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Sleep, Sleep, Sleep – Part 2
Monday, April 1, 2024 4:32 PM
Article by Dr. Ronda Nelson
Desperate for Some Shut-Eye
Although individual needs will vary, research has shown that seven hours per night seems to be the sweet spot for regenerative sleep. Children and teenagers need a few additional hours each night. However, once adulthood has been reached, sleep needs seem to stabilize for the rest of life. But when the sleep cycle becomes disrupted, especially for days or weeks at a time, the mind becomes altered, and we become desperate for a solution. The pharmaceutical industry, once again, has come to the rescue with several classes of drugs designed to induce sleep , however, they are not as helpful as they appear.
Sleep Aids
Over 30 million prescriptions per year are written for Ambien. But unlike the commercial advertising, Ambien does not actually make you go to sleep but instead, puts you into a trance-like state which can lead to abnormal behaviors such as sleepwalking, driving while asleep and mindlessly eating during the night with absolutely no recollection of doing so.
But do they really help you feel better? Well, here are the stats:
• Ambien (and Lunesta) helped people fall asleep 20 minutes faster than the placebo.
• They only added an average of 34 minutes to the total sleep time.
• Taking 132 or more doses of sleeping pills in one year increases the risk of lung, lymphoma, prostate and colon cancers by 35%.
So, they’re not all their cracked up to be.
Desperate for Some Shut-Eye
Although individual needs will vary, research has shown that seven hours per night seems to be the sweet spot for regenerative sleep. Children and teenagers need a few additional hours each night. However, once adulthood has been reached, sleep needs seem to stabilize for the rest of life. But when the sleep cycle becomes disrupted, especially for days or weeks at a time, the mind becomes altered, and we become desperate for a solution. The pharmaceutical industry, once again, has come to the rescue with several classes of drugs designed to induce sleep , however, they are not as helpful as they appear.
Sleep Aids
Over 30 million prescriptions per year are written for Ambien. But unlike the commercial advertising, Ambien does not actually make you go to sleep but instead, puts you into a trance-like state which can lead to abnormal behaviors such as sleepwalking, driving while asleep and mindlessly eating during the night with absolutely no recollection of doing so.
But do they really help you feel better? Well, here are the stats:
• Ambien (and Lunesta) helped people fall asleep 20 minutes faster than the placebo.
• They only added an average of 34 minutes to the total sleep time.
• Taking 132 or more doses of sleeping pills in one year increases the risk of lung, lymphoma, prostate and colon cancers by 35%.
So, they’re not all their cracked up to be.
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