Sleeping tablets linked to early death

[Misfit]

Sleeping tablets linked to early death, US study finds | News.com.au

REGULAR consumption of sleeping pills could more than quadruple the risk of premature death, US scientists said.
A two-and-a-half year study of more than 10,500 adults who were taking prescribed sleeping tablets found that those who took between 18 and 132 doses per year were 4.6 times more likely to die early.

 

[aps45819]

Not surprising that if you're to screwed up to sleep you would die early

 

[pixiegirl]

Not surprising that if you're to screwed up to sleep you would die early

Not necessarily. I am a HORRID sleeper, I wake at least once or twice a night, takes me forever to fall asleep, sharing my bed is worse than murder... I took sleeping pills for a couple years and while they helped me fall asleep I still never stayed asleep. Even the controlled release pills couldn't keep me down. I tend to wake at midnight and again at 3 most nights. My doctor told me that apparently that's just the witching hour and to try to actually get up and do something for a little while. I then read an article about sleep cycles before electricity. Our bodies are not naturally programmed to sleep for 8 hours a time. Only over the past few centuries have we adopted this sleep style. I'm still a crappy sleeper but since I started getting up for a bit I fall asleep faster and am able to go back to sleep faster after I wake.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm curious what they consider "premature" death? Like they can gauge how long the person would have lived had they not taken sleeping pills?

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Not necessarily. I am a HORRID sleeper, I wake at least once or twice a night, takes me forever to fall asleep, sharing my bed is worse than murder... I took sleeping pills for a couple years and while they helped me fall asleep I still never stayed asleep. Even the controlled release pills couldn't keep me down. I tend to wake at midnight and again at 3 most nights. My doctor told me that apparently that's just the witching hour and to try to actually get up and do something for a little while. I then read an article about sleep cycles before electricity. Our bodies are not naturally programmed to sleep for 8 hours a time. Only over the past few centuries have we adopted this sleep style. I'm still a crappy sleeper but since I started getting up for a bit I fall asleep faster and am able to go back to sleep faster after I wake.

I don't sleep well either. Friday night it was 4 am before I went to sleep. Saturday was better -- maybe midnight. Monday night I was still up at 1 am. When I finally do fall asleep I'm up tossing at least once every hour. It's completely exhausting and draining. I drink a cup or two of chamomille tea every night to try and calm my body down. Sometimes I'll take some Nyquil but that's rare. I tried sleeping pills in the past and I didn't like how they made me feel in the morning. Oh well...

 

[MMDad]

This is like saying that people who take insulin are more likely to die early.

Sounds like people who have chronic sleeping problems are more likely to die early. For the result to be valid, they would need to compare people who receive treatment for chronic sleeping problems with those who do not.

I also wonder how they differentiate between those who use the meds correctly and those who abuse them.

 

[pixiegirl]

I don't sleep well either. Friday night it was 4 am before I went to sleep. Saturday was better -- maybe midnight. Monday night I was still up at 1 am. When I finally do fall asleep I'm up tossing at least once every hour. It's completely exhausting and draining. I drink a cup or two of chamomille tea every night to try and calm my body down. Sometimes I'll take some Nyquil but that's rare. I tried sleeping pills in the past and I didn't like how they made me feel in the morning. Oh well...

If I've had a lot of caffine or sugar in the evening I'll pop a coulpe Benadryl. It's way easier on the body that prescription sleeping pills. I'll see if I can find the article I read for ya.

 

[MMDad]

If I've had a lot of caffine or sugar in the evening I'll pop a coulpe Benadryl. It's way easier on the body that prescription sleeping pills. I'll see if I can find the article I read for ya.

Benadryl is in Tylenol PM as a sleep aid.

 

[warneckutz]

Any of you try Melatonin or ZMA? I do a combination of the two and I usually sleep for about 2 hours (max) and I just wake up and I feel like it's my normal wake up time. Then I look at the clock and realize I've got 4-6 hours to sleep... and er...

 

[MMDad]

Any of you try Melatonin or ZMA? I do a combination of the two and I usually sleep for about 2 hours (max) and I just wake up and I feel like it's my normal wake up time. Then I look at the clock and realize I've got 4-6 hours to sleep... and er...

I use Melatonin occasionally. It doesn't get me past the extreme insomnia, but it does help me get to sleep faster.

 

[Chasey_Lane]

Any of you try Melatonin or ZMA? I do a combination of the two and I usually sleep for about 2 hours (max) and I just wake up and I feel like it's my normal wake up time. Then I look at the clock and realize I've got 4-6 hours to sleep... and er...

How do you take melatonin? Is it pill/capsule form or something else?

 

[warneckutz]

I use Melatonin occasionally. It doesn't get me past the extreme insomnia, but it does help me get to sleep faster.

I'd sum it up the exact same way for me too...

 

[pixiegirl]

Benadryl is in Tylenol PM as a sleep aid.

I know it's also the same thing as Unisom and Dramamine.

 

[pixiegirl]

I don't sleep well either. Friday night it was 4 am before I went to sleep. Saturday was better -- maybe midnight. Monday night I was still up at 1 am. When I finally do fall asleep I'm up tossing at least once every hour. It's completely exhausting and draining. I drink a cup or two of chamomille tea every night to try and calm my body down. Sometimes I'll take some Nyquil but that's rare. I tried sleeping pills in the past and I didn't like how they made me feel in the morning. Oh well...

Segmented sleep - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Can't find the exact article that I read but this is the idea. I can tell you that since I stopped "fighting" it and getting all mentally spun up because I'm not getting 8 hrs straight through, I feel a ton better. If I wake in the middle of the night I'll get up, go throw in a load of laundry, get a cup of water, and turn on the tv with the timer set for an hour. I'm always back out before the tv turns off and usually wake 10 minutes before my alarm goes off in the morning. Sometimes I nap in the evening, sometimes not, that depends greatly on the kids and dogs. I'd love to nap every evening.

 

[pixiegirl]

How do you take melatonin? Is it pill/capsule form or something else?

Yeah, it's what's in most all natural sleep aids and I've seen it by itself in the vitamin isle.

 

[Misfit]

Sex works, and if you wake up at intervals in the night take another dose.

 

[Merlin99]

Any of you try Melatonin or ZMA? I do a combination of the two and I usually sleep for about 2 hours (max) and I just wake up and I feel like it's my normal wake up time. Then I look at the clock and realize I've got 4-6 hours to sleep... and er...

The only thing I find on ZMA is for body builders, is it the same thing?

 

[warneckutz]

The only thing I find on ZMA is for body builders, is it the same thing?

SUPPOSEDLY helps with rest and recovery for the workout prior to sleep and in preparation for the next day.

 

[kk2187]

I didn't read this article but they had a news segment on it last night. They said people are more likely to die earlier because insomnia is usually a symptom for something else, and by taking the sleeping pills you're covering it up. They highlighted fluid around the heart, diabetes (you get up often to go pee), cancer (hormonal changes affecting sleep), and one other thing I forgot.

So I don't think it's the actual pills causing the premature death..

Again I didn't read the article or pay 100% attention to the news segment as they were probably just trying to scare people into listening anyway.

 

[vraiblonde]

I didn't read this article but they had a news segment on it last night. They said people are more likely to die earlier because insomnia is usually a symptom for something else, and by taking the sleeping pills you're covering it up. They highlighted fluid around the heart, diabetes (you get up often to go pee), cancer (hormonal changes affecting sleep), and one other thing I forgot.

Now that's an interesting point. When you have sleep apnea, for example, you stop breathing while you're asleep. Your body wakes you up so that you'll resume breathing. BUT what if you take a sleeping pill and your body can't wake you up?