Are Sleeping Pills Killing Our Creativity?

Sleep, that magical and misunderstood state that restores and nourishes. We crave sleep and in the midst of a poor economy, it in short supply. Yet sleep-promoting drugs are plentiful and come with a host of side effects that include sleep-driving, night eating and night walking without memory. The public is inundated with ads that promote pills and although the side effects are cleverly delivered, the warnings are clear. So why do the sales continue to climb?

According to Dr. Ray Armstrong, a cardiothoracic surgeon from San Antonio, Texas, largest group of addicted individuals in America today are prescription drug-addicted people Dr. Armstrong spent nine years on Valium and took an additional 18 months to taper it safely.

Wendy Honeycutt became addicted to sleeping pills after her mother committed suicide and one of her children was killed in a 4-wheeling accident. pills work initially and create a sense of well-being, states Honeycutt, they stop working. I became desperate for sleep and stayed on them for years. pills are only recommended for short-term use, yet many people are given them for extended periods of time. Insomnia is a big business and the sales of sleeping pills are soaring. But is this trend toward more pills hurting us in unseen ways?

The University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that REM sleep (dreaming sleep) enhances creativity and problem solving. Sleeping pills have been proven to limit the time we spend in REM sleep.

Throughout history are stories of artists and scientists waking from sleep to their most notable contributions. The Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered the periodic table of elements and the British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge had his idea for his epic Khan in their sleep. As a result of the dramatic increase in sleeping pill usage, is America losing its creativity and intelligence? Eminem stated that during his years on sleep medications his music was stifled while his brain was shut off. How many are suffering the same fate without any idea how to break their addiction?

Elixirs for sleep have been around for centuries - the Greeks used Opium and a tincture from Opium called Laudanum was regularly administered in the 1800s. But it wasn until the mid 1950s that the discovery of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) brought sleep into the realm of psychiatry, and in the 1960s insomnia became a disorder. It is now estimated that 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep issues with another 30 million experiencing intermittent problems. Children are now taking sleeping pills at alarming rates. This is a concern considering they are the future leaders of our nation.

Many medications today are used for sleep: Sleeping Pills (Ambien, Lunesta), Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, Restoril), Antipsychotics (Seroquel, Abilify) and others. According to Dr. Armstrong, it can be extremely uncomfortable and often dangerous to just stop medications. Rain went cold turkey in a treatment center and stated it took months before the debilitating symptoms began to ease. Honeycutt tapered her medications and regained her natural sleep.

medication must be tapered properly under the assistance of a qualified medical professional, concludes Dr. Armstrong. Rebound insomnia, an unsafe increase in blood pressure, fear, anxiety and depression are just a few of the withdrawal symptoms.

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