Sleeping pills can help you sleep but health-wise, there is no question that some health risk is at stake. And apparently if people rely on them too much, there is the possibility of death after a study showed that the said drugs carry a substantially increased risk of death for those who are prescribed.

Over a two-and-a-half-year period, they compared the death rates among more than 10,500 people who received sleeping pill prescriptions with those of more than 23,600 others — matched for age, state of health and other factors — who had not received such medication. The average age of the study group was 54.

Overall, there have been issues associated with sleeping pills. And while they do intend to help a person get the proper amount of sleep, the side effects persist. This includes increased depression which may eventually trigger suicide if they are not careful.

Aside from that, sleeping pills also interfere with motor and cognitive skills, which makes driving dangerous, and can cause sleep apnea, which can lead to heart problems.

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Hearing of celebrities trying to keep themselves awake is nothing new but for rapper Eminem, admitting he is a drug-crazed insomniac seems to something serious. The rapper was admitted into rehab after being addicted to prescribed medication, admitting that he consumed so many drugs since 2005 making him unable to sleep properly.

Eminem is comparing his problem with that of the late Michael Jackson who succumbed to an overdose of Propofol. Apparently while there is still time, Eminem may want to get the necessary help for him to overcome this dangerous predicament he finds himself in.

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Though there was no questions concerning their safety, it seems the matter of their actual use and purpose is the one being put into question. Hopefully though, no side effects will be reported which for now is zilch.

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Michael Jackson’s untimely death continues to become more interesting. His doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, was said to have delayed giving CPR to Jackson to hide the drugs. According to a certain Alberto Alvarez, Dr. Murray was asked to put rubber-topped drug vials into a brown canvas bag and an IV pouch with a milky fluid in its connector into a separate blue bag.

Add to that the fact that Murray had reportedly instructed paramedics to be called after the drugs were stashed. Murray is now facing charges for involuntary manslaughter for Jackson’s death. Murray previously confessed he waited 20 to 30 minutes before calling the authorities, saying he was unaware of Jackson’s address and had trouble summoning the singer’s staff while performing CPR.

(Source) Sindh Today

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Tylenol has issued a recall on some products under their fold, including Simply Sleep due to reports of nausea. Apparently these over the counter drugs were contaminated with the chemical 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). Although the chemical has not been studied for health effects, there have not been any recorded serious medical events.

Some customers have complained of nausea which were traced to chemicals, found in shipping pallets, which gives off a nauseating odor.

(Source) Press

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Holding a daycare is serious work but to putting kids to rest or sleep is something that they should specialize in, especially if they become tired. However, it does not follow that they should use supplements or drugs to put kids to sleep. Other than being dangerous, kids should not be exposed to such kinds of supplements. Besides, they have a duty to do and by resorting to this act, it is a way of cheating people for their money and gambling with the little tykes’ health.

The lawsuit was filed against the Covenant Apostolic Church Inc. where day care workers reportedly used over-the-counter dietary supplements (Melatonin) in candies to help children sleep. The lawsuit charges negligence by the defendants and battery, saying children suffered injuries including but not limited to dizziness, grogginess, headaches, abdominal discomfort and nightmares. The suit seeks damages in excess of $25,000.

(Source) Press

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You just have to give DJ Moby a lot of credit for being wise despite his growing Insomnia problem. Perhaps learning from the fate of stars such as Michael Jackson, he refuses to take sleeping pills to aid him with his Insomnia. His reason is of course being addicted to them which as we all know has led to more deaths than remedies.

His insomnia problem is so bad that he often hallucinates through lack of sleep but says that he won’t turn to medication to solve his restlessness. Kudos to DJ Moby and perhaps the battle against Insomnia still continues. But for sure, there will be a solution but the only thing is when?

(Source) SIFY

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The King of Pop may have passed away but the riddle concerning his death continues. And now it seems that the facts are being shelled out one by one, including the devastating pill which was said to be the cause of it all. And if the reports are true, taking 10 Xanax pills nightly is indeed deadly and totally inhumane.

“In addiction cases, people develop a tolerance to drugs and have to take more and more pills. No matter how you cut it, this is an extremely high dosage of Xanax. It is a huge red flag, even with the tolerance that I was talking about. This dosage is exceedingly high for any human being.”

Many call this an addiction. However, the King of Pop was doing it just to make sure that he would get some sleep. So you be the judge. Was he an addict or a sleep deprived victim simply looking for an answer?

(Source) Examiner

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Sleep issues are becoming weirder by the second. We heard of the issue about sleep emailing which sound pretty weird and now we have sleep-eating. By sleep-eating, we are referring to people who eat something while they are actually asleep.

