By Dr.Manvir Bhatia , Saunri<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am often asked by patients \u201cDr. I had a very bad night.\nPlease give me some pill to improve my sleep?\u201d In this article I will discuss\nthe role of sleeping pills \u2013 To take or not to take? Sleeping pills are taken\nto improve sleep for a condition called Insomnia. <\/strong>But they may also lead to sleeping pills side effects! Before deciding to\ntake sleeping pills an insomnia patient needs to detect the cause and treat the\ncause rather than the symptoms of insomnia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Types of Sleeping Pills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Different sleeping pills act in different ways and have\nvarying sleeping pills side effects on insomnia patients. Some traditionally\nprescribed drugs such as benzodiazepines\nand non-benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of GABA, which is\nan inhibitory neurotransmitter that leads to sleep, but these drugs can lead to\ntolerance and dependence. Newer drugs such as melatonin receptor agonist help to induce sleep\nby increasing the effect of melatonin, and orexin receptor antagonist drugs work by\nblocking the effect of orexin, thus promoting a person to fall asleep. The\nadvantage of using these drugs by insomnia patients is that they do not lead to an addiction, and\nare associated with fewer sleeping pills side effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia instead of\nSleeping Pills<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is extremely\nuseful to treat insomnia patients, as it has a longer lasting effect and is\nsafe from sleeping pills side effects. Among\nvarious other things, it involves enforcing behavioural changes that involve\nrestriction in the time of sleep by spending less time in bed outside of bed\ntime, stimulus control by staying away from sleep incompatible devices such as\ncomputers and cell phones close to bed time and relaxation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sleeping Pills Side effects <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When should one take Sleeping Pills? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One should only take sleeping pills after consultation with their doctor. <\/strong>Sleeping pills are usually recommended for acute insomnia patients that may experience a life-changing event, such as a loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, etc that may cause extreme stress to an individual. In such a situation, a doctor may prescribe sleeping pills however, it is not recommended for long term use, by chronic insomnia patients as there can be various sleeping pills side effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>,\nwhether one should or should not take sleeping pills, depends on the situation.\nIn the current COVID-19 pandemic, many people are stressed, which has increased\nthe number of insomnia patients. Instead of popping pills to fall asleep and\nincreasing risk of sleeping pills side effects, one should consult their doctor.\nSince visiting doctors and hospitals should be minimum to prevent exposure to\nSars-CoV-2, CBT-I through telephone should be considered. Though the doctor may\nprescribe sleeping pills for a short duration of time, it is the responsibility\nof the insomnia patient to not abuse the drug and be safe from sleeping pills\nside effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To seek help or\nknow more about usage of sleeping pills and sleeping pills side effects, you\ncan visit<\/strong> the Neurology and Sleep Centre<\/strong>, the 1st sleep centre in\nthe country accredited by Indian Board of Sleep Medicine at L-23, Hauz Khas\nEnclave, New Delhi, Delhi-110016 (INDIA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or give a call<\/strong>\non +91-11-46070321, +91-9643500270,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Or write <\/strong>to info@neurologysleepcentre.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow us on Facebook- ttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/neurologyandsleepcentre<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Instagram- https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/neurology_sleepcentre\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You Tube- https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCi-Ryiwiw5md-mkTVTXoJiw?view_as=subscriber<\/a><\/p>\n