Do you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? Or do you think that you might? OSA translates to hundreds of sleep arousals each night as a result of temporary stops in breathing. OSA can make you feel like you haven’t slept at all. This deep exhaustion might have you wondering if sleeping pills are the right answer for you. The thought of sleeping completely through the night might seem too good to be true for an OSA patient. The reason your body is waking you up is a life-or-death response to your lack of breathing. This makes sleeping medications a worrisome solution if you have sleep apnea.
Advantages of Sleep Medication
Sleeping pills can have a seemingly magical effect on your body’s ability to get to sleep and stay asleep. For people who can’t let go of the stresses of the day, or have just gotten into a pattern of unhealthy or shortened sleep cycles, sleep medication might seem like the perfect option. Here are some other pros of sleeping pills:
- Fast Acting
- Give a sense of “catching up” on rest for the severely sleep deprived
- Safer now than they were even a decade ago
- Help if you have a serious sleep disorder which can’t be helped by non-medicinal solutions
Disadvantages of Sleep Medication
Some people feel comfortable to take any medication that their doctor prescribes. Others hate medication because of sensitivity, side effects, concern of addiction, and/or a feeling that they aren’t strong enough to deal with their problems on their own. The instinct to avoid sleeping pills if at all possible is probably a good one, and here are some reasons why:
- Low quality of sleep even when the medication works
- Tolerance buildup that renders medication ineffective
- Habit forming
- Withdrawal when medication is stopped
- Potential long term side effects that aren’t even known yet on newer drugs
- Interactions with other medications and/or alcohol
- Poor choice for women of child-bearing age that might be pregnant now or in the future
- Many potential side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and depression
About Downey Family Cosmetic Dental
Come visit Dr. Hadis Reyhani, Dr. Ben Reyhani, and Dr. Pasha Hakimzadeh for a smile evaluation. Our skilled dentists also provide a variety of other restorative, preventive, and cosmetic dental services for the entire family. Downey Family Cosmetic Dentistry serves patients from Downey, Lakewood, Whittier, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, and surrounding communities. If you would like to schedule a consultation, call us at (562)472-2433.
