Sleep Medications - Introduction

There are a wide variety of sleep medications on the market today to treat numerous sleeping disorders. The most common symptom of a sleeping disorder treated by medication is insomnia wherein the sufferer has persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Here we will discuss, different types of insomnia, the variety of sleep medications, including their side effects, and also where they can be purchased.

Continued

While there are many varieties of sleep disorders there are three different types of insomnia that have identified by doctors. They are transient insomnia, acute insomnia, and chronic insomnia. Transient insomnia can be caused by stress, depression and changes in timing of sleep or sleep environment. This type of insomnia usually lasts from days to weeks and can cause sleepiness and impaired psycho-motor performance and its effects are similar to those of sleep deprivation. The second type of insomnia is acute insomnia. Acute insomnia is defined as being unable to consistently sleep properly from anywhere between three weeks to six months at a time. The third and last type of insomnia is chronic insomnia which can last for years. This type of insomnia can be caused by another disorder or can be a primary disorder in itself. The effects of chronic insomnia can include mental fatigue, hallucinations, muscular fatigue, and sleepiness. Causes of insomnia are too numerous to name here but include anything from use of psychoactive drugs or stimulants such as caffeine, to poor sleep hygiene. A poll conducted in 2002 concluded that 58% of adults in the United States experienced some of the symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week or more.

Just as there are many varieties of sleep disorders, there are also a number of sleep medications. Many people who suffer from insomnia rely on sleeping pills or sedatives to get some rest. These pills can be divided into two main classes, benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepine drugs. Benzodiazepines include drugs such as temazepam, flunitrazepam and triazolam just to name a few.

This is the most commonly prescribed medication to treat insomnia and can be habit forming if used for a long period of time. The second class is nonbenzodiazepine drugs. This is a newer class of hypnotic drug and includes medications such as zolpidem, zaleplon, zopiclone and eszopiclone. This class of drugs has an advantage over benzodiazepines in that there has been seen to be a reduction in some of the side effects although it is still habit forming. Side effects of these sleep medications may include hallucinations, memory lapses, severe facial swelling, severe allergic reaction and dependence.

As with all medications, it is important to evaluate carefully the pros and cons before beginning treatment with sleep medications.

When choosing where to purchase ones medicines a few factors may influence your decision. One option is to go to the local pharmacy, where one would have to provide a prescription from a licensed health care professional and may be charged very high prices. Another option is to order these medications online where one may have the chance to save some money. If money saving is a top priority to you, it may be worth your while to consider ordering from a foreign online source. These companies are able to sell their products at a greatly reduced price saving their customers lots of money. While there are some understandable concerns about ordering from an foreign source, a little research will provide the name of a reliable pharmacy such as medsindia.com who have been serving customers since 2001 with high quality drugs at low prices.

Suffering from a sleep disorder can be detrimental to many different aspects of ones life. Insomnia is the most common symptom of sleeping disorder, affecting a large percentage of adult Americans. Many Americans rely on sleep medications to help them get some much needed rest in order to function properly in the world in which they live and work.