Sleep Aids

More than 40% of people who suffer from insomnia take sleep aids to help themselves to sleep. People who suffer from sleep disorders often turn first to them whether they are prescribed or bought over-the-counter. Little known to insomnia sufferers, sleep medication does not cure insomnia and often does more damage than good. In a recent scientific experiment a group of sufferers were given a placebo whilst the second group given sleep medication. The first group not only slept better through the night, but performed better and felt better during the day. It was concluded that insomnia sufferers are better off without sleeping pills. This also proves that insomnia is as much a psychological disruption as much as a physical. It wasn't a breakthrough experiment as most educated doctors who know the negative effects of pills are unwilling to prescribe them. However this only applies to the smaller percentage of doctors. In a recent survey it indicated that only 63 percent of medical schools were including structured sleep medicine sessions in their curricula. More shockingly in a recent study, only 10 percent of doctors rated their sleep knowledge as good. Although insomnia is fast becoming a worldwide epidemic, with studies showing that one of every three Americans suffer from insomnia, it remains largely under recognized and inadequately treated. There are several factors hindering the appropriate recognition of insomnia and its appropriate management. They include lack of physician education about insomnia, and also the belief that sleep complaints are not important, among both patients and doctors. Another issue is that big pharmaceutical corporations are cashing in on this fact. Did you know that the combined sales of the top pharmaceutical corporations in 2004 exceeded $500 Billion dollars? They are one of the most profitable organizations in the world. Because the majority of their profits come from prescription medication, their promotional campaigns have taken a strategic shift to not only target the consumer but also doctors. They do this by sending out representatives from practice to practice, influencing doctors by buying expensive lunches and advising them to prescribe their brand drugs to their patients. How many times have you been told to 'Ask your doctor about 'X' drug' a day? We are exposed to countless pharmaceutical adverts a day selling the dream of a perfect healthy life with the use of 'X' drug. What these over glossed fancy adverts don't tell you are the harsh realities of taking prescription medication. Do they ever tell you about the 1000's of deaths a year due to adverse drug reactions? Of course not, they're too busy making billions to worry about such a thing. If you absolutely have to consider taking something, consult your doctor about alternative natural sleep aids. However you are far better off paying attention to your habits and reconditioning the mind and body using techniques such as CBT and Hypnosis. For more information on natural methods and natural sleep aids, stay tuned for more!