Taking sleeping pills for the treatment of chronic insomnia (insomnia lasting more than 3 months) can provide short-term relief from the problem, although they can also cause side effects and more if taken for a long time.
Before taking sleeping pills, other treatment options may be more effective. It is best to consult with a specialist in sleep disorders and not to self-medicate .
CHRONIC INSOMNIA: PREVALENCE AND CONSEQUENCES
‘chronic insomnia ” is the best known disorder, and in turn, the most prevalent, hovering around 15% and 34% of the population. Insomnia has been related to a worsening of the quality of life , and its persistence over time, with the appearance of depression, with an increase in suicidal ideation, with traffic and work accidents, in health spending, in the use of health resources, sick leave , in disability, increase in cardiovascular diseases, and even with an increase in mortality.
CHRONIC INSOMNIA: FREQUENT COMPLAINT IN PRIMARY CARE
“Insomnia” is the most frequent reason for consultation , within sleep problems, in a primary care consultation. It has been calculated that approximately between 27% and 55% have reported this problem during the anamnesis. The fact that it is a frequent reason for consultation causes the prescription of drugs to treat it from primary care to skyrocket, but surprisingly there is a large bibliography that indicates that it is not being done correctly. It has been reported that only 22% of patients who report severe insomnia symptoms and who take sleeping pills UK at the primary care level show a significant improvement, and that on the other hand, almost half of the patients -44% of the patients refer not to improve or even present a worsening of the symptoms.
IS THE USE OF PILLS GOOD IN THE TREATMENT OF INSOMNIA?
One of the most common causes that explains this low treatment success rate could be the frequent choice of a benzodiazepine treatment, as the first option, without having previously identified a comorbid sleep disorder. The Benzodiazepines patterned not only become chronic problem , but often it worse thereby increasing their risk of morbidity and mortality. It is also adviced to take painkillers UK with proper consultation.
Currently, there is an abuse in the use of benzodiazepines, which means that they are 8% of all drugs prescribed in Spain, which means that between 15-20% of the Spanish population is taking benzodiazepines, and with a estimate of the annual increase of 3.5%. The current recommendations for the treatment of insomnia disorder with benzodiazepines is 2-4 weeks, and despite this, studies show that 14.1% of patients treated with benzodiazepines continue to take them at one year and that 0, 7% had abuse or addiction.
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY
CBT has shown a cure in 70% of cases and a significant improvement in 90%. CBT consists of a combination of hygienic measures of sleep, restriction of time in bed, control of stimuli, relaxation therapies and paradoxical intention. With this combination of therapies, it is possible to significantly improve the quality of sleep, even, being able to stop taking sleeping pills and achieve a more physiological and natural sleep, which is maintained for a longer period of time.
It is for this reason that before taking sleeping pills or self-medicating, we recommend that you consult with a reputable specialist in sleep disorders.