{"id":3694,"date":"2019-11-18T11:24:06","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T10:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/?p=3694"},"modified":"2020-06-16T11:59:12","modified_gmt":"2020-06-16T09:59:12","slug":"how-do-sleeping-pills-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disturbmenot.co\/how-do-sleeping-pills-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Sleeping Pills Work and What Are Their Effects?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many people resort to the use of sleeping pills to get a restful night\u2019s sleep. In the pharmacy, you can find a wide variety of over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills, as well as natural herbal extracts. But <\/span>how do sleeping pills work<\/span>? Some of them are merely soothing, and others directly cause sleep.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since <\/span>insomnia<\/span> is as old as humanity, substances such as <\/span>alcohol<\/span><\/a>, opium, and herbs were used as \u201cdrugs\u201d to interfere with sleep since well before the 20th century. Most experts say that sleeping pills are a short-term solution to the problem. Prolonged use may exacerbate insomnia, especially when you stop taking the medication. But if you need it, which sleeping pill or natural aid is right for you?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sleeping pills are also called hypnotics because they activate hypnogenic zones in the cortical structures, suppress the ascending reticular activating system, and enhance the retention effect of the GABAergic system. Put simply, sleeping pills are designed to initiate, maintain, or prolong sleep. Essentially, the overall <\/span>sleeping pill effect<\/span> is similar to the influence of narcotic drugs except that they don\u2019t extend to the spinal cord.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When examining the cortex of the large hemisphere under the influence of sleeping pills (by electroencephalographic examination), wave synchronization was detected, similar to physiological (natural) sleep. This indicates that the low and high-amplitude fluctuations of alpha and gamma waves from natural sleep can be induced by most <\/span>sleeping pills\u2019 ingredients<\/span>. And there\u2019s another similarity between medicated and natural sleep: both enable brain cells to recover, reduce catabolic (degradation) processes, and increase anabolic processes.<\/span><\/p>\n The significant difference, however, is that anabolic processes (the processes of building molecules) occur much more significantly in natural sleep than they do in medicated sleep. These processes are essential for cell renewal and growth and for the body as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n Prescription sleeping aids <\/span>restore phosphorus and oxygen metabolism in the central nervous system. Some of them have been shown to prevent the reduction of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the brain, which is responsible for storing energy and transporting it in cells. Retention of higher CNS functions during sleep plays a protective role against brain cell damage. This explains the healing role of sleeping pills when it comes to damage to both nerve cells and internal organs.<\/span><\/p>\n Sleeping aid prescriptions<\/span> include medicines in the following groups: barbiturates, benzodiazepines, piperidinediones, and quinazolinone derivatives, as well as various combinations between them. These drugs also produce anxiolytic, sedative, and anti-seizure effects\u2014which is why they\u2019re considered sedatives or sleep and anxiolytic agents. Keep in mind, the way each drug interacts with the body will also be determined by its specific dosage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are two types of sleeping pills, categorized by how long they act on the system. These are short-acting hypnotics (which serve to initiate sleep) and long-acting hypnotics (used to provide a sufficient duration of sleep).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Barbiturates, for example, disrupt the ratio of the two phases of sleep in favor of the NREM phase. For this reason, they often lead to headaches, fatigue, and drowsiness the next day. Benzodiazepines retain the ratio of the two phases of sleep and are used more often to initiate sleep. Another group of <\/span>sleeping pills that knock you out instantly<\/span> include quinazoline derivatives, which help you achieve a sleep duration of 6\u20138 hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These sleeping pills might also be a combination of different agents to help initiate sleep. These could be as combinations of barbiturates; barbiturates in combination with other drugs; or sleeping pills and sedatives in combination (but not barbiturates).