What are the side-effects of taking sleeping pills?

Question

I've never been able to sleep properly. I can't sleep till atleast 3 in the morning sometimes, and on a school night, i sometimes get about 4/5 hours of sleep.

Are they ok for a 13 year old to take?

Answer 1

well i don know much but plz don..

Answer 2

well, I always get a metalic taste in my mouth the following day that I can't get rid of no matter how much I eat/drink. At 13 I would say you're too young to be taking them, and should try to relax before bedtime, and get your body used to a routine.

Answer 3

well, addiction to them, for one. also, sleep walking, mood swings, and i guess some other stuff. they did a simpsons episode about it.

Answer 4

well im 15 & i took them a couple times during vacation.

you can try Tylenol pm

it's like non habit forming.

yeah there bad if you take them too often

you'll become dependent on them and develop insomnia

Answer 5

sleeping tablets take a while to kick in also they can make you grouchy in a morning and if you take them to often then you could get addicted to them

being 13 i would ask your doctor  

Answer 6

Since you are asking on YA, you must be referring to the OTC form of sleep aid, that is just Diphendydramine Hydrochloride (HCl), which is the active ingredient in Benedryl and other generic name brands.  Diphenhydramine and Diphenhydramine HCl are merely antihistamines, with one of the side effects as drowsiness or sedation.  So they just repackage it as an OTC sleep aid.  If you look at and compare the active ingredient with Benedryl or generic Benedryl, the ingredient is the same.  Taking 50 mg of the sleep aid is equivalent of taking 2 pills of Benedryl (which is 25 mg each).

The full list of side effects are:

----drowsiness/sedation

----mucous thickening

----confusion

----changes in vision

----dizziness

----photosentivity when out in the sun

----fast heart rate

----nervousness

----nightmares

----difficulty or painful urination

----irritability

----ringing or buzzing in ear

----increased sweating

----loss of appetite

----unusual excitement

Symptoms of overdose:

----shortness of breath

----feeling faint

----severe dryness in mouth

----hallucinations

----convulsions (seizures)

----severe drowsiness

----clumsiness

----flushing/redness in face

----trouble sleeping

----severe increase in heart rate

A close "cousin" to Diphenhydramine HCl in the antihistamine class is Doxylamine Succinate (both are similar in molecular structure), which is commercially packaged as brand name Unisom.  

However, if you are referring to prescription sleep aids, then you would definitely need to talk to your doctor.  At 13 years old, you are a too young to start on such a dependency habit, albeit a psychological dependency for OTC sleep aids.  Even for adults, doctors are reluctant to write long-term sleep med prescriptions, because, regardless of whether it's Benzodiazepine or Zolpidem Tartrate category, ALL precripstion sleep medications fall under Class IV meds per FDA.  And anything Class IV and lower must be tightly regulated.

If you have an anxiety or depression issue, you should also talk to your doc about some form of antidepressant to help with the issue in the long-term, instead of reaching for the short-term, temporary relief.  If you need to talk it out, contact a close friend, write in a journal, or even a local counselor.  If you have excess energy that needs venting out, join a sport, but don't do any exercise or strenuous activity too close to bedtime, or it will make you restless the whole night.  Watch your daily diet closely for a few days and see how much caffeine and sugar you habitually consume.  Then cut back accordingly.  For example, if you habitually drink soda or any caffeinated drinks after 3 p.m., that will definitely keep you up late at night as well.

Whatever it is you're struggling with, it is ALWAYS better to target the problems head on the natural way instead of reaching for an escape through a short-term, addictive habit of medications.  You will feel FAR more confident that way.