When looking at sleep medications, it is important to understand what they are made to treat and their side effects. Sleeplessness or insomnia is affecting a greater percentage of our population than ever before and drug companies are trying to capitalize on it big time. Here's an overview of some of what's out there so you can be informed.

 

The main group of sleep medicine out there are the ones geared for general insomnia. These work to help people either fall asleep to begin with or return to sleep if they fall asleep, but then wake up later and have trouble getting back to sleep. These come in a few different varieties.

 

The first are Benzodiazepines. These drugs are in the hypnotics class of drug and contain many of the older sleep medications such as Valium or Ativan. These drugs are used for insomnia, but may also be prescribed to treat various parasomnias or sleep disorders such as night terrors, sleepwalking, etc. However, they can have big side effects such as morning drowsiness, memory impairment in some cases and increased depression to name a few. They also tend to be habit forming and can result in rebound insomnia when a patient comes off them.

 

The second variety are Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotics. This is a category of sleep medicine that includes some of the newer and increasingly familiar drugs due to recent commercials. They include Ambien, Sonata and Lunesta. They are also given to treat short term insomnia. They can have some of the same side effects, but so far reports show that the cases tend to be less than their Benzodiazepine counterparts. They are also supposedly less habit forming. However, they are newer and there is not as much long term data on their effects. The jury is still out on what impact these have on patients.

 

 

Third are sleep medications which are not really for sleep but are actually antidepressants. Doctors have long been prescribing drugs like Trazodone as a sleep medicine as one of the side effects is to promote sleep. However, these were not designed for treating sleep disorders but depression so their long term effect when used as a sleeping agent is not fully known. Antidepressants can be somewhat habit forming and cause withdrawal issues if stopped suddenly.

 

There is also a drug called Rozerem which is somewhat distinctive as it works differently than the others by working on brain cell receptors for Melatonin which helps induce sleep. This drug does still have the possibility of side effects such as continued drowsiness the next day, decreased sex drive, and a possible resurgence of insomnia.

 

Aside from treating insomnia there are a number of sleep medications that indirectly are used to aid sleep by treating issues that prevent a person from getting a good nights sleep. For example, dopamine agonists such as Requip are used to treat Restless Leg Syndrome which can often inhibit sleep in people. Anticonvulsants such as Neurontin are also used for disorders like RLS, Nocturnal Eating Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. These also come with their own side effects and should be thoroughly discussed with a medical professional before running out and getting the prescription filled.

 

Getting medical advice is good, but be careful that the doctor is not to quick to prescribe drugs. Drugs help you get sleep in the short term. Long term rest requires dealing with issues that caused the insomnia in the first place which are usually the result of stress, depression, poor sleep habits or lack of exercise. Altering these can often produce better results than using drugs.

 

Additionally, adding a dietary supplement that is geared toward sleep may be beneficial too without as many side effects. There are some out there that have herbs like Valerian and Chamomile and compounds like 5-HTP which can help the brain induce sleep naturally and produce the right neurotransmitters to regulate sleep properly. All things to consider when trying to get that elusive rest.