The problem of falling asleep is often a serious ailment, which has a lot of visible and invisible causes. The painful expectation of a night sleep torments a person for a long time, and the result is far from immediately apparent. To cope with insomnia, you need to know its nature well and listen to your body. Sometimes a banal “sheep count” helps, and in some cases only medications can handle it.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder that appears today in 1/5 of the world's population. A disease is understood not only as a problem with the initial falling asleep, but also frequent awakenings during sleep or an uncontrolled early morning rise.
Insomnia may occur for unknown reasons or become a consequence of any disease. Proponents of traditional methods suggest combating the disease through medication sleeping pills. Alternative medicine solves problems with the help of homeopathy, healers put the infusions of herbs and roots as the basis of treatment.
Ignoring the problems of falling asleep negatively affects the quality of life: mood and memory deteriorate, the productivity of all types of activity decreases. Growing into chronic, insomnia negatively affects pressure, contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sometimes dealing with poor-quality sleep helps lifestyle changes and the elimination of bad habits. If the problem persists, consult a doctor. A medical examination and diagnosis of the body as a whole will help you choose an effective sleeping pill.
Symptoms of the disease
The visible side of insomnia is a certain amount of sleep not received by the body, which is required for complete relaxation. Its duration is individual, therefore, the final determining factor is the comfortable feeling after awakening. Symptoms of insomnia include:
- difficult process of falling asleep in the evening;
- inability to fall asleep after frequent night awakenings;
- the course of sleep is accompanied by sharp intermittent pauses;
- irritability is observed during wakefulness;
- daytime sleepiness;
- trouble concentrating.
If a person wakes up tired due to sleep problems, he needs treatment, including sleeping pills. Drugs for normalizing sleep in most cases permanently eliminate insomnia.
Causes of Insomnia
In combination with taking medications, you need to pay attention to the possible causes of the disease and try to eliminate them. Among the huge list there are several of the most common reasons:
- Emotional: stress, a feeling of fear or excessive anxiety, depression.
- Psychological: bipolar and post-traumatic disorders.
- Physiological: bad habits and uncomfortable conditions associated with the environment and lifestyle.
- Pathological: sleep disorders associated with specific diseases of patients.
- Pharmacological: problems that appear on the background of the drugs used.
The identified causes of insomnia will help the doctor individually select the right sleeping pill.
Operating principle
Sleeping drugs are called medications that make it easy to fall asleep and sleep as much as the body needs. At the same time, the excitatory process is weakened and the central nervous system is reduced. In addition, sleeping pills make it possible to fall into the phase of natural sleep, which includes 4 slow periods:
- A nap during which a person continues to be aware of what happened during the day and tries to make a decision on the accumulated problems.
- A dream of slow depth, during which the consciousness disappears, then turns on again.
- The phase of slow sleep, in which a person more and more falls into a deep sleep, but there is still a slight activation of consciousness.
- Delta-sleep, based on fluctuations of brain waves with a complete weakening of sensitivity and the appearance of dreams.
The action of sleeping pills should provide a person with all of the above phases of sleep and rest, contributing to a healthy relaxation of the body. The absence 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 diverse.
Drugs are distinguished by the time of creation, the principle of action, the chemical structure and the field of application based on the available symptoms. There is a figurative division of sleeping pills into the following groups:
- Bromides are bromine-based drugs with a sedative effect on the nervous system. They are used to diagnose hysteria and neurasthenia. The main active substance of bromides are potassium and sodium salts. Drugs balance the excitation and the process of inhibition of the nervous system. The most famous representatives are Adonis Brom, Bromcamfort, and Potassium Bromide.
- Barbiturates cause a feeling of euphoria that appears immediately after taking the drug. Sleeping pills have the desired effect, but it is associated with a loss of coordination, which limits the intake of this type of medication. Barbiturates include: Reladorm, Phenobarbital, Butisol.
- Aldehydes, having a large number of side effects, have proven themselves negatively. Chloral Hydrate has the least harmful effects.
- Derivatives of piperidinedione have a calming and sedative effect, are not toxic, and do not affect the processes of respiration and blood circulation. A striking representative of this group is Tetridine.
- Quinazolines have, in addition to sleeping pills and sedatives, anticonvulsants. Used for sleep disorders that have a root cause of pain. The main drug in this group is Methaqualone.
- Benzodiazepines are drugs with a pronounced hypnotic effect, which reduces the symptomatic manifestations of anxiety and fear. These include Nitrazepam, Flunitrazepam, Triazolam.