However all of these were made possible thanks to sleeping drugs that some people may take. We have heard of side-effects but this one is really something that many should take seriously, particularly the sleep deprived and insomniacs.

The pharmacologists note that Zolpidem’s ability to stimulate the frontal lobe of the brain, particularly in the semicomatose state, may be responsible for its adverse effects like sleep-walking or other activity while asleep, such as driving, making phone calls or having sex, with no memory of doing any of it.

Sleep issues grow weirder by the day and this one is so far has been the craziest!

(Source) The Times of India

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We have heard of sleep walking but now sleep driving? It is indeed hard to believe, getting up from you bed and then driving your car unconsciously. However, there are reports that there are people who do suffer from the said sleep disorder and most trace it to sleep drugs like Ambien and Lunesta.

Ambien is not the only sleeping pill that may lead to bizarre behavior. According to the ad for Lunesta, “After taking Lunesta, you may get up out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning, you may not remember that you did anything during the night. … Reported activities include: driving a car (‘sleep-driving’), making and eating food, talking on the phone, having sex, sleep-walking.”

Weird or not, people who rely heavily on sleeping pills like Ambien and Lunesta should beware. You just don’t know when you may wake up in the hospital. Worst, not wake up at all.

(Source) Courant.com

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There have been reports in recent months where parents are discouraged from sleeping with their babies by their side. Apparently this has to do with the increasing number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) to which the little tykes may have issues such as breathing and suffocation if not attended to properly.

However, a study in the UK revealed that there is nothing wrong with sleeping with your child as long as you consider the following constraints:

1. Intoxicated or Alcohol drinking parents
2. Parents who smoke or drugs
3. Larger sleeping space; Avoid the sofas or cramped sleeping areas

(Source) Telegraph.co.uk

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Dopamine

While focusing on sleep deprivation as a growing concern, there are people who are still at it when it comes to needing to be awake for most of the time, mainly for work and personal reasons to which certain drugs and means are being taken to aid them. Dopamine, a fell-good brain chemical helps keep sleep-deprived people awake. But the question here is on whether it is helpful.

Most people are trying to fend off these drugs that keep us awake. Many are likewise looking for cures to cure their sleep deprivation and sleep disorders. But while these things are a given, it would be wise to analyze how Dopamine helps and for what purpose.

For sure there will be after-effects and consequences. But for people who have to be on the go, stay awake most of the time, Dopamine may be an option but for how long?

Sleep deprivation increased dopamine in the striatum, a part of the brain that registers motivation and reward. Dopamine also went up in the thalamus, a brain region that helps control alertness, when the volunteers were sleep-deprived. Increases in the brain chemical kept the volunteers awake, but those same increases also correlated with the volunteers reporting that they felt tired.

(Source) Science News

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Normally, people are encouraged not to rely too much on sleeping drugs. For drugs like Lunesta and Vanda, there are proper dosages for them to the people who really want results for their sleep disorders. Normally, doctor’s prescriptions are needed to get them and while many want to play wise, it would be best to stick to the prescriptions given.

Also leave some room for errors in dosage. You may be overdoing it and rather than helping yourself get better, you may find yourself not getting any better. Apparently it would be wise to ask your doctor a second time around just for consistency. One digit can make the difference.

Hundreds of thousands of people rely on sleep aids to get them to bed at night. To try and make sure New Yorkers aren’t abusing the drugs, the state put them all on the list of controlled substances a few years back. Normally, that makes it harder to get more than a month’s supply at a time. But here’s The Real Deal on a man who wasn’t having any problems getting a lot more than that.

(Source) 9WSYR

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We have been hearing the growing relation of obesity with sleep these days and indirectly, the point is people have to spice up their lives with certain activities that can perhaps add spice to their normal routine. This does not really entail rigorous activities and in fact, a study has showed that Tai Chi Chih, an ancient form of Chinese Martial arts, can significantly help improve sleeping patterns.

This is a good activity to participate in considering that it is a better alternative to healthier lives compared to the usual reliance of people on drugs to get that much needed sleep.

Studies show that more than half of older adults experience sleeping problems at least a few times a week, Irwin and his team note in their report. While CBT can ease insomnia, few therapists have the training to offer this type of treatment, which is also relatively expensive. And while aerobic exercise can also help people sleep better, vigorous workouts aren’t an option for many seniors.

To investigate whether tai chi chih might be an option, Irwin and his team analyzed sleep quality in 112 people aged 59 to 86 participating in a randomized, controlled trial of the martial art for preventing shingles. Tai chi chih instruction was given in 45-minute sessions, three times a week.

