For its new information campaign, the High Authority for Health issues a warning: ” Stop sleeping pills, it’s possible ! His target? People over the age of 65, for whom the consumption of sleeping pills is almost “banal” while the use of these drugs (mainly benzodiazepines hypnotics or anxiolytics) should meet a specific need. “Sleeping pills are a CDD, not a CDI summarizes Dr Leperre-Desplanque, head of pilot programs at HAS.
In this information campaign, the Haute Autorité de santé points out that having shorter nights, more divided nights, more frequent awakenings this is completely normal after 65 years. Physiological changes, menopause, have repercussions on sleep. Yet this feeling of poor sleep causes many people to complain of insomnia in consultation. Unfortunately, these complaints too often lead to the prescription of sleeping pills when only 1 to 2 complaints relating to sleep in 10 would amount to real insomnia.
Hypnotics are not automatic
“When faced with chronic sleep complaints, the doctor must look for associated signs and refer his patient to a specialist if necessary: pain, anxiety, depressionn or again urinary problems, sleep apnea can explain poor quality sleep and must be researched ”insist the health authorities who have developed practical tools (sleep diary, benzodiazepine attachment questionnaire) to help doctors suggest strategies for stopping the pain. sleeping tablets.
Sleeping pills, responsible for Alzheimer’s?
This was already suggested by a study published a year ago in a scientific magazine. This study led by a pharmacologist and an epidemiologist from the University of Bordeaux, urged the health authorities to regulate the use of sleeping pills because 6,000 to 31,000 cases of Alzheimer’s would be attributable to drugs containing benzodiazepines.
Sleeping pills are not harmless drugs. If you have trouble sleeping, why not try the soft solutions?
