Sometimes it’s hard to switch off from work, and the endless to-do list that’s swirling around your head can make it difficult to fall asleep, no matter how exhausted you might feel.
When faced with a demanding job and the stress that comes with it, a lot of people opt for medication to help them sleep – 25% of Americans take some kind of medication to help them sleep every year — but is taking a tablet the best option for ongoing sleep issues?
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, around one in 10 people have at least moderate insomnia but sleeping tablets can only deal with short-term sleep problems and are ineffective in the long run. With side effects such as dependence, and with daily use decreasing their effectiveness, sleeping tablets do more to get you to sleep rather than keeping you asleep.f
If you only take them occasionally sleeping tablets will help you get the good night’s sleep you desperately need. But if you take them too often, they won’t do much except make it very difficult to stop.
The most commonly used sleeping tablets include antihistamines, which aren’t designed as sleeping tablets but are very sedating; benzodiazepines, which include Temazepam, Mogadon, Normison and Serepax, only available by prescription; benzodiazepine receptor agonists, which include Stilnox (the use of which the Australian Olympic Committee banned in 2012 after revelations of its side effects) and Zopiclone/Imovane; and antidepressants or antipsychotics.
Sleeping problems and insomnia are often caused by stress and, in the short term, sleeping tablets can be helpful. But for many people, sleeping problems can last for many years, making sleeping tablets an ineffective treatment given they don’t work well over long periods.
“Sleeping pills can be a useful tool during periods of sleep disturbance, however they typically don’t address the underlying cause or root of the problem,” says psychologist Sabina Read. “It’s important to see your GP or psychologist to better understand the negative thoughts and feelings contributing to sleep issues.”
Instead of relying on sleeping pills night after night to get a good night’s sleep, Read says techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and relaxation can be very helpful to improve sleep quantity and quality.
While sleeping pills might alleviate a short-term problem, good sleep hygiene is imperative, according to Read.
“That includes going to bed and getting up at the same time every day to develop routine; avoiding stimulants such as coffee, chocolate, alcohol and even exercise at least four hours before bed; only using the bed for sleeping and sex – not TV, iPads etc; and removing the clock from the bedroom,” she says.
Melatonin, the hormone made by the pineal gland in the brain, is another alternative for treating sleeping issues.
According to the Sleep Health Foundation, taking melatonin in tablet form can be used as a sedative to make you feel sleepy, or to reset your internal body clock to a different time – ideal for those who travel a lot for work and deal with multiple time zones.
In Australia, melatonin is available by prescription in a slow release form designed to last through the night, similar to naturally occurring melatonin, and according to the Sleep Health Foundation, side effects are uncommon.