Researchers have found that the risk of dementia may increase in people who regularly take sleeping pills to sleep.
In France, it is possible toget sleeping pills in pharmacies without or on prescription. Offered in the form of pills or chewing gum, they are supposed to promote sleep. In general, they are used occasionally, especially during stressful times.
But because of sleep disturbances, anxiety or stress, some people may take it regularly, even daily. If sleeping pills did not involve any major risks to our health until now, a new study has called this fact into question.
Indeed, researchers from the University of California warn about the dangers of taking too many sleeping pills. Among other things, they reveal that these drugs would drastically increase the risk of suffering from dementia. The study in question just published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The risk of dementia increased by 80% among people taking sleeping pills
This involved a panel of 3,000 white and black volunteers with an average age of 74 years. It is therefore difficult to know at present whether the increased risk of dementia is similar in younger people. But the volunteers had in common not have dementia at the start of the study.
The researchers then followed them for several months to see what factors might influence the development of dementia. At the end of the study, 20% of volunteers were affected by this disease. However, researchers have studied in detail the potential causes of development.
It appears that the white patients frequently took sleeping pills. And in these, the risk of dementia is said to have increased by 80% compared to volunteers not taking medication. As for black patients, they were much less likely to take this type of treatment.
Consult and favor other reflexes to avoid taking medication
At the same time, an article published in Every Day Health revealed that the use of sleeping pills in the United States has increased. According to several surveys, about 10% of American women regularly take this type of treatment to fall asleep. Among men, those concerned represent only 6.6% of the population.
However, scientists point out that sleeping pills should not be taken lightly. Before even considering taking these drugs, they recommend first of all to consult a doctor. Indeed, sleep disorders can have several origins. Determining which disorder a patient is suffering from is the first step to regaining normal sleep.
Subsequently, an appropriate treatment can thus be offered for sleep apnea, for example. Non-drug therapies can also be offered to patients with sleep disorders. However, it is not yet possible to know whether these treatments also have an impact on the development of dementia.