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Sleeping Pills Overdose: Risk, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Addiction Treatment
December 07, 2022

Good sleep is something that affects the human brain and health equally and enormously. Many of us are fortunate enough to have a good sleep naturally once we go to bed. But there are people who sometimes become the victim of insomnia, which means some people struggle to sleep at night and consistently remain sleep deprived. As a result, people seek sleeping pills and consume them in order to have a good sleep. Also, talking about drug manufacturing, there is an ingredient of sleeping pills present in each of them to make the patient sleep and let the drug effect that will help the body recover fast from the disease. But have you ever thought that what if someone consumes sleeping pills more than their capacity? Yes, you guessed right; a sleeping pill overdose has many side effects.

Excess of anything can harm life in many ways, financially, emotionally, and physically. Balance is necessary for life; only then can one live healthier and happier. In the process of creating the life you want, people often tend to avoid and later omit following the basic health rituals, and getting enough sleep is one of them. A human mind needs at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep in a day. In the era of hustle and hard work, sleep is something people take for granted the most. As a result, the rate of the consumption of sleeping pills is rising day by day. Once a human body relies on pills for sleeping better, then it is definite that there will be no coming back until you get better support and treatment for the same. In many research and surveys, it has been concluded that an overdose of sleeping pills causes death. As we’ve said, excess of anything can be dangerous; balance is a must. Though we can’t deny the fact that a sleeping pill overdose can lead to death. In this blog, we are going to discuss the crucial things related to sleeping pills' overdose symptoms, risks, and treatment. What needs to be done after taking an excessive dose of pills and whatnot? You will get all your answers here. Let's start without stretching it anymore, but before that, it is necessary to know what sleeping pills are.

Sleeping pills and their use

Sleeping pills are purposely used to slow down the proceeding of the nervous system of the human body to make the brain rest and enter the condition of sleep. These are also identified as “sedative hypnotics.” Sleeping pills are usually prescribed to treat insomnia or any sleeping disorder that requires the brain to relax. Eventually, the main function of a sleeping pill is to make the person fall asleep without any internal disturbances.

How many Sleeping Tablets are harmful?

 A specific number of pills does not decide the harm, but the quantity one has been taking in one go. Depending on the consumption of MG of tablets. The more the milligram, the more the chance of an overdose of the pill. There are many diseases caused by sleeping pill overdose. On average, a minimum of 600 mg tablets of the sleeping pill medicine leads to an overdose. However, intaking 2000 mg of tablet in one go can even lead someone to death. On the other hand, sleeping pills intake can also cause many diseases like asthma, lung failure, cardiac arrest, and many more. It often happens when a person has fully relied upon sleeping to have a good sleep, this phase is also known as the sedative phase of the sleep cycle. It usually happens as we know that the brain is the crucial part of the body that makes the rest of the organs function effectively, and the sleeping pill affects the brain directly, which eventually affects the functioning of the rest of the body organs.

Sleeping Pills and Alcohol

As we have told you earlier, the effect of a sleeping pill overdose on the body is similar to the effect of an alcohol overdose. However, they could be hazardous when Alcohol and sleeping pills are consumed together, so never do that even after there is so much helplessness. As both Alcohol and sleeping pills influence the central nervous system and, most probably, the brain. Combining both doses doubles the overdose, and in that case, there is a higher risk of death. Sometimes, a person consumes sleeping pills out of helplessness when they struggle with mental health problems like depression, anxiety, or any other mental health disorders. Treatment is available for all of them. You can contact any psychologists or psychiatrists providing depression counselling and get yourself treated. There are other treatments available when the problem is long-term, like mental health hospitals, psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation centers, and many more. There are many rehabilitation centers in Delhi, Mumbai, and even all over India providing treatment for sleeping pills overdose.

Symptoms of sleeping pills overdose

The prescribed dose of any sleeping pill by a doctor or a physician has a limited quantity that is enough for a patient to recover or feel better. But when a person takes those pills by themselves for the sake of getting good sleep, then it is necessary to know the limit. In several cases, when a person consumes the pill without any prescription from a doctor, then there are more chances of its overdose. For that matter, it is necessary to know that the consumed dose is excessive, and now it is better to take the essential measures but before that, knowing about the symptoms of overdose is a must.

Some of the signs of a sleeping pill overdose are:

Although, the symptoms of a Sleeping pills overdose are similar to that of an alcohol overdose.

Eventually, it affects the nervous system and brain, which slows down their functioning in both cases. Whereas some of the symptoms are:

  • Breathlessness
  • Low Blood Pressure Nausea
  • Unconsciousness
  • Shock
  • Coma
  • Cyanosis (Blueness around the fingertips and skin)
  • Unclear voice Causes of Sleeping Pills Overdose

As sleeping pills affect the nervous system and slow its functioning right from the initial stage of consumption, which is directly connected to the brain. Consistent consumption of the pills leads to dangers like respiratory failure, unconsciousness, and sometimes even death. Most of the time, an overdose is done intentionally, which is actually an intentional suicide attempt. Sometimes, the person’s organs remain working, but the brain nerves become dead due to the lack of oxygen in them.

Emergency Treatment

Once the person is diagnosed with the overdose, he/she should be directly admitted to the hospital and monitored firmly with extra care. As per the research, approx 2 out of 10 people meet death as a result of an overdose after admission to the hospital. Below are some techniques that can be used as an immediate treatment for a person with an overdose:

  • Stomach Pumping
  • Medications like flumazenil to reverse the medication via urine or vomiting
  • Medication for heartbeat stabilizing
  • Psychiatric care
  • Respirator in case of breathlessness

 How to feel better without consuming sleeping pills?

Most people recover from this problem; if you are or you know someone suffering from the same, then don’t worry; the problem is curable. However, your sleep problems don't always require medication. Those can also be cured by following some healthy rituals like exercising, sticking to a sleep schedule, stress management, staying hydrated, and many more. If you are facing any kind of mental health disorder that results in you being sleep deprived, you can contact our SimranShri rehabilitation center. Here we provide the solution to all your mental health problems that will automatically improve your sleep cycle.

Moreover, we don’t promote the prohibition of sleeping pills intake, but it should be taken only when other things stop working and under the guidance of any physician or a doctor.

Tags: activities to improve mental health, addiction programs for youth, addiction recovery centres, addiction recovery management, addiction recovery therapy

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