(Source) Reuters

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We all know that sleep deprived people would try anything to help them get the much needed respite and sleep. However, it also remains that they have to consider the safety of taking these sleeping aids. Side effects and potential health risks may be in play and rather than addressing the sleep problem issue, they may just find themselves battling worst case scenarios as far as their overall health is concerned.

There are drugs such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata that are available in the market for sleep assistance. But the question still remains on how they may affect the health of a insomnia-ridden individual.

“Even though these are non-narcotic according to TV ads, they can be addictive and a person can abuse them the same way they can abuse (other substances),” Schwartz said. “A few extra, especially mixed with alcohol, could kill you.”

(Source) Fox News

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As far as sleep is concerned, it would be best to solicit it using the natural means and avoid the sleeping drugs that we often see being endorsed. Not all people who have sleep issues have to turn to the sleeping pills offered today. You can still find the alternative means where you do not put your overall health at stake.

Drugs have side effects and can affect other areas of your body. That is a given. But for people who are desperate to resolve their sleeping crisis, drugs can help but only for a while. It will reach a point that your body will become immune and show some ill effects of fabricated means of sleep.

Most of these drugs, used over a long time, tend to lose their benefit. So although you may take more, they will have less effect. Also, once you get into the habit of taking medication to help you sleep, you may have difficulty breaking the pattern.

(Source) The Chicago Tribune

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However, Darpa scientists are claiming that they have found a drug to eliminate sleepiness:

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests. The discovery’s first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.

The treatment is “a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the new study shows it to be relatively benign,” said Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a co-author of the paper. “It reduces sleepiness without causing edginess.”

Source: Wired

So much for solving sleep deprivation but it is hard to imagine a person without an ounce of sleep. Drugs are know to help, but this discovery seems to need more support and tests for it to be a good discovery for sleep deprivation.

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There are various reasons people consider sleep hindrances such as lighting which poses to be a distraction to which irritates their eyes and mind in not sleeping immediately. While most people turn to sleeping pills or sleeping drugs, sleeping shades is something that may help.

This Blue blocking shades may not totally block the rays of light but rather separates the blue rays which are believed to be obstacles to getting a good and sound sleep.

(Source) Blue rays can delay the start of the sleep hormone melatonin’s flow. By blocking the rays a couple of hours before bed, the glasses alter a person’s circadian rhythms and bring on early melatonin release. Filtering out blue light can improve ADHD symptoms and allow better sleep, according to recent studies from U of T. The blue-blocker shades — which look similar to yellow-lensed night driving glasses — cost between $40 and $60.

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Protein in amino acids has been tagged to help regulate the body clock when it is adjusting to sleep patterns. In the call to use sleeping drugs to treat sleep disorders, hopefully this will be pretty much helpful to people suffering from various sleep disorders.

(Source) Researchers say they have identified the chemical switch that controls the genetic mechanism regulating people’s internal body clocks.

Although the process involves complex genes, the whole mechanism is controlled by a single amino acid – a building block of protein – they say.

It is hoped the discovery may lead to more effective drugs to treat sleep disorders and related ailments.

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It is a given that sleep disorders are something that has been plaguing the world as far as health issues are concerned. However, sleep institutes are still around to help resolve the issue. Medicine and drugs can help but they should not be the only recourse to be counted on.

Read more: StayBetter Seeks to Wake People Up to the Reality of Using Sleep-Aid Drugs

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“GSK, which has 6,000 Triangle employees, will commercialize the drug, known as eszopiclone, under the product name Lunivia for the treatment of insomnia. The drug is sold as Lunesta in the United States and is sold by Sepracor, based in Marlborough, Mass.”

Source: GlaxoSmithKline buys rights to sell sleep drug

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Some would say that behavioral patterns are a good way to look into before the actual medical inclinations and therapies are given proper consideration. It is only natural for people to see these other ways of getting sleep since medications and drugs may prove to be costly at times owing to potential side effects that come along with them.

Patience and sane understanding on how to get the proper amount of sleep needs to be instilled in people today. Some may not have the patience to resort to such but regardless, sleeping soundly is one thing that a person will always look for. Just consider the things for natural means of sleep and people can have less worries from there on.

Reference Article: Drugless Sleep

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There are children today who cannot even finish their studies or stay away from the usual vices such as drugs, smoking and alcohol intake. These are some vices that can be taken socially but anyone can also be hooked on them. Once they do, it can be a cause for alarm.

So for parents, it is only normal to loose sleep in worrying about the future of their kids today. While they are advised not to think that much of it, it simply cannot be overlooked.

Here is a sample article by Jeanne Phillips on Mom Loses Sleep over Drug fears.

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