Dangers of using sleeping pills

It's the middle of the night and you are staring at the
bedroom ceiling, thinking about work, expenses, or the
kids. Sleep just won't come. Before you reach for that
sleeping pill, you may want to think again. Do you know
that relying on them may put your life at risk?
Sleeping pills help us to have a decent night sleep,
especially when we cannot seem to do it on our own. But a
new research by scientists in Pennsylvania, USA, has
revealed that these pills doing more than knocking you out.
The study, which involved over 10,000 patients who took
sleeping pills and 20,000 matched patients who did not,
shows that users are four times likely to die from it than
non-users.
According to the lead scientist, Dr. Daniel Kripke, patients
who took sleeping pills died 4.6 times as often during
follow-ups averaging 2.5 years.
It also shows that the patients who took higher doses
(averaging over 132 pills per year) died five times as often,
while those who took fewer than 18 pills per year had very
significantly elevated mortality than patients who were not
using it.
Kripke, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at the
University of California, San Diego, who began looking at
a possible link between sleeping pills and death risk in
1975, also links indiscriminate use of sleeping pills to
cancer.
"We found out that those who averaged over 132 sleeping
pills per year were 35 per cent more likely to develop a new
cancer. We are not certain. But it looks like sleeping pills
could be as risky as smoking cigarettes," he says.
Also, results from clinical trials conducted by the Food and
Drug Administration in the 80s shows that rats and mice
that were given high doses of some sleeping pills developed
cancer.
The report states,"The sleeping pills broke chromosomes,
which is a well-known specific chemical mechanism by
which drugs cause cancer. The animals that were given a
particular pill in the market, which contained zolpidem,
developed three kinds of cancer. We are concerned about
these hints of carcinogenicity."
An analysis of studies financed by the National Institutes of
Health, United States of America found that sleeping pills
had chemical substances that were hynoptic in nature which
could impair brain activity the next day.
One of the experts in the study, a sleep disorders specialist
at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Dr. Gary Richardson,
says taking sleeping pills is well known to impair brain and
bodily function the following day. So it should not be taken
as an alternative to getting a refreshing sleep.
He says, "Unlike getting a restful night's sleep, which will
leave you alert and refreshed, getting slightly more sleep (or
what you think is more sleep) by taking a sleeping pill is
not the same thing. Sleeping pills make your brain less
active, they produce immediate impairments in memory and
performance. Furthermore, there is extensive evidence that
these pills on the average impair performance and memory
on the following day."
Richardson notes that the hangover feeling users experience
from taking sleeping aids may cause confusion, sleepiness
and increase their risks for falls and automobile accidents.
He states, "Certain sleeping pills are very strong. They can
have a half life of about 18 hours. So, if you take them
every night, you are basically sedated for a large portion of
the day as well! Not surprisingly, they are associated with
cognitive deficits in the morning."
They note that most sleeping pills are potent anti-
cholinergics, which suppress REM sleep and dreaming, and
this could increase the risk for dementia in seniors and
hallucination in young people.
The experts conclude that sleeping pills do nothing to help
the underlying reasons why one is having trouble sleeping
in the first place.
Instead of depending on drugs, here are some tips that
would help you overcome sleeplessness.
Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes to
ensure complete darkness
Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your
internal clock and your pineal gland's production of
melatonin and serotonin. Even the faint glow from your
clock radio could be interfering with your sleep.
Also close your bedroom door, get rid of night-lights, and
refrain from turning on any light during the night, even
when getting up to go to the bathroom. If you have to use a
light, install so-called 'low blue' light bulbs in your
bedroom and bathroom. These emit an amber or red light
that will not suppress your natural melatonin production.
Keep the temperature in your bedroom at or below 70
degrees F (21 degrees Celsius)
Many people keep their homes and particularly their
upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal
room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68
degrees F (15.5 to 20 C). Keeping your room cooler or
hotter can lead to restless sleep.
When you sleep, your body's internal temperature drops to
its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall
asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be
most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body's natural
temperature drop.
Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields
These can disrupt your pineal gland and the production of
melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative
effects as well.
Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker
before bed to kill all power in your house. Move alarm
clocks and other electrical devices away from your head. If
these devices must be used, keep them as far away from
your bed as possible, preferably at least three feet.
Shut down
If you are feeling anxious or restless, try to shut down
emotional problems two hours before sleep. This can help
you address psychological issues that might keep you
tossing and turning at night.
Source: punch