- Ethanolamines are in the group of drugs with a delayed elimination period, and therefore reduce performance and concentration during wakefulness. The most popular remedy is called Doxylamine.
- Imidazopyridines have an anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety effect with the restoration of all phases of sleep. During wakefulness, working capacity and excessive activity appear. Commonly prescribed drugs are Zolpidem and Ivadal.
- Cyclopirrolones - a new generation of drugs that have received the characteristics of the best sleeping pills. Their use before bedtime does not affect the period of wakefulness, does not cause a feeling of distraction in the daytime. The most affordable of the series of cyclopyrrolones used for sleep problems, experts call Zopiclone or Imovan.
- Pyrazolopyrimidines - also apply to drugs of 3 generations and are characterized 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 above drugs, there are a sufficient number of over-the-counter sleeping pills made on the basis of herbal ingredients, and traditional medicine formulations that improve sleep quality.
Bromkamfora
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 rapid fall asleep. Indications for use are cardiac arrhythmias, a high degree of excitability and nervousness, fatigue and weakness.
The medicine can not be used for children under 7 years old, patients with complicated liver and kidney diseases, with intolerance to the components of the drug, if necessary, focusing in the daytime or the possibility of driving.
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, 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 apathy, lethargy, nausea and vomiting are seen.
Reladorm
Hypnotics, produced in Poland in tablet form, has a combined composition: cyclobarbital has a sedative effect, and diazepam is used as a tranquilizer.
It is used for irritability and insomnia associated with it, 1 tablet 40-50 minutes before the planned period of falling asleep. The use of the drug leads to daytime sleepiness, loss of coordination and can be addictive. Reladorm should not be used for children under one year of age, pregnant and lactating women, elderly patients and with hypersensitivity to components.
Chloral Hydrate
The drug is produced in Russia and is in the form of drops for local, internal and rectal use. It affects the body as an analgesic and sedative with sleeping pills. Most often used for topical use for toothache.
It is also prescribed to achieve a sedative effect in a single dose of 200 mg - 500 mg. To ensure the effect of sleeping pills, the daily dosage is increased to 1000 mg. The medicine 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 drug 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 the sedative and hypnotic effect. The active substance content of tetrahydropyridine in a tablet may 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"
A hypnotic drug is available in the UK and contains 200 mg of methylquinazoline in 1 tablet. In addition to the main sleeping pill, it has a cold and analgesic effect. It is taken half an hour before bedtime (depending on the severity of the disease), 200-400 mg. Contraindications are gastritis and a stomach ulcer. The use of "Metaqualone" can cause various digestive disorders.
Nitrazepam
The drug is characterized by a strong hypnotic effect, it is 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. Possible use in infants in a dosage of 1.25 mg. The permissible amount of medication per day for adults is 20 mg, most of which must be taken before the expected sleep. Contraindications are the period of pregnancy and lactation, a severe form of depression, alcohol and drug addiction.
Doxylamine
Being a powerful sleeping pill, it has one-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 falling asleep and increase sleep length. In addition, they have antihistamine and sedative effects. The maximum single dose for insomnia is 30 mg, in the absence of allergies, the dose can reach 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. Side effects sometimes occur in the form of dispersal of attention during wakefulness, constipation and urinary retention are not ruled out.
Zolpidem
The drug is released in Argentina in the form of tablets containing 10 mg of active substance in each. Typically, 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 a small amount of sleep, a sense of anxiety and excitement. To purchase medicine, you must have a prescription with you. Hypnotics are not prescribed for children, patients with breathing problems and diseases of the liver and kidneys, pregnant women.
"Zopiclone"
It is produced in Canada and has 7.5 mg of active ingredient in 1 tablet. The medicine positively affects 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, starting with psychological dependence and ending with uncontrolled weight loss. The drug has the same contraindications as Zolpidem. Usually, 1 tablet is prescribed before bedtime. If necessary, a dose increase of 2 times is possible.
"Andante"
The drug is available in Hungary in the form of gelatin capsules with a dose of the active substance zaleplona 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" refers to the latest generation of drugs that fight insomnia, and completes the classification list of sleeping pills.
Reviews of doctors and patients
Since most sleeping pills are prescription drugs, each doctor has a personal responsibility and recommends a remedy based on the severity of the disease. The available reviews of doctors on the same medicine can be completely opposite and depend on experience and experience.
Patient reviews are 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 mistaken.
Before treating insomnia, it is necessary to diagnose and identify with the attending physician the possible causes of the disease. 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 health problems or the incomplete clear picture of the disease requires the use of sleeping pills. It is advisable if the appointment is made by a specialist.