Dr Perpetua Neo

Sleeping pills don't work. Here's why your doctor continues to prescribe them

Fact 1: Doctors aren’t trained to deal with insomnia

“It is stressful enough to endure insomnia, but many doctors’ reactions to it can make it worse. They frequently don’t ask about insomnia, overlook it, or simply ignore it. Why? Because insomnia is so ubiquitous that it is often dismissed by doctors as an unavoidable and normal part of life! Doctors are not trained to diagnose or treat insomnia […] And when they are to comfortable treating something, they are inclined to avoid it. […] Sleeping pills are a fast and easy solution.”

Fact 2: The invisible drug pushers

“Another reason is the pervasive influence of drug companies, which sponsor scientific conferences, advertise in medical journals, send sales personnel to doctors’ offices, supply free samples of sleep medications, and fund research studies. Therefore, doctors may be subtly influenced to prescribe the sleeping pills that the drug companies manufacture.”

Fact 3: Sleeping pills take your power away

“Medicine has not developed an effective treatment for insomnia. Sleeping pills are no longer considered a safe or appropriate treatment for chronic insomnia because they can have serious side effects that far outweigh their benefits; are only moderately effective for insomnia and stop working over time; strengthen the belief that the cure for insomnia comes from external factors; and can lead to physical or psychological dependency, which can cause feelings of helplessness, loss of control, and lowered self-esteem. Most important, sleeping pills don’t cure insomnia, because they don’t treat the causes of insomnia.”

Fact 4: Your sleep is too complex for a pill to solve

“This drug-oriented approach, which focuses on treating the body, has worked well for acute and infectious illnesses. However, it has been largely ineffective in the treatment of today’s chronic health problems such as stroke, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, insomnia, chronic pain, and mental illness, in which emotional, behavioural, and lifestyle factors play a prominent role.”

These quotes are based on research that Dr Gregg Jacobs has conducted on insomnia and sleeping pills, from his research at Harvard Medical School. Tired of poor sleep which robs you of your energy and time? Book your free Chemistry Call here

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