The problem of falling asleep is often a serious illness, which has a lot of visible and invisible reasons. The painful expectation of a night's sleep torments a person for a long time, and the result does not appear immediately. To cope with insomnia, you need to know its nature well and listen to your body. Sometimes the banal “counting sheep” helps, and in some cases only drugs can do it.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder affecting 1/5 of the world's population today. The disease refers not only to problems with the initial falling asleep, but also frequent awakenings during sleep or uncontrolled early morning rise.
Insomnia can manifest itself for unknown reasons or be the result of any disease. Proponents of traditional methods offer to fight the disease through medical sleeping pills. Alternative medicine solves problems with the help of homeopathy, healers put infusions of medicinal herbs and roots as the basis of treatment.
Ignoring the problems of falling asleep negatively affects the quality of life:mood and memory worsens, productivity of all activities decreases. Having developed into chronic insomnia, it negatively affects pressure, contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Sometimes lifestyle changes and the elimination of bad habits help to cope with poor-quality sleep. If the problem persists, you should consult a doctor. A medical examination and diagnosis of the body as a whole will help you choose an effective sleeping pill.
Disease symptoms
The visible side of insomnia is the body's lack of a certain amount of sleep, which is required for complete relaxation. Its duration is individual, so the ultimate determining factor is the comfortable feeling after waking up. Other symptoms of insomnia include:
- difficulty falling asleep in the evening;
- inability to fall asleep after frequent nighttime awakenings;
- the course of sleep is accompanied by sharp intermittent pauses;
- irritability observed while awake;
- daytime sleepiness;
- trouble concentrating.
If a person wakes up tired due to sleep problems, they need treatment, including sleeping pills. Sleep medications will permanently eliminate insomnia in most cases.
Causes of insomnia
In combination with taking medication, you need to pay attention to the possible causes of the disease and try to eliminate them. Amonga huge list, some of the most common reasons are:
- Emotional: stress, fear or anxiety, depression.
- Psychological: bipolar and post-traumatic disorders.
- Physiological: bad habits and discomforts associated with the environment and lifestyle.
- Pathological: Sleep disturbances associated with specific patient conditions.
- Pharmacological: Problems associated with medication use.
Identified causes of insomnia will help the doctor individually select the right sleeping pill.
Operation principle
Sleeping pills are drugs that make it easy to fall asleep and oversleep for as long as the body needs. At the same time, the excitatory process is weakened and the work of the central nervous system is reduced. In addition, sleeping pills make it possible to fall into a phase of natural sleep, which includes 4 slow periods:
- Drowsiness, during which a person continues to be aware of what happened during the day and tries to make a decision on the accumulated problems.
- Sleep of slow depth, during which consciousness either disappears or turns on again.
- The phase of slow sleep, in which a person falls into deep sleep more and more often, but there is still a slight activation of consciousness.
- Delta sleep based on fluctuating brain waves with complete desensitization and dreaming.
Actionsleeping pills should provide a person with all of the above phases of sleep and rest, contributing to the he althy relaxation of the body. The lack of the expected effect is the reason for contacting a specialist in order to select another drug.
Types of drugs
The classification of sleeping pills is very complex and varied.
Drugs are distinguished by the time of creation, principle of action, chemical structure and scope based on the symptoms present. There is a figurative division of sleeping pills into the following groups:
- Bromides are bromine-based drugs with a sedative effect that affects the nervous system. They are used in the diagnosis of hysteria and neurasthenia. The main active ingredient of bromides are potassium and sodium s alts. The drugs balance the excitation and the process of inhibition of the nervous system. The most famous representatives are "Adonis bromine", "Bromcamphor", "Potassium bromide".
- Barbiturates cause a feeling of euphoria that appears immediately after taking the drug. Sleeping pills have the desired effect, but can be associated with a loss of coordination, which limits the use of this type of medication. Barbiturates include: Reladorm, Phenobarbital, Butizol.
- Aldehydes, having a large number of side effects, have proven themselves negatively. Chloral hydrate has the least harmful effects.
- Piperidinedione derivatives have a sedative and hypnotic effect, are non-toxic, do not affect breathing processes andcirculation. A bright representative of this group is Tetridin.
- Quinazolines have, in addition to hypnotic and sedative, anticonvulsant effects. Used for sleep disorders that have an underlying cause of pain. The main drug in this group is Metaqualone.
- Benzodiazepines are drugs with a pronounced hypnotic effect that reduces symptomatic manifestations of anxiety and fear. These include Nitrazepam, Flunitrazepam, Triazolam.
- Ethanolamines have in the group drugs with a delayed elimination period, and therefore reduce efficiency and concentration during wakefulness. Experts call the most popular remedy "Doxylamine".
- Imidazopyridines have an anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety effect with the restoration of all phases of sleep. During the period of wakefulness, efficiency and excessive activity appear. Commonly prescribed drugs are Zolpidem and Ivadal.
- Cyclopyrrolones are a new generation of drugs that have received the characteristics of the best sleeping pills. Their use at bedtime does not affect the period of wakefulness, does not cause a feeling of absent-mindedness during the daytime. Experts call Zopiclone or Imovan the most accessible of the series of cyclopyrrolone drugs used for sleep problems.
- Pyrazolopyrimidines - also belong to the 3rd generation drugs and are distinguished by a minimum of side effects and a high rate of excretion from the body. The main representatives of the class are Zoliplon or Andante.
In addition to the drugs listed above, there are plenty of over-the-counter herbal sleep aids and traditional medicine formulations that improve sleep quality.
