Ministry of Health warns: over-the-counter sleeping pills can harm sleep and health
Kyiv • UNN
The Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and neurologist Yuriy Flomin emphasize the danger of over-the-counter sleeping pills, which disrupt sleep architecture and cause addiction. Drugs with doxylamine or phenobarbital can harm the liver and memory, and herbal remedies often act as a placebo. Only a doctor should prescribe sleeping pills.
The Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, together with neurologist Yuriy Flomin, explained why taking sleeping pills without a prescription can be dangerous. According to the expert, such drugs disrupt the natural architecture of sleep, reduce its restorative function, and contribute to the formation of addiction. This is reported by UNN.
Details
Over-the-counter sleeping pills, for example, those containing doxylamine as an active ingredient, are not good for long-term use, as they negatively affect sleep architecture. Because of this, even after 7–8 hours of sleep, a person may feel tired, as the body cannot fully recover.
Especially risky are products with doxylamine or phenobarbital, which can worsen liver function, memory, and attention. Even "herbal" preparations with valerian or motherwort do not stand out for proven effectiveness, and their effect often relies on the placebo effect.
"These are popular products on the Ukrainian market that contain the chemical substance phenobarbital, which causes rapid addiction. Elderly patients who can no longer fall asleep without these drugs have contacted me," notes Yuriy Flomin.
Flomin emphasizes: only a doctor can safely select sleeping pills, and for regular sleep problems, one should first consult a family doctor, and if necessary, a narrow-profile specialist.
Only a doctor should select and prescribe sleeping pills. If you have regular sleep problems – difficulty falling asleep, causeless awakenings in the middle of the night, too early awakenings, etc. – be sure to visit a specialist.