Generally sleeping pills are used in case of insomnia and anesthetic purpose. However unnecessary intake of sleeping pill is hazardous to health.
Let’s see 10 reasons at a glance why unnecessary sleeping pills should be avoided.
1. Long term use of sleeping pill induces addiction (Dependence) for sedative-hypnotic drugs. As a result, it subsequently leads to withdrawal symptoms.
2. Excessive use of sleeping pill may be the cause of sudden death for alcohol addicted persons.
3. It can conduce paradoxical reaction. So sleeping pills may give rise to insomnia.
4. Long term intake of sleeping pill may instigate amnesia.
5. Regular use of sleeping pill often leads to drug tolerance. That is, the body adjusts to them and it takes a higher and higher dose to achieve the desired effect.
6. Persons who use sleeping pill at night for the sake of sound sleep may feel drowsy on next day. Which can be dangerous for drivers and related professionals.
7. Sleeping pills may incite Parasomnia. Parasomnias are a category of sleep disorders namely confusional arousals, unusual movement & behavior during sleep, somnambulism (also known as sleepwalking), nightmare etc.
8. Arizona State University sleep researcher Shawn Youngstedt claimed to US Cable News Network (CNN) "Sleeping pills are extremely hazardous, they are as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Not to mention they cause infections, falling and dementia in the elderly, and they lose their effectiveness after a few weeks.”
9. Hypothesis suggests that combined use of opoid analgesics and benzodiazepines may increase hospital visits for the potentially fatal complication.
10. Shocking information is that according to some research, taking hypnotic drugs could raise mortality risk.
However sleeping pills are very useful to treat certain diseases. Considering hazardous effects, sleeping pills should not be sold out, purchased and ingested without the prescription of specialized physician.