8.12 Medications Can Impact Sleep

Sleep Aids

Though many sleep disturbances can be explained by and addressed through behavior changes, medications are sometimes used to aid sleep. Most over-the-counter sleeping aids contain anti-allergy or pain-relieving drugs known as antihistamines or analgesics. Supplements like melatonin can also be obtained without a prescription. These types of sleep aids are designed to address occasional sleep disturbances and lead to varying degrees of success. They also may just be masking the actual underlying issues causing sleep disturbance. Persistent sleep difficulties warrant a discussion with a trusted healthcare provider based on individual needs, particularly if the prescription sleep medications might be mixed with other medications.

Expert Perspective: Sleep Medication

Video Transcript

Prescribed Medications for Medical Conditions

Not surprisingly, conditions such as chronic pain, asthma, and depression—to name just a few—negatively impact sleep quality. The higher the number of health problems one experiences, the greater the risk of sleep problems. One challenge with some of these conditions is that, even when they are controlled by medications, those medications can interfere with sleep quality (UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, n.d.; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2011).

Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, contain ingredients that hinder sleep. For example, many pain relievers contain caffeine or can influence body temperature and melatonin synthesis (Murphy et al., 1996). Other common ingredients that disrupt sleep include decongestants and steroids (UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, n.d.; Schenck, 2007). If you’re taking a medication, it’s important to understand its effect on your body; check the label and talk to a pharmacist or other trusted healthcare provider to see how it could be impacting your sleep.