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The idea that a pill can solve sleep problems instantly is very appealing. Unfortunately, sleeping pills do not cure the underlying cause of insomnia. In fact, they can even exacerbate the problem in the long run. Keep in mind, sleep medicines, including <\/span>sleeping pills<\/span> that are <\/span>over the counter<\/span>, are recommended for short use, often at the beginning of behavioral therapy to help a patient with severe insomnia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In general, sleeping pills and other similar medications are most effective when used in the short term, for example, when traveling to different time zones, for recovery from medical procedures, as a supportive treatment for a concussion, and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Here are some of the most commonly used remedies for sleep disorders and how they help you sleep:<\/span><\/p>\n When it gets dark outside, the brain begins to produce a hormone called melatonin. This hormone regulates the sleep-wake cycle by telling the brain when it\u2019s time to sleep. The brain produces less melatonin when it\u2019s light out and more when it gets dark. The older you are, the less melatonin your brain produces.<\/span><\/p>\n Melatonin for sleep<\/span> can be especially helpful for people who change time zones <\/span>to avoid jet lag symptoms<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Sleep aids<\/span> like this could also be beneficial for older people or those who work night shifts. In recent years, many manufacturers have marketed foods and beverages containing <\/span>melatonin<\/span>, offering its <\/span>benefits<\/span> to consumers. However, doctors are skeptical about their effectiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n Valerian is a sedative, used since ancient times. It\u2019s an essential component in herbal sleep medicines. It\u2019s been proven that valerian facilitates sleep and improves sleep quality.<\/span><\/p>\n Usually, for more severe sleep disorders, doctors prescribe medicines such as zopiclone, zolpidem, alprazolam, or diazepam. Unfortunately, these drugs have severe side effects and lead to addiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sleeping pills and tranquilizers (<\/span>sedatives<\/span>) are intended to help with anxiety and <\/span>insomnia<\/span>.\u00a0 They belong to the group of substances that suppress the functions of the central nervous system. For this reason, some of them are used to control epileptic seizures. In almost all cases, their use should be for a short period.<\/span><\/p>\n Traditionally, these are used as anti-allergy products. The first generation of antihistamines have a strong sedative effect and can successfully be used as <\/span>sleep medications<\/span>. Some of the antihistamines that have a sedative effect are diphenhydramine, doxylamine, cyclizine, and chloropyramine. However, new-generation antihistamines like cetirizine or loratadine have no sedative effect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sleeping pills come in the form of multicolored tablets and capsules; other aids for sleep come in the form of a solution for injection or suppositories. Regardless of how they\u2019re administered, these products all lead to short-term and long-term effects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These effects include depressing the central nervous system, which means that the medication inhibits brain functions. The person taking <\/span>sleeping medication<\/span> will become calm and relaxed, but they may also feel sleepy, dizzy, and emotionally indifferent. They can no longer concentrate fully and their reflexes slow down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n People taking these medications may overestimate his or her own abilities, which leads to some risks, such as having trouble driving. In fact, operating machinery and performing other dangerous activities under the influence of sleeping pills and tranquilizers are extremely dangerous and should not be allowed. This can be the case even if they take <\/span>over the counter sleeping pills<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n The use of sleeping pills and tranquilizers can quickly cause a strong dependence\u2014both physically and psychologically. This also means it doesn\u2019t take long before users need to increase the amount they take to produce the same effect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the long-term effects of these medications include <\/span>addiction<\/span><\/a>, fatigue, memory impairment, laziness, and sometimes muscle weakness. It\u2019s also essential to emphasize that the combination of <\/span>sleeping pills and alcohol<\/span> can cause a fatal central nervous system depression.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the differences between the specific substances, they all act similarly, and today they are often referred to under the general term \u201cbenzodiazepines.\u201d In the past, barbiturates were the class of sedatives commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, but after the 1990s, their medical use as an <\/span>insomnia medication<\/span> has declined dramatically. The main reason for this is that barbiturates have a very high potential for abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Nowadays, it is already well-known that benzodiazepines are a frequently abused medication and can easily be highly addictive. However, despite these serious drawbacks, their medical use is not diminished.