Insomnia in pills

Recently I have heard on the news that sleeping pills do not work. During the studies patients who struggle from insomnia received sleeping pills and another group received placebos. Both groups reported improvement in their sleeping habits. They concluded that the power of suggestion. But there is another side to the sleeping pill study. In the Live Better Naturally magazine from December 2012 I found another

Deadly Sleeping Pills

Study: Kripke DF. Et al “Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: A matched cohort study.” BMJ Open, 2012; 2:e000850.

Background: Most sleeping pills are “sedative hypnotics,” drugs such as Ambien and Xanax that may also be used to treat anxiety and stress. These and similar drugs are associated with significant risks. Most of them are highly addictive and poor candidates for long term use. Side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, and impaired coordination. Because they act on brain chemistry, memory impairment, nervousness, confusion, hallucinations, and extreme irritability or aggressiveness may also result.

New Data: Daniel F. Kripke MD. Of the University of California, San Diego, worked for more than 30 years assessing the risk of sleeping pills. The findings in his most recent analysis are stunning, the most shocking of which being that people who take sleeping pills die sooner than people who don’t. In fact, it’s estimated that in 2010, sleeping pills may have been associated with 320,000 – 507,000 excess deaths in the United States.

Commentary: All told, there are now 19 studies showing that sleeping pills can lead to premature dealth. Fortunately, there are many safe and effective natural sleep aids including L-theanine, melatonin, 5-HTP, passionflower, and valerian.

P.S. I read a lot and I have heard about a few ways to fight insomnia.

1. Gentle yoga before going to bed.
2. Long slow walk before bed.
3. Glass of warm milk (goat milk is preferred, because it is easier to digest and very close to a women’s breast milk.
4. Cup of chamomile tea
5. No caffeine in the afternoon
6. A drop of lavender oil on forehead or behind the ears.

Attention please: all lavender oil must be organic grade A oil, not the ones made in labs. Essential oils can both calming and relaxing. For calming usage one drop will be enough to insure relaxation. If you need a perk up use three drops. With essential oils less is always more

Or as my wonderful client and optimal gist teaches me, when stress is to much to handle say to yourself its not worth it and go to bed. Have more restful nights without pills.