The dangerous “sleeping pill snowball effect” seniors need to know about

For most Americans, the whole sleep issue is simply abysmal.

Countless people suffer from not sleeping enough, which spirals into a vicious cycle of inflammation, adrenal fatigue, and chronic illness. So it’s no wonder many people turn to sleeping medications as their last resort (or in many cases, their first resort).

But this approach is a huge mistake for a multitude of reasons.

Not the least of which is a new study that has linked sleeping pills to an increase in the use of blood pressure drugs among older adults with hypertension.

This is horrible news for the health of our country… but another huge win for Big Pharma.

One in five seniors over-medicated

This study featured more than 750 patients over the age of 60, all of whom were receiving treatment for hypertension.

Researchers followed patients between 2008 and 2013. During that time, they collected data on sleep duration and quality, as well as sleeping pill use. They also kept track of any changes in the number of blood pressure prescriptions subjects were taking by the end of the study.

The average sleep duration was just shy of seven hours nightly. A sizeable 37 percent reported poor sleep quality, while more than 16 percent took sleeping pills on a regular basis. And most subjects took more than one blood pressure drug.

During the course of the study, however, that number increased even further…with more than 20 percent of subjects ending up on additional blood pressure medications by the end.

That’s one in five older adults facing a higher risk of inappropriate medication, and all of the adverse reactions that come with it. All because they couldn’t get a good night’s sleep…and their doctors couldn’t come up with a better way to help them.

A vicious cycle with a drug-free solution

I hear about this all the time in my practice: A patient shows up at a doctor’s office with a complaint, and comes out with another drug. But these doctors never seem to consider that the medications the patient is already taking may actually be a big part of the problem.

This is an absurd (and lazy) practice in general. But clearly, it’s something that people with hypertension need to be especially wary of. Particularly when it comes to sleep aids.

I’ve warned about the dangers of sleeping pills before. There are many of them, and they’re serious. (For a complete rundown, take a look at the article “Four terrifying reasons you should never take sleeping pills” in the August 2016 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives. Subscribers have access to all of the back issues in my archives. Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up today!)

The fact is, nobody should be taking prescription sleep aids. And for patients with high blood pressure, such prescriptions can actually increase the likelihood that sleep disorders—like sleep apnea, which has direct links to hypertension—won’t get properly diagnosed, much less treated.

Unfortunately, I suppose this doesn’t matter much to conventional doctors, who are all too happy to placate Big Pharma by pitching even more prescription drugs your way.

High blood pressure without lifestyle interventions is really hard to treat. And using sleeping pills only makes it harder.

So, do yourself a favor and step out of the revolving door. Because you can get a better night’s sleep without harmful medications. If you need help, my Perfect Sleep Protocol is the perfect place to start. Click here to learn more about this comprehensive, step-by-step online learning tool, or to sign up today.

Source:

“Sleeping Pill Use Linked to Later Increase in BP Meds.” Medscape Medical News, 04/09/19. (medscape.com/viewarticle/911531)