If you’re 65 or older, experts suggest that you avoid all sleep aids.

It's important to be aware of possible sleeping pill side effects so you can stop the drug and call your doctor immediately to avoid a more serious health problem. Uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body.Mental slowing or problems with attention or memory.Burning or tingling in the hands, arms, feet, or legs.Sleeping pills can interfere with normal breathing and can be dangerous in people who have certain chronic lung problems such as asthma, emphysema, or forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD).Ĭommon side effects of prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien, Halcion, Lunesta, Rozerem, and Sonata include: Your doctor may be able to tell you about some side effects if you have asthma or other health conditions. You won't know, though, whether you will have side effects with a particular sleeping pill until you try it. Like most medications, sleeping pills have side effects. What Are the Side Effects of Sleeping Pills? Another sleep medicine that is not addictive, Silenor, is a low-dose form of the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin. Belsomra is another unique sleep aid that affects a brain chemical called orexin and is not addictive. It affects a brain hormone called melatonin, and it's not addictive. Another sleep aid, called Rozerem, acts differently from other sleep medicines. They can work quickly to increase drowsiness and sleep. They are somewhat less likely than benzodiazepines to be habit-forming, but over time can still sometimes cause physical dependence. Some of these sleep-inducing drugs, which bind to the same receptors in the brain as do benzodiazepines, include Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata. Newer medications help you fall asleep faster. But more commonly, these hypnotic drugs are limited to use as anesthesia. Short- or long-acting barbiturates are prescribed as sedatives or sleeping pills. They are usually not recommended for long-term treatment of sleeping problems.īarbiturates, another group of drugs in this sedative-hypnotic class, depress the central nervous system and can cause sedation. While these drugs may be useful for the short term, all benzodiazepines are potentially addictive and can cause problems with memory and attention. Halcion is an older benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic medicine that has largely been replaced by newer medicines. They also increase drowsiness and help people sleep. Sedative hypnotics include benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and various hypnotics.īenzodiazepines such as Ativan, Librium, Valium, and Xanax are anti- anxiety medications. Most sleeping pills are classified as 'sedative hypnotics.' That's a specific class of drugs used to go to sleep or stay asleep. When you do, you can avoid misusing these sedatives. That includes knowing about sleeping pill side effects. But it's important to understand everything you need to know about sleeping pills.

A sleeping pill can help your sleep problems for the short term.

Over the counter sleeping pills