sleep

[D. C. Schorse]

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The amount of people using or searching for a sleep medication are higher than ever. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are more people than ever before, but the rates of people using a sleep medication per capita are also higher than ever before, so this cannot be the answer. The number one reason for losing sleep is stress, and few would disagree that the world is becoming more stressful. Stress comes from a failing economy, competitive job market, personal problems and family issues, and the only solution seems to be sleep medication. Well it isn't, even though taking a prescription sleep medication seems to be the easiest answer it will have long term negative health effects. There are simple relaxation techniques you can try, you can also try cognitive therapy as well as, gasp, exercise. Failing that, a natural sleep medication may be just what you need for milder insomnia relief and a good night's sleep, and it will not have the side effects.

A sleep medicine can come in many different forms, but by far the most used nowadays come from a family of drugs called benzodiazepines. Valium, for instance, is a the most recognized sleep medicine of this group, however recently Xanax is beginning to replace it as the main sleep medicine. Being the most popular does not make it the best by any definition. In many cases the pharmaceutical sleep medicine is ineffective, as well as has many negative side effects. The risk of addiction is always present with any prescription sleep medicine, as well as the risk of overdose to varying degrees. There are alternatives to overcoming insomnia getting to sleep, such as herbal supplements. A herbal sleep medicine will most likely be side effect free, and not have addictive qualities either. Trust in the healing power of nature and try a herbal sleep medicine before asking for a prescription drug.

Zolpidem became common in the treatment of insomnia only a few short years ago, though its use has absolutely sky rocketed during that time. Zolpidem is marketed in North America under the name Ambien, or Ambien CR (controlled release). During this period that Zolpidem has shown itself to have a wide range of dangers and adverse side effects. Many people taking Zolpidem experience feelings of confusion, dizziness and headache. A significant amount of people using Zolpidem experienced personality changes and memory loss; short term "blackouts", or holes in one's memory have been reported by some users. In the near future we may see Zolpidem no longer being prescribed. Rather than using strong drugs like Zolpidem it is important to investigate alternatives. Natural supplements are far more gentle on the body and do not have the same adverse side effects or dependency issues. So get the night's sleep you need without the side effects you don't, trust in nature!

Sleepwell