If you’re one of the estimated 50 to 70 million Americans who suffer from chronic sleep problems, chances are you may have brought up your concerns to your doctor in search of a solution. And like many doctors, he or she may have prescribed you a pharmaceutical drug in order to help treat the problem.

If you fall into this group, you’re certainly not alone. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4 percent of all American adults over age 20 use some form of prescription sleep aid, with use by women slightly higher than men. (5 percent to 3.1 percent, respectively.) This number has seen an astronomical rise in the last two decades, with the number of prescriptions for sedative hypnotics (like Ambien) increasing by an astonishing 30 times between 1994 and 2007.

Just to do some quick math, the growth rate for these prescriptions has risen five times faster than the number of insomnia diagnoses between those same years, and 21 times faster than the rate patients have reported sleeplessness to their doctors. In other words, Americans are being medicated for sleep disorders faster than we can be diagnosed with them!

With this rise in the rate of prescriptions being issued, the number of hospital visits due to overmedication from these drugs has also inevitably increased. During the five years between 2005 and 2010 alone, the number of ER visits nearly doubled, from 22,000 to 42,000.

But what’s so dangerous about a tiny little pill? As it turns out, quite a few things.

Because many people think of them as a relatively benign substance, some are quick to take more than their prescribed dose when they feel they are having a weaker effect than expected. This inevitably leads to overmedication and a much stronger reaction, which can result in suppressed breathing, especially when combined with other depressants like alcohol.

And even when taken in the proper doses, prescription sleep aids still have their dangers. Even though the effects from one dose are only supposed to last eight hours or so, many people still feel sedated well into the next day. This becomes dangerous if they decide to get behind the wheel of a car because, like alcohol, the drug is still in their system, slowing their reaction time and clouding their judgment.

Prescription sleep aids are especially dangerous in this respect for women. This is because women metabolize zolpidem at about half the rate as their male counterparts, which causes the drug to stay in their systems about twice as long. This fact prompted the FDA to force pharmaceutical companies to cut the recommended dosage in half for female patients starting in 2013, but many doctors and their patients are still unaware of this gender discrepancy.

Prescription sleep aids can also be dangerous because of the unpredictable behavior they sometimes cause in users. Some people are unaware of the fact that these drugs take effect very rapidly, and instead of taking them while laying in bed getting ready to sleep for the night, they’ll take them in the evening and go about their regular routine waiting for them to kick in. Oftentimes the drugs will take effect without their knowledge, leading to harmful and erratic decisions or dangerous behavior.

Another safety concern surrounding these drugs is addiction potential. While not exceptionally common, some people become dependent on these drugs when using them over an extended period of time. This leads to a hard decision for the user: either reduce or stop taking the drug entirely and be worse off sleep-wise than when they started, or take the pill for the rest of their lives and maintain their dependence.

To prevent dependency, many doctors recommend only using them for a month-long period or less, and only when needed. This helps retrain the brain to get used to falling asleep, while giving the patient time to assess their sleep habits and change the ones that may be preventing them from getting sleep on their own. Because ultimately, prescription sleep aids shouldn’t be thought of as a long-term solution, and more of a temporary fix.

Ultimately, it’s up to you and your doctor to decide what the best solution is for you. And as with any medical condition, it’s very important to be aware of the potential risks and benefits of any treatment regimen. So, listen to your body, your doctor’s advice, and be sure to voice any concerns you may have so you can both come to the best solution for you. Your health is worth having the conversation!

If you decide that a prescription approach isn’t a good fit for you, there are plenty of natural, non-pharmaceutical sleep aids that may benefit you. Be sure to check out next Monday’s blog post for our favorite recommendations!

Until next time: sleep well, live well and be well!

If you’re like me, waking up in the morning can be the hardest part of the day. I want so much to be a morning person, but alas, nightowlery is the life for me. (Darn that Netflix!) That warm cozy bed is just too enticing to leave, so why should I?

This is what goes through my mind every morning, and its hard to break that habit. Due to recent, pleasant developments in my life, I absolutely must wake up before the sun rises, so I have made it my mission to find ways to wake up early without being a total grouch. In my search I received many suggestions from friends and family, and to my surprise some of them actually worked!

The routines and methods that I used have really been helping me jump out of bed feeling more refreshed and motivated to start the day. For me, it’s all about stimulating the brain. There are so many ways to get your brain working in the morning, without having to read some Roberto Bolaño masterpiece to do it. (But, who knows: that might work for you too!) While some of these methods may not be the right fit for you, don’t worry fellow night owls: there are plenty of resources out there to help you wake feeling refreshed and energized in the wee hours of the morning!

Let’s dive in.

Tip #1: Set your coffee pot to automatically brew just before you wake up.

Look at that photo. Can’t you almost smell the rich, bold scent of coffee brewing? Many people drink coffee to wake up in the morning, but did you know that just the smell of coffee can be enough to get you out of bed?

