Sleeping disorders are terrorizing teens and young adults at alarming rates, and the sleep aids that prevent the unhealthy lack of sleep are considered addictve and unsafe for continued use.
I've suffered from trauma-related sleep insomnia since I was twelve, and I've been on some form of sleep aids for two years now. I don't consider myself addicted, but if I do not take two pills before I go to bed then I will not fall asleep until 3-4 am. Yet before I began taking sleep aids, I would lay awake in bed until the same time. So am I addicted or not?
The answer is yes, but the question in true need of answering is, 'is addiction to sleep aids a bad thing?' In my case no,without them I have nightmares, night terrors, and sleep loss, all three very good reasons to take a sleep aid. Where as the sleep aid addiction isn't as dangerous to my health as the severity of the sleep loss.
However that is the case for me, everyone else is different. The question parents are mulling over now is, "Should doctors be allowed to continue prescribing sleep aids to teens?" Many have said no, but on behalf of teens who would suffer greatly without sleep aids, I say yes, doctors should continue this practice.
What do you think?
I believe that in your case sleeping aids are good. Ive had a hard time sleeping as long as I can remember. I always go to bed around 9, but yet I can't fall asleep until 1-4am. I have no clue why, but my mom is the same way. I know a lot of people that are addicted to pain killers and sleeping aids and i think that it is ridiculous. When they get to the point where they would do anything to get them when they dont need it.
A continued lack of sleep is really dangerous, you should consider some form of sleep therapy, there are some safe alternatives out there. Thanks for commenting!
So I can understand what you're going through. As a fifteen year old I was placed on 5mg's of Ambien that I was to take nightly. I was on Ambien for just over two years when I went to another psychiatrist who promptly took me off it, stating that no teen should be on sleep aids. I went through the oh so lovely withdrawl period from the Ambien and now I sleep about five hours (or less) a night with the help of four teaspoons of Benadryl and a 5mg tablet of melatonin. Yay for sleep disorders. I actually wrote a blog about this awhile back...*insert shameless plug here* http://www.progressiveu.org/190000-to-sleep-or-not-to-sleep
Lmao, np, I'll check out your blogs. Thanks for the comment.
I don't like the idea of long-term sleep aids, either. Are you feeling extra-tired when you don't sleep? Apparently, a very small percentage of the population just doesn't need as much sleep as the rest.
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