Sleep medication, which is available in prescription and over-the-counter are the most commonly used treatment for insomnia according to the report’s senior the report’s author Lindsey Black, Health statistician with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
“Our report details patterns of use of medication to inform patterns of use among subgroups of the U.S. population,” Black stated. “We do hope by dissemination of this report it can lay the groundwork for more work in this area and our understanding of sleep health among adults.”
Utilizing information taken from 2020’s National Health Interview Survey, Black and colleagues discovered that among adults of 18 and over, 8.4% used medication to aid them in falling asleep or sleep most nights, or even every night. A further 10% of respondents said they had used medications on a few nights.
Women were more likely than men to use sleeping pills, and the proportion of people who did it increased with years of age.
Particularly 10 percent of women took sleep medications as compared to 6.6 percent of males. White people were more likely utilize sleeping pills, while Asian adults were the least likely to use them. In addition, the percentage of men who took medication to help sleep fell when family income increased Black’s team observed.
A doctor wasn’t amazed by the sheer number of Americans who use sleeping pills.
“I work in a sleep center. And you know, I certainly see a lot of sleep medication use,” said Lauren Broch who is the clinical sleep psychologist in the Northwell Health Sleep Disorders Center in Great Neck, N.Y.
Broch believes that not only are sleep pills (both in the form of prescriptions and over-the counter) used too often, but they are also not properly utilized.
Prescription drugs such as temazepam (Restoril) triazolam (Halcion) Zaleplon (Sonata) and Eszopiclone (Lunesta) and Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, ZolpiMist) were created to be used for the short term, and not as a long-term nudge.
This is also true for sleep aids that are available over-the-counter that contain diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, the active ingredient in Benadryl.
People who take these medicines regularly come to depend upon them Broch said.
“Many people start believing that the sleep medication is what is making them sleep,” she explained. “There’s a dependence on them, and sometimes tolerance, and they believe that they must use it or they won’t sleep. That’s never a good thing.”
The sleep medication can also have adverse negative effects, Broch said. They can make you feel sleepy throughout the daytime. “They didn’t do all that much good because you feel tired,” she said.
“There are certainly side effects, slowness of thought, dependence on them, feeling sleepy — sometimes dangerously,” Broch stated.
Certain of these medications can be a problem with other medications you are taking, she added.
Broch believes that sleep medication can be beneficial when you are attempting to create better sleeping habits. The best place to begin is with cognitive behavioral therapy that can aid in the development of new habits of sleep.
A visit to a specialist at a Sleep center could be another method to seek help, particularly in the event that your sleep problems are serious.
Broch recommends good hygiene at night. This includes having a fixed time for bed and keeping the room cool and dark. Avoid distractions like televisions, tablets, smartphones or any other electronic gadgets in your bedroom. Also, don’t doze off in bed.
“The more durable way to help your sleep is to learn better habits,” Broch explained. “And to educate yourself about sleep.”
