This week, Dr. Roger Seheult explains why sleep is so important for health and how you can get the sleep you need.
The FDA crows about its new drug approvals. It is less enthusiastic about black box warnings. Z-drug dangers now include sleep walking and sleep driving.
Do you ever read the FDA's black box warning? There are new cautions about Ambien (zolpidem), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and zaleplon (Sonata). Sleep driving!
Millions of people have insomnia. Many try falling asleep with zolpidem. But the drug can cause indigestion. Waking up with heartburn at night is not nice.
The scent of lavender oil can help reduce anxiety and overcome sleeplessness in people undergoing surgery. Might it help you too?
People taking benzodiazepines like clonazepam for insomnia are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Could benzos increase the risk for dementia?
Is it possible to be arrested for driving under the inflluence (DUI) while taking Ambien (zolpidem)? This reader was. Others have ended up in the hospital.
Have you ever spent time in a hospital? Anyone who has knows how hard it is to sleep in the hospital. There is too much noise, too many lights and too many awakenings. Does it have to be this way?
Do you ever read the labels on OTC drug bottles? Can you pronounce doxylamine? Do you know what it is? This sedating antihistamine is used as a sleeping pill. What are the risks?
Do you wake up a few times each night to go to the bathroom? Will a nighttime cold and flu medicine like Nyquil solve the problem or is a home remedy the ticket?
Melatonin is a very popular dietary supplement. How good is it for promoting sleep. Are there melatonin side effects you should know about?
Are you getting a good night's sleep? If you wake up or get up to pee, is it hard for you to get back to sleep? If so, you could be vulnerable to problems.
If patients are warned about Zolpidem (Ambien) side effects they may be told about morning hangover or driving impairment. Indigestion may not be mentioned.
Many athletes and the rest of us could benefit from sleeping longer. Would you like to be stronger and smarter? Consider sleep loading.
Munching about a dozen or so raisins at bedtime could reduce the need to get up to urinate and help you sleep through the night.
Studying the nerve connections in sleeping mice, scientists concluded that synapses shrink during sleep. This promotes learning when mice are awake.
An herbal sleep remedy containing hops might lead to deeper sleep and could help make violent dream enactment less likely.
When a bed partner starts acting out dreams by kicking and punching, the root cause might be a sleep disorder. Can melatonin help?