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many people have problems with <\/span>anxiety<\/span>, <\/span>stress<\/span><\/a>, fatigue, or <\/span>depression<\/span>, all of which can cause a sleep disorder. Benzodiazepines reduce the brain\u2019s sensitivity to external stimuli by slowing down brain functions. As a result, the environment seems more relaxed, although it hasn\u2019t changed. Some benzodiazepines have a calming effect, while others cause sleep. Often for sleep problems, fast-acting sleeping pills are prescribed, whereas long-term medications are recommended for anxiety and stress during the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, <\/span>sleeping aids <\/span>do not solve problems, but rather mask them. The only thing that helps is to trace the causes of the issues and to work to solve them. The use of benzodiazepines for a more extended time makes finding problems under the surface much more difficult. For this reason, treatment with benzodiazepines should be for as short a duration as possible, almost never exceeding two weeks. However, treatment may need to be longer for people with epilepsy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Most importantly, keep in mind that the prolonged use of most the <\/span>strongest sleeping pills <\/span>leads to addiction. One of the solutions to this problem is regular contact between the doctor and the patient taking benzodiazepines because this ensures the medication is monitored. The new use of benzodiazepines is to control withdrawal symptoms in people who are <\/span>addicted to alcohol<\/span><\/a> and opioids.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the biggest risks of using <\/span>sleeping pills<\/span> is <\/span>overdose.<\/span> A <\/span>benzodiazepine or barbiturate overdose<\/span><\/a> occurs mostly in combination with other central nervous system depressants (opiates\/opioids, other barbiturates, alcohol, etc.). The symptoms of an overdose include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n The effects of sleeping pills depend on the substance itself, the amount of the active ingredient present, the time of administration, and the duration of use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This type of medication can help a person feel more at ease\u2014improving feelings of nervousness and anxiety. However, the user may subsequently develop feelings of indifference or begin having problems concentrating. Other annoying side effects may occur, such as headache, extreme fatigue, a feeling of emptiness, drowsiness, or melancholy. And some sleeping pills can decrease one\u2019s libido.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Below, we\u2019ve listed the four most common side effects of <\/span>prescribed sleeping pills<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n Most of the people who take a sleeping pill for the first time report having severe drowsiness the next day. It\u2019s often accompanied by difficulty concentrating, confusion, and delayed reactions. The body manages to adapt to such conditions, and over time the brain successfully dulls this feeling of drowsiness. Even so, this doesn\u2019t mean that the side effect has been overcome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Blocking certain brain centers under the influence of some <\/span>common sleeping pills<\/span> can help certain types of sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep (i.e., classic the <\/span>insomnia definition<\/span>). However, it can trigger others. Long-term use of sleeping pills leads to an increase in complaints of short daily hallucinations or a restless sleep accompanied by <\/span>nightmares<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n For people whose sleep problems are triggered by <\/span>sleep apnea<\/span>, taking sleeping pills can make both problems worse. Sleep apnea is provoked by blocking the airways during sleep, and the sedative effect of some notably <\/span>strong sleeping pills <\/span>can further weaken muscle tone and worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea.<\/span><\/p>\n Many studies<\/span><\/a> in recent years have linked excessive use of sleeping pills to an increased risk of permanent brain degeneration and the development of various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer\u2019s disease. This type of medication is considered to be a risk factor when used for more than three months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some of the <\/span>long-term effects of sleeping pills<\/span> may also include physical signs such as dry mouth, nausea, headache, vision problems, anterograde amnesia, gastrointestinal disorders, skin issues, and irregular menstruation in women.<\/span><\/p>\n All of these side effects can be considered a source of broad public concern. After all, more than 4% of people over the age of 20 use these medications worldwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some of the more specific <\/span>sleep aid side effects<\/span> may be the following:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s common for a person to rapidly develop a tolerance to sleeping pills and tranquilizers. The drugs lose their sleeping effects after only two weeks at the same dosage, and after four months, they no longer affect anxiety. Because of this, people who use them regularly need to increase their dose in an attempt to achieve the same initial impact.