Scary news: Even if you take your sleeping pills as directed, you might be overdosing. Just last week, the FDA released revised guidelines about the recommended dosage of certain popular sleep meds. They now say that women’s doses should be cut in HALF. The change follows research that found that larger doses of a drug that contains zolpidem (like Ambien, Edluar, and Zolpimist) can seriously impair next-morning alertness, even after a full night of rest.
In the study, 500 people took the old recommended dose (10 mg) of a zolpidem-containing sleeping pill, and slept for eight hours. When they woke up, 15 percent of the women had enough of the drug left in their blood to impair their driving. Those who took an extended-release zolpidem pill faired even worse: 33 percent of women woke up with zolpidem levels that were higher than ideal. In both cases, fewer men had high blood levels of the drug in the a.m.
Even if you feel well rested the morning after a zolpidem-induced slumber, your behavior may still be impaired, says FDA spokesperson Sandy Walsh. That’s bad news for the 5,670,000 women who were prescribed zolpidem-containing meds in 2011, according to the latest data from the FDA. After all, the new findings join many known side effects of sleeping pills, such as drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, and “drugged feelings”.
The new recommended dose for immediate-release sleep aids is 5 mg, while a safe dose of an extended-release pill has been reduced to 6.25 mg. But to keep a clear mind on the job and behind the wheel–and still get the rest you need–ask your doctor to reassess your dosage before you adjust it on your own. In the meantime, never mix sleeping pills with alcohol or other drugs that make you sleepy, which could exacerbate the side effects.
More from WH:
Fall Asleep Fast Tips
Prescription Drug Combos to Avoid
Easy Insomnia Solutions
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