Taking sleeping pills? Be careful, kidney and liver damage may occur

Do you also stay awake at night and take the help of sleeping pills to get a restful sleep? If yes, then be alert. Taking sleeping pills can cause serious damage to your kidneys and liver. According to a report by the American Psychiatric Association, one-third of the world’s adults are struggling with insomnia. For this reason, a large number of people use sleeping pills, which can cause many serious side effects. It is dangerous to use these medicines without doctor’s advice. Let us know, how safe are sleeping pills and what can be its side effects.

Sleeping pills: how safe are they?

Sleeping pills are used for people who have severe problems with insomnia.

• These pills calm the brain chemicals by affecting them, which helps in getting sleep.
• If used in prescribed quantity as per doctor’s advice, they can be safe to some extent.
• But taking sleeping pills on your own for common problems can prove to be dangerous for health.

Types of Sleeping Pills

1. Benzodiazepines:
   • Shows immediate effect and induces sleep quickly.
   • Using them for a long time can be dangerous.
2. Non-benzodiazepines:
   • They are less effective and their side effects are also relatively less.
3. Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists:
   • These pills do not directly induce sleep but help in inducing sleep.
   • Their side effects are less as compared to other pills.

Side effects of sleeping pills

1. Sleep disturbance:
   • Many times taking sleeping pills does not result in normal sleep.
   • There may be a problem of sudden awakening or startle at night.
2. Too much sleep:
   • Tablets taken without doctor’s advice can cause excessive sleepiness.
3. Effect on brain:
   • Using these pills for a long time can harm the brain.
   • This can cause irritability, anger and memory problems.
4. Lose sleep:
   • The strange thing is that taking too many sleeping pills can cause sleeplessness, which can lead to staying awake throughout the night.
5. Effect on liver and kidney:
   • Sleeping pills taken without doctor’s advice have a direct effect on the liver and kidneys.
   • Due to this, both organs can fail or get damaged.

When should one go to the doctor?

1. Become addicted to sleeping pills:
   • When it feels like you can’t sleep without pills.
2. Side effects may be felt:
   • If you feel vomiting, dizziness, or restlessness after taking sleeping pills.
3. Problem of insomnia persists:
   • If you cannot sleep even after taking pills and have to stay awake all night.
4. Have heart, liver, or kidney problems:
   • People suffering from these problems should not use sleeping pills without doctor’s advice.