Many people suffer from insomnia. Some suffer from the inability to fall asleep, while others continuously wake up throughout the night. There are several prescription medications for insomnia and there are some side effects associated with their use. They include headache, dizziness and drowsiness throughout the day, memory loss and drug dependence.
Headache, Dizziness, and Drowsiness
Many people taking insomnia medications experience headache, dizziness and drowsiness while using this medication, as well as on the following day. It is advised to take this medication right before going to bed. Make sure you allow yourself at least seven to eight hours of sleep or your morning side effects may worsen. If you experience headache the following day you may treat it with Tylenol. If you continuously feel dizzy and drowsy the day following use, contact your provider to consider lowering your dosage.
Memory Loss
Another reported side effect is memory loss (amnesia). A person may be unable to remember what happened during the time they are on this medication. This is usually not a significant problem because you are directed to go to sleep immediately after taking your medication. However, when these drugs are used during traveling it may be a problem if you wake before the effects of the medication wear off. To avoid memory loss make sure you can devote a full night to sleep prior to using these drugs.
Dependence and Tolerance
After long-term use you may develop increased tolerance of these drugs, where you will need larger doses to be able to sleep. You may also develop dependence on these medications where you are unable to sleep if you do not use them. To help avoid experiencing these side effects, make sure you only take these medications for as long as your practitioner recommends.
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