• Home
• Insomnia
• Snoring

Common Sleeping Pills - What They Are and What They Do

It is normal for human to have an occasional problem with sleeping, what is not normal is long extended periods of sleeping problems. For those who have a regular problem with sleeping, a physician will need to study and look at the underlying causes of the sleep issues. In the meantime, prescribed sleeping pills will help the sleep deprived to get some much needed rest.

At least temporarily, since their intended use is only on the short term. Why? There are a number of reasons for this but the most important are that sleeping pills can be addictive, they do not provide the body with the correct sleep that is beneficial to the body and therefore the underlying cause or causes need to be determined for life to go on as normal and that includes the slumber part of life.

While new sleeping prescriptions do not hold the risks and dangers of their predecessors, they still hold their risks just not quite as severe most of the time. Prescription sleeping pills are categorized in three different ways - those that help a person with difficulties in falling asleep and then those that help a person to stay asleep once asleep and lastly antidepressants in small dosages that have a sedating effect.

All types cause basically the same side effect potential although it seems that the medications to help one fall asleep has a slightly lesser chance of giving the user a prolonged feeling of drowsiness verses the medicines that help to keep a person asleep.

The sedating antidepressant drugs have a few more side effects that can occur, but when insomnia is linked with depression, these medications can help to ease both concerns with only one prescription. Common popular medications that help a person to fall asleep are Eszopiclone - also known as Lunesta, Ramelteon - also known as Rozerem, Triazolam - also known as Halcion, Zaleplon - also known as Sonata and Zolpidem - also known as Ambien. Common popular medications used in helping a person stay asleep are Estazolam, Eszopiclone - also known as Lunesta, Temazepam - also known as Restoril and Zolpidem - also known as Ambien CR.

Commonly prescribed sedative antidepressants are Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline - also known as Pamelor and Trazodene - also known as Desyrel. All of these medications have serious risks and potential problems with health conditions and other medications already being taken. It is important that all things be discussed with one's physician to find the right medication for the person and their circumstances.

It is also important that the prescription is followed exactly as intended both during use and in weening off the medication when the medication is no longer needed. There are many more medications than what is listed here, both new and old and new-coming. Only a doctor and the patient involved can find the right one to use as help while finding the true reasons for one's sleepless nights.