription).
If you have insomnia for several days or you have established chronic insomnia, before you embark on using sleeping pills you should see your doctor to rule out any underlying disease that needs other attention. Brain disorders such as depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease may be associated with insomnia because of chemical imbalances in the brain. Conditions that distract from normalcy include chronic pain, breathing difficulties, and frequent urination and these can precipitate insomnia. Diseases that cause discomfort are often linked with insomnia and these include cancer, arthritis, heart and blood vessel diseases, lung disease, and stomach disorders. If these are well treated the related insomnia may subside.
If you have no underlying disease, then you should seriously examine your lifestyle, including environment, diet, and relationships to see what could be affecting your ability to sleep and if you can do something positive about such factors (for example, please don’t kill your enemy but you can keep away from such insomnia-inducing enemy).
Another factor that may be involved in insomnia is medication. You should find out if any drug that you are already taking for some other condition causes insomnia as a side effect. Also watch your intake of caffeine (in coffee, tea, cola drinks, and energy drinks). There are some soft drinks that are not cola drinks but have added caffeine (e.g. Mountain Dew®) therefore you should check the labels on the drinks you consume. Other substances that are consumed such as nicotine in cigarettes and alcohol act on the brain and nerves and therefore, may interfere with sleep in some people.
Before you begin to take an OTC sleep aid, you need to contact your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) to make sure the sleep aid will not interact with any prescription drug you are taking. If you are not taking any other medication, you should ask your pharmacist how best you can use the sleep aid beneficially as sleep aids themselves can produce side effects (such as dry mouth and throat, daytime drowsiness, confusion, clumsiness, blurred vision, urinary retention, and forgetfulness), as well as dependence, addiction, withdrawal symptoms, and rebound insomnia.
Sleep aids are best used once in a while, as needed, and not daily as this can lead to dependence and tolerance. When a person becomes dependent, he or she will not be able to sleep without the sleep aid. When a person develops tolerance, he or she will need higher and higher doses of the sleep aid to fall asleep. In the worst case of addiction, the person will suffer grievously if he or she fails to take the sleep aid. Stoppage of the sleep aid may produce rebound insomnia, which may be worse than the original insomnia.
To avoid misuse of OTC drugs, read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, even if they are in tedious fine print. Make sure you have enough time and good environment to sleep effectively before taking the medication. Avoid alcohol close to the time you are taking the sleep aid. This is because, generally, drugs that depress the brain or central nervous system can add together in their function and dangerously depress vital functions such as breathing. People have died from such accidental combinations. During the day that follows, avoid attention-sustained tasks such as driving and operating machinery.
- Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910
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