Whoever coined the phrase “sleeping like a baby��? must have been childless. No parent who’s walked the floor for hours with a fussy infant or gotten up for numerous nighttime feedings would imagine babies sleep well.
At the other end of the lifespan, sleep problems are also common. Older people frequently have trouble getting to sleep. Another common complaint is that they wake up far too early. Some have to get up to visit the bathroom and then have difficulty falling back to sleep. Others find that they are wide awake at 3 am and toss and turn until morning.
This kind of chronic sleep deprivation takes a toll. It has been associated with high blood pressure, weight gain, reduced immunity and daytime drowsiness.
When people see the doctor, the usual solution for insomnia is a prescription for sleeping pills. An in-depth analysis suggests some sleep medications are more likely to hurt than help (British Medical Journal, Nov. 19, 2005).
Some older individuals may fall asleep more quickly with sleeping pills, while others sleep longer on medication. But this overview reports that for the most part, sleeping pills have only a modest effect.
The possibility of dangerous side effects is even more troubling. Older people taking a sleeping pill were nearly five times more likely to become confused or forgetful as those taking an inactive placebo.
Dizziness that could lead to falls and daytime drowsiness that could lead to accidents were also significantly more common.
Many people can relate to this reader’s dilemma: “I suffer from insomnia. Doctors have given me two drugs. One is Sonata, which only helps for about three hours. The other is Ambien, which seems to affect my balance the next day and make me light-headed.��?
People who suffer side effects from prescription sleeping pills or worry about dependence may turn to over-the-counter sleep aids. But even the antihistamine diphenhydramine can make some people drowsy the next day. This compound is the active ingredient in Benadryl and is the PM in many nighttime pain relievers.
What can an insomniac do? Lack of sleep undermines health, but sleeping pills may carry risks.
One promising option is behavioral therapy. Learning practical ways to cope with sleep problems, adopting new attitudes toward insomnia and practicing relaxation techniques were all helpful for older as well as younger people (Health Psychology, Jan. 2006). Such approaches have no risky side effects, which is a big advantage.
Other tactics that can help include keeping a regular schedule for retiring and rising, setting aside time for relaxation before getting into bed and taking a hot shower or bath an hour before bedtime.
We discussed sleep problems in children and adults with sleep researcher Martin Scharf, PhD, director of the Tri-State Sleep Disorders Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more details about non-drug options as well as the pros and cons of sleeping pills such as Ambien, Sonata or Lunesta, you can order a CD of this hour-long interview on our national radio show. The CD is available for $16 from the People’s Pharmacy (CD-565), P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027 or order it online at www.peoplespharmacy.com.
The People's Perspective on Medicine