What Are Sleeping Pills?
Sleeping pills are depressant medications.
They act upon the central nervous system to slow down the bodys function.
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They are classified as “sedative hypnotics,” and are prescribed to ease anxiety or enable sleep.
The two main types of sedatives are barbiturates and benzodiazepines.
Slowing of brain function initially affects voluntary functions.
Symptoms include:
If you suspect someone has overdosed on sleeping pills, call 911 immediately.
Keep the person awake and talking if possible until help arrives.
If this happens, the person may survive but experience brain injury due to the lack of oxygen.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
In a desperate attempt to get sleep, they may end up taking too many.
Older adults are at a greater risk of overdose from sleeping pills due to decreased drug metabolism rates.
In some cases, a person who has been taking sleeping pills recreationally may begin to inject the drug.
They may miscalculate the dosage, which can lead to overdose.
Flumazenil carries some risks, however, and routine use is not recommended.
Generally speaking, people can recover from a sleeping pill overdose if treatment is started early.
Dependence, Addiction, and Withdrawal
Sleeping pills such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines can also be addictive.
Dependence and withdrawal can also happen even when people take their medication exactly as prescribed.
People may also experience symptoms of withdrawal if they reduce their dose or stop taking the medication.
Support groups and12-step programscan also be important sources of encouragement and information about recovery.
This might involve psychotherapy, medications, and lifestyle modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Sleeping pill” is an informal term for “sedative.”
Both have the same effects on the body: depressing the nervous system.
Yes, it’s dangerous.
Food and Drug Administration.New safety measures announced for opioid analgesics, prescription opioid cough products, and benzodiazepines.
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Overdose death rates.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Remembrance increasingly includes lives lost to overdoses involving benzodiazepines.
Food and Drug Administration.FDA requiring boxed warning updated to improve safe use of benzodiazepine drug class.
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