Are Sleeping Pills Harmful?

Question

I was wondering if it is harmful to take an over the counter sleep aide with asprin in it. Last year I fractured my growth plate in my ankle, and when that healed I stress-fractured it in the same spot, so I often wake up when sleeping from the pain of moving it. The first day of school is tomorrow and, I usally have trouble sleeping the night before. I was considering taking Advil Pm to get rid of the ankle pain and let me sleep better. Will the medicine force me to sleep longer? ( I usally go to bed at 11 and wake up and 6:30.) Or will I become dependent on it and need it every night? Thank you in advance for helping me!

Answer 1

This is a question better asked to your dr.

The one thing I can mention is Melatonin. You can get it over the counter and it's a natural chemical found in warm milk. It's also usually made in the body. I've been giving it to my Autistic son to help him sleep and develope a sleep pattern, via dr.'s suggestion. It's worked great. He started it when he was three, then after a week he had a sleep pattern down and only needed it once in a while. He's 11 now, and is back on it for the same reason.

Melatonin is non habit forming and is able to be used with other medications, I believe, but again...talk to your dr.

With my son I use 1/2 a pill. That takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours though before he gets sleepy, but no "hangovers"
The whole pill, which takes 1 hour to work for him, sometimes leaves a tad of a slight hangover. If you use Melatonin you may have to play around with the doseage a tad. And for some people, Melatonin works great, but in some it doesn't. I've heard both stories. It works well for me and I get a great deep goodnights sleep.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 4

I wouldn't make a habit of taking them. They should only be used occasionally. Most of the "PM" drugs are simply Benadryl with a pain reliever. Benadryl is an antihistamine and can mess with your immune system if taken regularly. You're better off sticking with your nsaids like ibuprofen, but you should take it in moderation also because if it is overused it can be hard on your stomach. Aspirin is pretty safe. Tylenol is hard on the liver if taken excessively. If you do need something, I suggest getting some Benadryl and altering the dose to achieve the desired effect. Less than 50 mg should be taken. You may have the effect you desire by taking as little as 12.5mg. Try it on a night that you don't have to do anything the following morning. Also, there are safer homeopathic methods including taking things made with Hops or Valerian. Chamomile tea is a favorite also.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

Hello, I spent 25 yrs as a nurse. I would recommend that before going to bed to soak your ankle in hot water and then elevate it when you go to bed for at least 20 minutes each. The Advil pm would seem to be ok. Best to check with a pharmacist if you take any other medications. Magnesium tabs will also help you to naturally relax at bedtime. Natural herbs are always better. try during the day to elevate ankle any time you sit for very long periods of time in class etc. Any physical therapist can also give help or your family doctor. Ice always reduces swelling in the evening also. Prayer works to for healing. Herbal teas will also help to relax you . Each person has spcific meds that work best for them. I prefer Tylenol or generic .Also wear an ace support during any physical activity. The gels or creams for pain topically work very well also Best Luck JP

Answer 6

all those pm sleeping aids are extremely harsh on the body and can leave you groggy when you wake and headaches as well. There is a hormone called Melatonin that is more natural and you don't wake sluggish - it's sold over the counter at most drug stores or through health food outlets

Answer 7

Melatonin = Not harmful at all Ambien = Fairly safe but nightly use may lead to dependency Benzodiazepines (like xanax) = Very addictive Opiate painkillers (like vicodin) = Very addictive Heroin = INCREBIBLY addictive and harmful

Answer 8

I sometimes take tylenol pm and it hasnt been addictive for me. I recommend taking it the latest around 8p.m. I found that if I take it later than that I feel groggy when waking up. But its a good product and non habit forming. I'm not sure about advil pm but its probably similar to tylenol.

Answer 9

big ups to the person who wrote:
Continued Dizziness
Trouble Sleeping (which can continue for several nights)
Urge to Keep Taking the Drug
Irritability
Nervousness
Cramps, Nausea, or Vomiting
Tremors or Twitching
Hallucinations

I had all of the above except for Cramps, Nausea, Vomiting , Tremors ... I heard voices in my head ... I abused Ambien to wake up early to get to work on time. Bad idea. Don't do it! please, please, please don't... it was like a scary Stephen King novel. i've never been so terrified in my entire life. there are natural ways such as walnut oil before bed (gross but it works for me)

Answer 10

Try not to get used to them because on the long-run they may be harmful for the brain and you'll get headaches a lot.