Long-Term Use of Sleeping Pills

by Dr. Sandy | Comments


Reader Question: For how long can I safely take a prescription sleep medication that’s been approved "for long-term use"?

On Call Response: Long-term doesn’t mean you can use it indefinitely. In fact, a new scientific review on this topic was just published (in the Annals of Internal Medicine), and the consensus opinion—one shared by the FDA—is that you shouldn’t be using any sleeping pills for longer than one month. Otherwise, it can be extremely difficult to get off of them, and you may experience "rebound insomnia" after stopping them.

Many of these drugs also have scary side effects, such as sleep eating and sleep driving (like sleep walking, but much more dangerous!). Another problem is that since many of these meds haven’t been on the market for very long, we just don’t know what the long-term effects might be. They also have the potential to interact with other drugs and supplements you may be taking.

Instead of popping a pill, I recommend that patients develop good "sleep hygiene," which includes getting regular exercise, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, and avoiding caffeine and nicotine. You should also limit alcohol—especially close to bedtime; it may initially make you sleepy, but once it wears off it will wake you up. If your problems continue, talk to your doctor and get checked for acid reflux, restless leg syndrome, and asthma, all of which can interfere with sleep.

