Sleep disturbances have many triggers. On the one hand, mental strains light stress, anxiety or sorrows on the other hand physical problems like pain or breathing disturbances might lead to tossing and turning instead to restful sleeping. Most of the time, it is forgotten that medication might lead to sleep disturbances, too. Learn more about sleep disturbances due to medication:
Sleep disturbances due to medication not uncommon
Especially elder people often suffer under sleep disturbances caused by medication. The quantity of medication taken by people 65+ often is reason for this; on an average, more than five medicines per day! Some people even have to take up to 20 pills. The combination of different medications often lead to side effects.
Side effects of medication
The effects often are fatal. Concentration disturbances arise, performance decreases. The intake of different medications affects reaction and leads to an increased daytime sleepiness due to a diminished sleeping quality. And this might have severe consequences in traffic or at the working place. Almost every 10th traffic accident is affected by medication. If you assume that your medication is responsible for your sleep disturbances always and in any case consult your doctor before stop using it! Maybe there is some alternative medicine. Sometimes you only have to change the time of the intake or the dose.
Medications that might lead to sleep disturbances
Some medications have a significant influence on our sleep-wake-rhythm; they may lead to sleep disturbances. Therefore, exact reading of the package insert is advisable. For example, it is not advisable to take stimulating antihypertensives that inhibit the sleeping hormone melatonin in the evening before going to bed. That would only lead to lying in bed awake without being able to fall asleep.
Further sleep depriving medications:
- Asthma-medication: This medication contains theophylline which keeps the bronchi clean but it might lead to sleeplessness.
- Cholesterol reducer: The intake of statins in the evening might lead to disturbances to fall asleep and to sleep through.
- Antidepressants: Antidepressants might lead to sleep disturbances and to night mares.
- Sleeping pills: In long term, the intake of, for example, benzodiazepines also might lead to sleep disturbances.
- Analgesics: Do painkillers contain caffeine the stimulating effect might cause disturbances to fall asleep.
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