Round 2
#1. Warnings to doctors about the over use of sleeping pills go back to the 1930s.
In the 1930s, doctors warned about the risks of relying on sleeping pills to treat insomnia. The same warnings apply today.
Everybody’s Family Doctor, London, 1935
#2. In the 1960s, Valium (diazepam) quickly replaced older types of sleeping pills, including the barbiturates, because it was safer.
Diazepam, other benzodiazepines, and the Z-drugs are less toxic than barbiturates in overdose when taken alone. However, these medications are dangerous when combined with other drugs, especially opioids, even at regular doses. Learn more about the dangers of sleeping pills.
#3. You can tell if a sleeping pill is impairing you physically or mentally the next day.
Maybe yes, maybe no. Impairment is difficult to detect. Sophisticated driving studies demonstrate that people taking zopiclone are impaired the next morning (11 hours later) at the same level as if they had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit. People in the study did not think they were impaired. Learn more about sleeping pills and impaired driving risks.
#4. As you get older, the amount of deep sleep you get decreases.
Older people spend less time in deep sleep and experience night awakenings more often. These age-related changes in sleep are expected and normal.
#5. CBTi can be used whilst still using sleep medications.
CBTi is effective even if you have been taking sleeping pills for many weeks or years. Ideally, you should start to reduce your sleeping pill dose gradually, for 1-2 weeks, then start to apply CBTi to help improve your sleep while slowly reducing and stopping sleeping pills. Learn more about how to stop sleeping pills.
Quiz
What do you know about sleeping pills? Take our Sleep Medication Quiz.
Dangers
Learn about the various risks associated with sleeping pills.
Terry's Story
Learn how Terry gradually reduced and stopped taking sleeping pills.
Stopping Guide and Planner
Learn how to stop sleeping pills safely while getting your sleep back.
Vicious Cycle
It is common for you to experience a return of insomnia when stopping sleeping pills.
History
Learn how sleeping pills have been used to treat insomnia throughout our history.