Taking Sleeping Pills to Treat Insomnia: 5 Potential Side Effects

Insomnia is a prevalent health condition that is usually caused by stress and other psychological problems. The condition affects millions of people in the US every year. Lack of sleep leads to further health issues that can degrade your quality of life.

Doctors prescribe sleeping pills as a short-term treatment option. The pills work at a physiological level in treating sleeping problems. But as with any other medication, there are certain side effects when taking sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Below we have listed 5 possible side effects you may experience when taking sleeping pills. These side effects usually occur if you do not follow your doctor’s advice.

1. Tiredness and Disorientation

The most common side effect of taking sleeping pills is disorientation. Taking the drug can make you feel dizzy, fuzzy headed and tired. This is a normal reaction to the pill and usually makes it easier for you to get to sleep. And for this same reason you must not take the drug other than when going to sleep at night. You should never take the medication when driving, operating machinery, or performing any other task that requires focus and concentration.

2. Hangover Feeling

Another potential side effect of taking sleeping medication is a morning hangover feeling or drowsiness. If you take sleeping pills you may experience dizziness when you wake up in the morning. This happens when you wake up before the effects of the medication have worn off. Most sleeping tablets such as Ambien remain active for around eight hours. Other hypnotic drugs such as benzodiazepines remain active for an even longer duration. The effects will subside when the drug wears off.

3. Amnesia or Sleepwalking

A number of people have reported experiencing amnesia when on prescription sleeping pills. Individuals may walk in their sleep and suddenly wake up to find that they are not in bed. The condition is more common when taking medication that is active for a short amount of time. The condition also occurs when taking the sleeping medication with other drugs including alcohol.

4. Addiction

In some cases, people can find it difficult to stop taking the pills and become addicted to the medication. This usually happens if you take the drug for a long time. In order to avoid withdrawal symptoms the drug should not be stopped abruptly. It’s important that the dosage of the drug should be reduced gradually so that the body does not feel any withdrawal symptoms.

5. Rebound Insomnia

Taking the medication for a long time is not recommended as it can result in ‘rebound insomnia’. This happens when the body becomes accustomed to the sedative drug and needs a higher dosage to induce sleep.

On a final note, sleeping pills are a good starting point if you are struggling to get adequate rest at night. Note that the drug itself does not make you fall asleep.

The pill stimulates the production of chemicals in the brain which helps you to relax and go to sleep easily. For more information go here: sleeping pills