How can we start taking sleeping pills?

Sleep is the most important thing when it comes to regulating bodily functions, refreshing your brain, recovering, and elevating your general health and wellness. When someone comes across a disturbance in his sleep or sleep pattern he tends to move towards the sleeping pills.

But what should be the best sleeping pill for him or how he should start taking sleeping pills needs extra care and depends on many factors.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in getting to sleep or maintaining sleep (waking up at night or early in the morning). Sedative antihistamines can be used as a temporary aid to help with sleeping problems. Some common causes of insomnia include stress and anxiety.

Different methods to treat insomnia and other sleeping disorders:

There are different treatments present for insomnia and other sleeping disorders. Following are some of the important treatments:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: 

   (CBT-I) is the preferred first line of treatment. It is a short, structured, and evidence-based approach to combating the frustrating symptoms of insomnia. Treatment usually takes 8-8 sessions, but the length may vary depending upon the specific needs of the patient. 

2. Usage of sleeping Tablets:

   The other most widely used treatment method is the use of sleeping pills. These can be prescription-based or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs used as a sleeping aid.

What are sleeping pills?

Sleeping pills also termed sleep medicines are sedatives/hypnotics that are sometimes prescribed by doctors if you have difficulty in sleeping or suffer from insomnia. These drugs act as a first aid when insomnia hits.

An important consideration while taking pills:

Different considerations are kept in mind as the start of therapy with sleeping pills is a crucial matter. Important considerations are as follows:

• • When to take sleeping pills? 
  • How to take sleeping pills? 
  • How many sleeping pills to take?
  • Do you Take sleeping pills frequently? 

Selection of the best sleep aid:

You should always talk to your doctor before starting a new kind of medicine or treatment. Which sleeping pills is best for you depends on medical conditions, previous history, and other factors including:

• Age 
• Sex 
• Pregnancy 
• Mental health 
• Physical health 

A thorough discussion with a healthcare professional can help you decide the best sleeping pill for you.

A safe start of the treatment:

A safe start of the treatment is really important. Once a doctor prescribes you a sleeping pill you should carefully read the prescription note (pamphlet) and follow the instructions regarding dosage and timing carefully. Try to take a sleeping pill when you have 7-8 hours’ sleep ahead as taking a sleeping pill can cause drowsiness and a feeling of grogginess for the next whole day. Experts advise avoiding driving a vehicle or operating a machine after taking a sleeping pill. 

Best tips for using over-the-counter sleep aids safely: 

The use of sleeping pills is an important procedure and it needs intensive care to do so. Following are some important tips for careful usage of sleep aid:

Start with the lowest dose recommended: 

Always start with the lowest possible dose as recommended by the physician. A lower dose will cause fewer side effects and will let you gradually increase the dose of the drugs as prescribed by the doctor. 

Only take a pill when you have enough time to sleep: 

Only take a pill when you have a 7-8 hour time to sleep after taking the medicine. As using the sleeping pills causes drowsiness and calmness in you, you must avoid awakening before 7-8 hours.

Inform your doctor about other medical problems and medications:

Before you start taking sleeping pills, tell your doctor everything about your medications and medical problems. Sleeping tablets can interact with other medications or they can even worsen the conditions of medical problems other than insomnia. 

Avoid mixing with alcohol or other sedatives: 

Always use sleeping pills alone and avoid using them with alcohol or other sedative drugs.

Avoid taking a second dose in the middle of the night:

It happens that you wake up in the middle of the night even though you have taken a full dose of the sleeping pill before sleeping. You have to avoid using a second dose during the same day and in the middle of the night, as it increases the amount of the drug and can cause severe side effects.

Avoid frequent use of pills: 

Frequent use of the sleeping pills must be avoided and it should be consulted with the doctor before withdrawing from the sleeping pills or making excessive use of them. As both, the cases can cause major side effects for you.

Avoid driving a vehicle or operating a machine after taking a sleeping Tablets:

Once you have taken a sleeping pill you must avoid driving a vehicle or operating a machine at least for the next 24 hours as a sleeping pill can cause drowsiness and calmness in your body and mind that can be dangerous for driving or operating machinery.

Carefully ready the precautions written on the package:

Before taking a sleeping pill or starting treatment with sleeping pills carefully read the package present inside the box containing all information regarding the dose, duration, frequency, and other important factors. It also contains information about the medications to avoid while using sleeping pills.

Side effects of taking pills:

• Rebound insomnia 
• Complex sleep behaviors
• Interaction with other medication 
• Overdosing
• For patients with other medical or mental disorders

Risks of taking pills:

Although taking sleeping pills can help to treat insomnia, they can be a potential threat to cause different problems. Following major risks can be expected when using sleeping Tablets: 

• Drug tolerance
• Drug dependence 
• Withdrawal symptoms 
• Rebound insomnia 
• Drug interactions
• Masking an underlying problem

Which sleeping pills should we start with?

There is a bundle of different drugs present that can be used to make you sleep better, but there are different considerations that must be kept in mind before you start taking pills. You should, first of all, consult a physician before starting taking the sleeping pills.