sleep

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Has insomnia tortured you to the point where you are looking into sleep aids? If so you are definitely not alone, it is estimated that more than 35 million Americans suffer from long term insomnia and require a sleep aids to get the sleep they need to function. Unfortunately in many cases sleep aids actually impair function, and leave the user worse off than before he or she began to use them. Benzodiazepines like Xanax, as well as non-benzodiazepine sleep aids like Ambien carry with them life-disrupting side effects. Before resorting to prescription sleep aids there are lifestyle changes you can try; cut down on coffee and cigarettes, especially before bedtime. Flipping your mattress, adjusting room temperature and trying to drown out noise can all be used in place of sleep aids. If those don't work the next step should be herbal sleep aids which provide relief without side effects, addiction or overdose. Herbal sleep aids are more effective that a lot of people give them credit for. Only after you have tried all of these or determined that the insomnia is caused by a serious physical problem should you consider prescription sleep aids.

Ativan, the generic name being Lorazepam, is a dangerous prescription drug which can severely damage the liver, doctors say. Even the lightest version of Ativan, that which contains only 1mg of Lorazepam, can have very negative effects on your health. Ativan is just one member of the benzodiazepine family which Valium, Lithium and Xanax also belong to. While the use of Ativan has shown moderate effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia the cons of its use far outweigh the pros. The types of side effects it can produce are troubling, as well as the rates of people who become dependent and/or addicted to it. Long term use of Ativan increases the risk of liver damage and also amplifies the withdrawal symptoms when a person eventually tries to stop taking Ativan. Ativan works by inhibiting receptors in the brain, although its use makes the assumption that there is an imbalance in the brain. Herbal supplements and therapy are available for anxiety and sleep problems and should always be considered first.

Who needs to use a sleep aid and exactly what insomnia is, is quite relative to the person. Both age and the individual will determine the amount of sleep that is needed. If a twenty five year old is getting four and a half hours of sleep per night a sleep aid would most likely be recommended whereas if a seventy five year old is getting the same amount of sleep it would be much closer to the normal range. This is why insomnia is defined as a disturbance in regular sleeping patterns and a sleep aid will only be given if it is outside what is normal for that person. Besides taking a sleep aid you can try to exercise during the day (but not right before bed), you can flip the mattress or try to focus on pleasant relaxing thoughts. This does not always work and sometimes anxiety related insomnia has to be treated with a sleep aid. Even in this case a sleep aid with herbs such as St. John's Wort and Valerian Root are much safer than any prescription sleep aid.

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