After many years of rapid growth, Americans' use of prescribed sleep aids is in sharp decline, a brand new study shows.
The study was published online on July 12, 2022. Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineData from 29,400 adults collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018 were analyzed. In three separate visits during this era, participants presented prescription bottles for all medications that they had utilized in the previous month. The researchers noted all medications used for sleep disturbances (whether or not they were FDA-approved for this use) and examined changes of their use over time.
Over the course of the study, participants who used sleeping pills had a 31 percent drop of their odds. Specifically, amongst participants 80 and older — who're at the very best risk of falling when using sleep medications — researchers saw an 86 percent reduction in use of FDA-approved sleep medications.
While the researchers said the COVID-19 pandemic has since affected trends in sleep aid use, they were encouraged by the outcomes of this study. Medical and public health groups strongly discourage using sleeping pills due to unwanted effects equivalent to dizziness and lightheadedness, which may result in falls.
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