<\/span><\/p>\n The most pronounced symptom of psychological dependence is an overwhelming desire for use. This can continue for months after discontinuation of the more <\/span>dangerous sleeping pills<\/span>, especially if the patient hasn\u2019t undergone any addiction treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n As with other drugs and alcohol, the user most often doesn\u2019t realize that he or she is avoiding deeper problems. The primary reason a patient uses sleeping pills and tranquilizers is because they want to escape from their difficulties\u2014and this makes the risk of addiction particularly high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Benzodiazepines and barbiturates should not be taken as <\/span>sleeping aids during <\/span>pregnancy<\/span> or while breastfeeding, even though these periods can be marked with <\/span>insomnia<\/span>. It\u2019s known that a large number of their active ingredients are passed to the fetus or into the breastmilk, which can damage the baby\u2019s health.<\/span><\/p>\n Sleeping pills can damage multiple systems and organs in the body. More specifically, they produce lesions, which can occur with different frequency and severity in different people, making these side effects difficult to predict.<\/span><\/p>\n A person who wants to stop after long-term use of benzodiazepines will face a difficult task. The initial problem might return in full force (rebound syndrome). Withdrawal symptoms such as headache, sweating, severe anxiety, tremor, nausea, sleep problems, and more will also occur. And finally, some people become very vulnerable, aggressive, or depressed when they stop using the pills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When it isn\u2019t a simple <\/span>over the counter sleep aid, <\/span>discontinuing the use of many sleeping pills without medical attention can be very dangerous. The withdrawal period usually lasts for several weeks, but some people continue to suffer from several symptoms over a long period. Treatment depends on how large the dose of the drug was, the duration of use, and the patient\u2019s psychological and physiological state.<\/span><\/p>\n The good news is that there are some natural sleep remedies you can get without a prescription or dangerous side effects. These natural alternatives to the potentially harmful and addictive sleeping pills can be your best choice for a good night\u2019s sleep. What\u2019s more, they\u2019re also <\/span>safe sleeping aids for kids<\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since we mentioned this remedy previously, we\u2019ll add only to be careful when taking it as a dietary supplement. Too much of it can do you more harm than good. Instead of using artificial sources of melatonin, you can obtain it naturally from foods like nuts and cherries. However, in the case of <\/span>melatonin<\/span>, the <\/span>side effects<\/span> are not so pronounced. Therefore, in capsules, it\u2019s considered to be one of the better, <\/span>safe sleeping pills.<\/span><\/p>\n This beautiful fruit not only tastes great, it\u2019s an excellent natural source of melatonin. Besides, cherries are rich in antioxidants and fiber, so they\u2019re great for eating before bed, no matter how long you sleep each night.<\/span><\/p>\n L-tryptophan is an amino acid commonly associated with turkey meat. It\u2019s key to the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical substance that regulates mood, a sense of well-being, and health. Serotonin is an effective, <\/span>natural sleeping aid<\/span>\u2014more serotonin means faster and more comfortable sleep. Since the body doesn\u2019t naturally produce L-tryptophan, you should get it from food. Some great sources include poultry, fish, eggs, and beef.<\/span><\/p>\n Valerian is an herb grown in Europe and Asia. It may not have a pleasant smell, but people have been using it to help get better sleep since the second century. That says a lot about its properties. But don\u2019t just trust the history books. <\/span>The NCBI\u2019s systematic review and meta-analysis<\/span><\/a> verified valerian\u2019s effectiveness as an <\/span>over the counter sleeping aid<\/span>. Research shows that valerian root extract taken twice a day helps menopausal women have a more restful sleep.<\/span><\/p>\nHow Do Sleep Aids Work<\/b>?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Sleeping Pills That Actually Work<\/b><\/h2>\n
What Are the Best <\/b>Natural Sleeping Aids?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Melatonin<\/b><\/h3>\n
Roots of Valerian<\/b><\/h3>\n
Prescription Sleeping Pills<\/b><\/h2>\n
Antihistamines<\/b><\/h3>\n
Side Effects and Other Concerns<\/b><\/h2>\n
What Are the Disadvantages of Taking Sleeping Pills?<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
What Are Most <\/b>Sleeping Pills\u2019 Side Effects?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Constant Daytime Sleepiness<\/b><\/h3>\n
Hallucinations and <\/b>Nightmares<\/b><\/h3>\n
Exacerbation of Sleep Apnea<\/b><\/h3>\n
Increased Risk of Dementia<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
Are Sleeping Pills Bad for You?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Going off a <\/b>Sleeping Aid<\/b><\/h3>\n
Using a <\/b>Natural Sleep Aid <\/b>as a Safe Alternative to Sleeping Pills<\/b><\/h2>\n
Melatonin<\/b><\/h3>\n
Cherries<\/b><\/h3>\n
L-tryptophan<\/b><\/h3>\n
Valerian<\/b><\/h3>\n