When you can and can not drink sleeping pills

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everyone has sleep problems at least once in their life. It is possible that you wondered whether it is worth something to drink that will help you relax. The life hacker understands when to go to a 24-hour pharmacy and when to do without pills.

Any sleeping pill is a medicine, so doubts about whether to take pills are natural. Some people have enough chamomile tea and lavender scent to fall asleep, others need prescription drugs.

We do not touch upon cases when a doctor prescribes medicines, because everything is clear here: both the dosage regimen, and why and how to take the drugs.

Let's figure out how to deal with sleeping pills, which are sold without a prescription and are available to everyone.

When you can't drink sleeping pills

Sleeping pills have many side effects, even those made with herbal ingredients. Therefore, the trip for the pill should be postponed for an emergency. You should definitely not indulge in sleep medications if you have not done the preparation.

You have not studied the drug

First of all, you cannot drink sleeping pills if you have not read the instructions, especially the section "Contraindications". Or read, but did not understand anything. Or they understood, but are not sure that this is not about you.

First, make sure you can take this medicine at all. It is advisable to do this even at the pharmacy or before going to it (instructions are available on the Internet), because any medicine has side effects.

You have already drunk something else to relax

If you need to fall asleep here and now, you cannot and have already tried to relax with a glass of wine or other alcohol, then you cannot drink pills.

Sleeping pills affect the nervous system, alcohol does the same. What happens to you if you mix these ingredients? Perhaps nothing, and perhaps nothing good, and this option is more likely.

By the way, sleeping pills are also not always combined with other drugs. If you regularly take any medications for chronic diseases, then any supplements should be discussed with your doctor.

You are driving

Some hypnotics reduce concentration, inhibit the reaction, and the effect persists after you wake up. Driving while sleepy is just as dangerous as being sleepy. If you do not sleep well, give up the driver's seat to someone else or use public transport.

You weren't trying to fix sleep

Sleeping pills are always the last resort. Rest is vital. If you can't get enough sleep, you need to grab onto medications.

But sleeping on pills is still different from healthy sleep. Regular use of sleeping pills is an exceptional measure needed until the normal sleep cycle is restored.

Therefore, you first need to arrange all the conditions for a good sleep. We wrote how to overcome insomnia, use these tips. Short:

• Set the regime, go to bed at the same time.
• An hour before bed - no gadgets and no work.
• Take a walk outside before going to bed.
• Make the bedroom comfortable to sleep: dark, cool, quiet. Buy a comfortable mattress and pillow.
• Exercise to help keep you physically tired.
• Don't use stimulants like coffee.

You weren't trying to relax

Stand in the shower and sing a song, read a nice (or boring) book, ask your loved ones to give you a massage or do some simple yoga asanas, listen to the rustle from the ASMR channel. Remember that there is chamomile tea with lemon balm and even cookies in the world.

Find other ways to shut down first.

When to take sleeping pills

Without sleep, a person cannot live longer than a few days, there is no need to wait for a critical situation. Sometimes sleeping pills are needed.

You just have to get through this night

Usually you sleep without problems, but tomorrow is such an important day that you cannot close your eyes. Or the past day was so busy that you cannot calm down and relax.

Why torture yourself now, suffer from lack of sleep tomorrow, when you can take a pill and fall asleep? Of course, such cases do not happen every day, or even every week.

You are struggling with jetlag

Do not drink sleeping pills before the flight, so as not to fall asleep too deep in the sky. And when you have landed and are suffering from jet lag, you can take a pill.

Nothing helps you anymore

If you have furnished an ideal bedroom, forgot about the existence of coffee, took a warm bath with lavender after an evening run and perfectly mastered shavasana, but you cannot sleep, you need to help yourself with medicines.

But this is a signal that sleep problems are deeply hidden, you need to go to the doctor.

It's just that sleep does not disappear, perhaps the body signals an illness. Contact a neurologist or psychotherapist who will treat the cause, then insomnia will go away by itself.