Sleeping Pill Concerns

A new study says sleeping pill use by Americans has increased dramatically, raising concerns among health experts.

The report is published by IMS Health, a Fairfield, Conn.-based researcher for healthcare companies, says about 42 million sleeping pill prescriptions were filled in 2005, up from about 25 million in 2000.

The report says usage has jumped because people are overworked in an environment of frenetic workdays and longer commutes. People also are told through advertising about the safety of these pills with little to no side effects.

But some experts say the drugs are being oversubscribed without enough regard to the implications of long-term use, according to The New York Times. The experts also fear doctors may be ignoring other conditions such as depression or sleep apnea which are other causes sleeplessness.

Newer brands of sleeping pills may not have the same risk of dependence as older ones like barbiturates, but researchers warn about the "next day" effect of continued sleepiness after waking from a drug-induced slumber.