(21-12-05)Dangers of Taking Sleeping Pills

"Sedative hypnotic" drugs such as Restoril and Ambien may improve sleep in older people with insomnia, but the risks of using them may outweigh the benefits.
2,500 Subjects
A review was conducted of 24 trials that encompassed almost 2,500 subjects aged 60 or older who were treated either with sedative hypnotic pills, or with inactive placebo pills, for at least five consecutive nights.
Adverse Effects
Sedative use was associated with modest improvements in sleep quality and total sleep time. But adverse effects were more common with sedative hypnotics than with placebo, including:
? Daytime fatigue
? Thinking difficulties
? Risk of falling
The review concluded that behavioral therapies may be a better option than drugs for older people with insomnia.


British Medical Journal November 11, 2005

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