Saturday, October 11, 2008

Do You Take Sleeping Pills?

Chances are, someone you know takes a sleeping pill. One in four Americans takes a sleep aid every year, according to the National Sleep Foundation, and the numbers are even higher for women—one in three uses some sort of sleep medication a few times a week.

Why do women have such trouble sleeping? The reasons are as numerous as the passel of pills on the market: anxiety, depression, chronic illness, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, everyday exhaustion...the list goes on and on. No wonder so many sleep aids are available.

But sleeping pills, while often quite helpful, are largely misunderstood. Many stop working after a few hours, for instance, and most should never be mixed with other meds. So if you take one of these drugs now—or plan to in the future—there are important questions you need to ask. Here, the answers.

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