1. First, go very slowly. By reducing the daily dose of sleeping pill very slightly, then again 1 week to 15 days later, and so on. When the tablet can no longer be cut, we space out the frequency of doses (every other day, then only three times a week, etc.) until it stops completely.
2. Treatments can be used to reduce the possible discomfort of withdrawal. A few drops of Valium (which is also a benzodiazepine), but also herbal remedies, acupuncture, relaxation, hypnosis sessions, even the resumption of gentle gymnastics (tai-chi, qi gong, yoga).
3. Withdrawal of medication must be accompanied by a better understanding sleep cycles in order to implement a more suitable lifestyle. “I assure my patients that, even if they sleep less, they will find a more restful sleep, explains Dr Jean-Pierre Hilly, general practitioner. Then, to older people, for example, I explain the changes in sleep patterns associated with aging (shorter nights, more frequent awakenings, 24-hour interval sleep) and that these changes are normal, but can be improved by a few simple habits. : practice a physical activity during the day, avoid watching television in bed … More than half of them manage to quit easily. “ For other people, it will sometimes be necessary to learn to manage stress more seriously in order to finally find a natural rest.
Why not stop everything overnight?
It would be dangerous to stop taking sleeping pills overnight without precautions, because a real addiction has set in. A vicious circle which is sometimes even more complicated when, the sleeping pills causing poor quality sleep, the patient uses stimulants when they wake up to feel fitter … which will prevent them from falling asleep in the evening.
If we stop suddenly benzodiazepines, insomnia often recurs, even worse than before the start of treatment (this is also often the case with zolpidem and zopiclone). For example, after 6 months of taking, suddenly stopping a benzodiazepine may disrupt sleep for three to four weeks.
Too fast weaning can also be accompanied by anxiety, and even trigger epileptic seizures, in the form of very dangerous convulsions, even in people who have never had one. This is why it is always necessary to proceed in stages, by very gradually reducing the doses. And do not hesitate to seek medical or psychological support.
Even over-the-counter hypnotics can be psychically addictive if taken for more than a few nights in a row! Sometimes, stopping the drug can be a source of discomfort, anxiety, irritability, or even depression. All the more so if sleep had been disturbed, at the start, by psychological difficulties that taking medication spared us from tackling.
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Why are benzodiazepines singled out?
The risk of dementia increased by taking benzodiazepines
