Serious Side Effects Linked To America’s Dependency Of Sleeping Pills

Have a headache? Take a pill. Can’t sleep? Take a pill.

It’s been the remedy for years, but now more Americans are finding they are having a difficult time falling asleep because they are so accustomed to taking a pill.

Roughly 1 in 6 American adults take some kind of psychiatric drug, the most used drug being antidepressants. A close second are sleeping pills, according to a research report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2016.

Many people turn to the help of a sleeping pill because they are suffering from sleeplessness, however, one concern behind the longterm use of sleeping pills is the fact that the body eventually becomes immune to them.

After prolonged use, the pill basically becomes ineffective, and people begin upping the dosage so they can fall asleep.

Other side effects from using sleeping aids for a long period of time are drowsiness, irritability, memory loss or amnesia, reverse insomnia, erratic changes in behavior and addiction to the pills.

Some people become so dependent on sleeping pills they eventually need doctor intervention to help ween them off the prescription drug. During the process patients will experience withdrawal symptoms which may require doctor supervision.

Various researchers believe many primary care physicians don’t fully understand the risks and side effects psychiatric drugs have, especially after longterm use like sleeping pills, according to NBC News.

As a result, many Americans who have developed a habit of depending on sleeping pills to fall asleep every night are now having to relearn how to fall asleep naturally.

Practicing yoga, meditation, and removing electronics from the bedroom are just a few simple ways people can help relax their minds and begin to wind down.

Making sure the bedroom is a non-stimulating and relaxing place is another factor in helping people fall asleep naturally.

Keeping an ideal room temperature, between 60 and 65 degrees, has shown to help people fall asleep faster. Making sure the room is dark and quiet without any disruptive noise like a TV or cell phone is another way to help the body and mind relax and fall asleep.

Overall, learning how to relax and manage stress proves to be the two biggest factors in helping America get to bed without a pill.