Read this article to know about the tips to consume sleeping pills properly when you have insomnia.
It’s 2:30 am, and you’re still scrolling your Facebook feed and having trouble falling asleep. You might be staring at your clock, wondering when you will be able to shut those eyes. In cases like this, some people take the aid of sleeping pills. It may help you when you’re traveling, facing stress, or suffering from any other complications. However, the proper consumption in a structured way is very crucial when it comes to sleeping tablets.
It is not a good practice to take over the counter sleep medicines. Even if you had a hard week and feeling lethargic, taking sleeping pills is not a good practice, especially for people with medical conditions.
However, sometimes prescribed ways of taking sleeping pills can help you with this problem of yours and assist you in getting the much-needed rest.
Consult Your Doctor About Your Sleep Problems
Never ever take a sleeping pill without talking to your doctor. Take it only if your doctor permits it. If you are going through sleeping difficulties, consult your physician first for proper treatment. Make sure to tell your physician everything about your medical conditions. If you are consuming other medicines, be clear about it. This way, they can suggest medicines that will not hamper or worsen your other issues in any way. Some people start taking sleeping pills without even thinking about talking to their doctor. You may sometimes get away with it and solve your sleeping issue temporarily by taking drugs, but taking matters into your own hand will hamper your health in the long run.
Plan Your Medication Schedule Properly Before Sleeping at Night and After Getting Up in the Morning
It is an important step for maintaining your health and your sleeping schedule properly. Do keep some time before and after getting up. It helps you to adjust to a healthy lifestyle properly. Yoga is a great way you start your routine.
“Complex sleep-related behaviors” can be prevented if you start sleeping just right after consuming your prescribed medicines. People mainly enter the sleeping phase while being awake rather than being in the sleeping phase. But fair warning: sleepwalking or sleep-driving can occur after consuming a sleeping pill, so do activities that won’t cause you any harm after having sleeping pills to avoid accidents.
Make Sure to Read the Package Insert that Comes with Your Medication
Reading the paper that comes with your medicines is really important. There will be instructions on the way to preserve the medicine and other information to inform you about its side effects. So, always read the package instructions placed on the cover of the package as well as the paper to stay risk-free.
Do Report Side Effects to Your Doctor
Consuming sleeping pills will make changes in your behavior and body. You may get side effects like prolonged dizziness, drowsiness, allergic reactions, memory problems, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, etc. Your job is to notify your doctor when you are receiving these. If you’re struggling with side effects, your doctor will prescribe you ways to resolve the issues.
Improve Your Lifestyle
Persistent insomnia cannot be only cured with sleeping pills. If you have persistent insomnia, do improve your sleep cycle along with lifestyle changes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective way to treat long-term insomnia.
Stay Out of the Drugs Department
Over-the-counter (OTC) or your prescribed sleep medicines are not like heavy drugs or alcohol. Don’t mix between these and take steps that will disturb your nervous system, or else, it will cause adverse interactions.
Mixing drugs could cause adverse interactions. Combining alcohol with sleeping medicines, even a small amount, can lead to increasing sedative effects that may cause slowed breathing, unresponsiveness, or fainting.
Do not Drive a Car or Operate Any Machinery After Taking Any Kind of Sleep Product
As mentioned before, sleeping pills have behavioral side effects, which can lead to accidents if you are driving a car or operating any dangerous machinery. Also, do not take a new sleeping pill the night before an important work or a meeting because you never know how it will affect you.
Don’t Exceed the Dosage that Your Doctor Prescribed
You might get tolerant of your prescribed medicines. But that does not mean you are allowed to take higher doses for your condition. If your initial prescribed medicines stop working, then consult with your doctor before taking any step on your own.
Make Sure to Notify Your Doctor About Any Other Medications
You might have other problems with your health; make sure to notify your doctor about them. Using more pills apart from your prescribed medicines is a big red flag. Other health-related problems, such as kidney failure, heart problems, and blood pressure, may limit your medicine options.
Also, the action of consuming too many medicines can lead you to drug abuse and drug dependence. So, do not take higher doses than you are prescribed, and do not hide the already prescribed medicines that you are consuming.
Do not Stop Consuming the Sleeping Pills Without Consulting with Your Doctor First
Taking sleeping pills on time and maintaining your medication routine is your prime duty. Even if you have been consuming pills for a long time, you need to continue it until your doctor informs you about stopping it. Make sure you do not stop abruptly even after seeing that you can sleep well now. Every medicine has its own prescribed period, and this should be strictly maintained, or else you might face withdrawal symptoms like depression, anxiety, crankiness, muscle cramps, etc.
Again, you might not face withdrawal symptoms as well, but abruptly stopping your sleeping pills without talking to your doctor might harm you in the long run. Doctors will either suggest you reduce the dosage or frequency slowly or other stuff. To find the best way for your health, always consult a doctor.
Prevention is better than cure. It’s even better to avoid consuming sleeping pills at all. So eat healthily, avoid caffeine, sleep on schedule, exercise, and keep your stress in check. Practicing these will keep you away from insomnia as well as all kinds of diseases. Even if you get insomnia, always consult your doctor before trying a new treatment.