My dad has a tendency to wake up early (even though he’s retired), and make coffee. Without fail, every time I visit them, I end up getting up much earlier than I would at my house. I had always wondered why, but now that I’ve set up my coffee pot to brew just before my alarm goes off, I understand!

According to Caffeine Informer, scientists have determined that because coffee has such a powerful and unique scent, many scent receptors in the human brain are activated. Your brain can almost be trained to associate the delicious scent of coffee with waking up early in the morning. The scent and taste of coffee are tied so closely to many of our “pleasure centers” that we can’t help but wake up and drink some!

Tip #2: Listen to energetic music!

Now this is one thing that I have always done to help me wake up. Listening to music stimulates the brain, unlike any other form of stimulation. If you find the right music, it will tempt you to join in on the song and dance. Personally, I like to listen to fast paced music in the morning. (Dead Kennedys, anyone? Anyone?) Getting focused on the beat and lyrics takes my mind away from the reality that it’s 5:30 in the morning!

According to a study published in Music and Memory, levels of brain activity increase when a subject hears music. By using a PET scanner and an injection of radioactive glucose, scientists were able to see the subjects brain “light up” when they heard music. They found that listening to music gives the listener a dopamine boost, thus increasing their motivation and emotional response.

Tip #3: Get up and move!

Exercise is a great way to get your body and mind motivated to start the day. This one was definitely hard for me. Doing physical activity rarely motivates me to drag myself out of bed, but I promise once you get in the routine, your body will crave the movement in the morning!

Even if you don’t want to start the day with a rigorous cardio workout, a few simple yoga moves are enough to get the blood pumping. Here is a link for a quick, 5 minute yoga routine that will energize you enough to get your day started off just right!

Tip #4: Eat a good breakfast!

I know we’ve all heard that the most important meal of the day is breakfast, but that’s because it’s true! Eating a good breakfast will get your metabolism going in the morning. Of course, you don’t have to eat this delicious and hearty looking German feast, but just something that will make you feel satisfied in the morning. Greatist has compiled a list of quick, healthy, and tasty options for breakfast. My personal favorite is the “Avocado Toast with Egg,” because who doesn’t love avocados? (I put them on pretty much everything, so I might be a little biased.)

Tip #5: Drink plenty of water!

Another way to rev up your metabolism in the morning is to drink at least 16 oz. of water right when you wake up. When we sleep through the night we tend to become dehydrated, resulting in that groggy, sluggish feeling in the morning. Because drinking water right when you wake up causes your metabolism to kickstart, you are also much more likely to consume fewer calories!

Tip #6: Read a book before bed.

Lately I’ve adopted the habit of reading a few pages in a book before I go to bed. (I suggest David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again.”) There are so many benefits to reading before bedtime. One big benefit is that reading before bed relieves stress that otherwise might keep you awake late into the night.

According to the University of Minnesota, “reading can reduce stress by up to 68 percent.” It works “better and faster than other relaxation methods” because “your mind is invited into a literary world that is free from the stressors that plague your daily life.”

I’ve found this to be very true; after reading a few pages, my thoughts about the days stresses melt away and I become very sleepy. If you can get in just one more hour of sleep, it might help you wake up early in the morning.

Tip #7: Write a few lines about the dreams you had!

Of course you can write anything you would like, but once again: giving your brain a kickstart first thing in the morning can increase your alertness significantly! Usually I’ll just write one or two things about the dreams I had the night before, and that’s all I seem to need to wake up a little. Plus, it’s kind of funny to remember all of the bizarre things my brain cooked up while I was asleep!

Tip #8: Treat yourself!

Another way to train brain to work earlier in the morning is to use positive reinforcement on yourself. I tell myself that if I wake up on time (without hitting snooze!) I can buy myself a chocolate bar at the end of the week. Sometimes this works for me if all else fails. You can train your brain to expect the reward when you wake up at a certain time. After awhile, your inner clock will just automatically go off at that time.

Tip #9: Get some good ole Vitamin D!

Many of us wake up before the sun rises, but it is so important to get that daily dose of vitamin D in the morning. According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, exposing yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning raises cortisol levels in your brain and makes you more alert. When I get up, I’ll go outside and drink my coffee, and it really does help me wake up! (Of course, it also might be the brisk mountain air too.)

Tip #10: Use your smartphone!

Whether you have a smartphone that runs on the Android or Apple operating system, there is an app out there that is designed to help you wake up. These apps range from simply ringing every 5 minutes to making you play a game to disengage the alarm. Here are some top rated apps that have worked for many people:

Apple Apps: Sleep Cycle, Step out of Bed, CARROT Alarm

Android Apps: I Can’t Wake Up!, Walk Me Up!, Morning Routine

You can do it!

In conclusion, waking up is hard! But once you find the method that works for you, leaving the comfort of your bed will seem less like an insurmountable hurdle and more like an adventure! So remember: get plenty of sleep, but seize the day once that alarm goes off. Because dreams only become reality when you go out and make it happen!

Until next time: sleep well, live well and be well!