People fall prey to sleeping pills that lull them to sleep easily. More and more people are getting obsessed with sleeping medication. They believe that they can’t fall asleep without consuming sleeping pills.

Dr. Lim Li Ling, a consultant neurologist and President of Singapore Sleep Society, shares views about how people develop addiction to sleeping pills. As the patient uses the sleeping pills daily, he or she develops a tolerance. The body gets used to the original dose of the drug, which does not remain effective with the passage of time.

Then the patient starts using higher doses of these pills which make him entirely dependent on the same medication and he fails to sleep without them.

Sleeping pills may cause breathing problems, as the muscles used for breathing become relaxed, more than required. Elderly people may fall as a result of being 'off-balance’, due to sleeping pill addiction.

If they cease the consumption of these pills all of a sudden, they may develop severe rebound insomnia, or can also get fits.

If one really wants to get rid of the sleeping pills, he or she should see a trained specialist.

Insomniacs may be treated by investigating causes behind their sleeplessness. The causes may be psychological like stress, depression or anxiety or physical like OSA, or restless legs syndrome. Antidepressants can be given to anxious and depressed patients.