Bromcamphor
The medicine is produced in Russia in the form of tablets containing 0.25 g of camphor bromide. The active substance inhibits the processes of excitation of the brain and contributes to the early falling asleep. Indications for use are heart rhythm disturbances, a high degree of excitability and nervousness, fatigue and weakness.
The medicine should not be used by children under 7 years of age, patients with complicated liver and kidney diseases, with intolerance to the components of the drug, if it is necessary to concentrate during the daytime or be able to drive vehicles.
With caution "Bromcamphor" is used during pregnancy and lactation. The drug can help in stopping lactation, as it affects the production of hormones. Depending on the age of the patient, from 500 to 1500 mg of the substance is prescribed per day, and the duration of the course of treatment is 12 days. Adverse reactions such as lethargy, lethargy, nausea and vomiting have been observed.
Reladorm
The hypnotic produced in Poland in tablet form has a combined composition: cyclobarbital has a sedative effect, and diazepam is used as a tranquilizer.
Used for irritability and associated insomnia, 1 tablet 40 to 50 minutes beforeplanned sleep period. The use of the drug leads to daytime sleepiness, loss of coordination and can be addictive. You can not use "Reladorm" for children under one year old, pregnant and lactating women, elderly patients and with hypersensitivity to the components.
Chloral hydrate
The medical product is produced in Russia and has the form of drops for local, internal and rectal use. It acts on the body as an analgesic and sedative with a hypnotic effect. Most commonly used topically for toothache.
Also prescribed to achieve a sedative effect, a single dose of 200 mg - 500 mg. To ensure the effect of a sleeping pill, the daily dosage is increased to 1000 mg. The drug is prohibited for use in patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system. A vivid manifestation of depression of the central nervous system, irritation of the stomach and intestines do not allow the drug to be widely used.
Tetridine
The product is produced in Russia in the form of tablets and powder and solves the problem of insomnia in disorders of the central nervous system due to a sedative and hypnotic effect. The content of the active substance tetrahydropyridine in a tablet can be 100 or 200 mg. A single dosage of any of the forms is from 200 to 400 mg. Depending on the expected result, the drug can be prescribed for single and multiple daily use. Rarely, the use of Tetridine causes weakness, nausea and dizziness.
Metaqualone
Sleeping drug is produced in the UK and contains 200 mg of methylquinazoline per 1 tablet. In addition to the main hypnotic effect, it has an anti-cold and analgesic effect. It is taken half an hour before bedtime (depending on the severity of the disease) at 200-400 mg. Contraindications are gastritis and stomach ulcers. The use of "Metaqualone" can cause various digestive disorders.
Nitrazepam
The drug is characterized by a strong hypnotic effect, produced in Russia in the form of tablets containing 5 mg of the active substance. It is used for any form of sleep disturbance, somnambulism, in the preoperative period. Can be used in infants at a dosage of 1.25 mg. The allowable amount of medication per day for adults is 20 mg, most of which should be taken before the expected sleep. Contraindications are pregnancy and lactation, severe depression, alcohol and drug addiction.
Doxylamine
Being a strong hypnotic, it has single-component and multi-component release forms. So, doxylamine as the main substance is present in the preparations "Donormil" and "Valocordin-Doxylamine". Doxylamine-based products shorten the time to fall asleep and increase the length of sleep. In addition, they have an antihistamine and sedative effect. The maximum single dose for insomnia is 30 mg, in the absence of allergies, the dosethe drug can reach up to 150 mg per day. It is not allowed to use all forms of doxylamine in children under 6 years of age, during pregnancy and lactation. Sometimes there are side effects in the form of distraction during the waking period, constipation and urinary retention are not excluded.
Zolpidem
The drug is produced in Argentina in the form of tablets containing 10 mg of the active substance each. As a standard, the doctor prescribes 1 tablet 30 minutes before the period of falling asleep. According to the principle of action, Zolpidem is similar to benzodiazepines and is used in cases of such types of disorders as insomnia, frequent awakenings and little sleep, feelings of anxiety and excitement. To purchase medicine, you must have a prescription with you. Sleeping pills are not prescribed for children, patients with respiratory problems and diseases of the liver and kidneys, pregnant women.
Zopiklone
Produced in Canada and has 7.5mg of active ingredient per 1 tablet. The drug has a positive effect on the problems of falling asleep, increases the amount of sleep and allows you to restore its disturbed structure. The tool has a minimum effect on daily activity. Side effects are possible, ranging from psychological dependence to uncontrolled weight loss. The drug has the same contraindications as Zolpidem. It is usually prescribed to take 1 tablet at bedtime. If necessary, it is possible to increase the dose by 2 times.
Andante
The drug is produced in Hungary in the form of gelatin capsules with a dose of activesubstances zaleplon 5 and 10 mg. The tool suppresses feelings of anxiety and stress, has a sedative and hypnotic effect, has a high absorption rate. Contraindications are children's age, signs of apnea in the patient and special sensitivity to the components. Andante belongs to the latest generation of insomnia medications and completes the classification list of sleep aids.
Reviews of doctors and patients
Because most sleeping pills are prescription, each doctor is personally responsible for recommending a remedy based on the severity of the disease. Available reviews of doctors for the same medicine can be completely opposite and depend on experience and best practices.
Patient feedback is also different. Self-administration of the drug may not have a hypnotic effect on the body. The remedy in this case, according to the patient, falls into the category of negatively characterized medicines, which is often erroneous.
Before treating insomnia, it is necessary to diagnose and identify possible causes of the disease with your doctor. Sometimes non-drug methods have a beneficial effect on the human body and allow you to get rid of sleep disorders. It is important to remember that only the identification of chronic he alth problems or an incompletely clear picture of the disease requires the use of sleeping pills. It is desirable if a specialist will prescribe the medication and select the dosage.
