


Prescription sleep aid use varied by sleep duration and was highest among adults who sleep less than 5 hours or sleep 9 or more hours a night.Non-Hispanic white adults were more likely to use sleep aids (4.7 percent) than non-Hispanic black (2.5 percent) and Mexican-American (2 percent) adults.More adult women (5 percent) used prescription sleep aids than adult men (3.1 percent). The percentage of adults using a prescription sleep aid drug increased with age and education.According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey:.One in six people with a diagnosed sleep disorder and one in eight people who report having trouble sleeping use sleep aids.

One study found that people who were prescribed the most hypnotic sleeping pills were 35 percent more likely than people who didn’t use them to develop a new cancer after about 2.5 years of follow-up.The likelihood of death increases with the number of sleeping pills taken annually. People who take 1-18 sleeping pills annually are 3.5 times more likely to die within a two-and-a-half year follow-up period.Sleeping pills may not seem like they’re dangerous, and although they can be a great short-term solution, the statistics listed below illustrate the serious risks of using them long-term or misusing them in any way. List of Sleep Aid Drugs Prescription Sleep Aid Drugs Performing certain activities while sleeping (driving, walking, eating, etc.)Īlthough sleeping pills are an effective short-term solution to get a good night’s sleep, they can cause serious health problems, hinder sleep, or lead to addiction if they are used on a long-term basis.For example, sleeping pills can sometimes make people feel tired, drowsy, or groggy during the day. Sleeping pills can also cause negative side effects, even if they are used as directed. Sedative-hypnotic sleeping pills are not recommended for long-term use, as they can actually start to hinder sleep if they are used regularly for an extended period of time or cause withdrawal if a person suddenly tries to stop using them. Some sleeping pills are highly addictive and can cause tolerance and dependence. They work by interacting with certain neurotransmitters in the brain and suppressing the nervous system. Sleeping pills are medications that are used to alleviate symptoms such as insomnia, nighttime restlessness, depression, or anxiety. 2 One study published in the British Medical Journal also found that people taking hypnotic sleeping pills like Ambien, Sonata, Doral, Halcion, Lunesta, Valium, Ativan, and Librium (among several others) had a four times greater risk of death and had a more than 35 percent increase in risk of cancer than people who did not. In fact, 11,537 drug overdose deaths were caused by benzodiazepines in 2017. Norco Addiction: Side Effects, Detox, Withdrawal, and TreatmentĪ sleeping pill overdose can kill you.
