Sleeping pills are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States. In fact, over 5% of women and 3.5% of men in the U.S. have a prescription sleeping aid. But, while prescription sleeping pills are popular and very common, they’re also dangerous. More than 42,000 people are hospitalized each year because of sleeping pill abuse, addiction, and overdose. And, with millions of people using sleeping pills recreationally, sleeping pills have a very real potential for abuse and for addiction.  

If you or a loved one has a sleeping pill subscription, there’s likely no need for concern. Today’s sleeping pills are often handed out with a Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategy, which involves medical monitoring to reduce the risk of abuse and addiction. This increasing regulation makes sleeping pills safer. However, if you think you or your loved one already has a problem, it’s important to talk to them, assess usage, and move forward from there. Sleeping pills can be dangerous, they can be addictive, and taking the right steps to manage substance and sleeping pill usage is important.  

Are Sleeping Pills Addictive?  

Yes. Many sleeping pills are extremely addictive. With an estimated 4% of the United States using sleeping pills of some kind, it’s difficult to track how much so. However, all common sleeping pills including Ambien, Zolpidem, and similar have a profile for abuse. In one study, users showed a preference for sleeping pills over money, even after only a few days of recreational sleeping pill abuse.  

However, most people become addicted to sleeping pills over time, through prescription use. Here, tolerance and psychological dependence combine to create a seeking effect, similar to that of other addictions.  

Chemical Tolerance – Tolerance is the process of the body adjusting to a substance. This means that you need more of the substance to achieve the same result, have to take the substance more often to maintain effects, or get less results when taking the same dose. This “tolerance “pushes many people to increase their dose, sometimes without consulting or even informing their doctor. This is important, considering many people are prescribed sleeping pills because they cannot sleep. People who have obligations, who have to be places in the morning, and who have to work need sleep. Facing this, it can seem harmless to simply take more of a medication than is recommended. Over time, this process exacerbates addiction and increases the likelihood of developing a problem.  

Psychological Dependence – Nearly anyone can agree that sleeplessness is horrible. No one wants to experience it. Sleeping pills can resolve long-term and even life-long problems for many people. This sense of relief, especially when coupled with often-overlapping or commonly dual-diagnosed disorders like depression and anxiety, can result in a sense of anxiety around not taking the medication. You take the pills to sleep, but eventually you convince yourself that you need the pills to sleep. Most sleeping medication is intended to be taken as a last resort, after you’re certain you cannot sleep. Users who develop psychological dependence convince themselves they need the drug to sleep to begin with and take it as a preventive measure. This type of usage quickly results in chemical dependence and leads to addiction.  

Recreational Use – While most individuals with a sleeping pill prescription do not use their sleeping pills recreationally, pills like Ambien are available on the street for as little as a few dollars. Ambien and other sleeping pills deliver highs lasting from half to over 3 hours, making them popular for parties and for people who want to go home and relax. Sleeping pills are hypnotic and sedative, usually muscle relaxers, meaning that they cause a high, cause relaxation, and make people feel good when they remain awake. This can be difficult to resist for individuals going through stressful periods, those with high-stress jobs, or anyone with a previous history of addiction. Recreational users may have a prescription, but more often, they steal pills, buy them, or otherwise acquire them illegitimately, such as through doctor shopping.  

Essentially, there are many ways to become addicted to sleeping pills. Tolerance, psychological dependence, and long-term usage of sleeping pills all combine, resulting in seeking behavior, withdrawal on cessation of use, and addiction.