Will taking sleeping pills really turn you into a drug addict? Why are new sleeping pills not addictive?
This article is aimed at insomnia patients who worry that they " can't stop taking the drugs once they start taking them " . It explains in depth the non-dependency mechanism of the new generation of sleeping aids (such as suvorexant, lebrexant, and darilexant), breaks down common misunderstandings about sleeping aids, and illustrates their long-term safety based on research data.
1. “ You can’t quit taking it after taking it once ” ? You may have misunderstood sleeping pills
" You'll get addicted to sleeping pills after taking them once ," " I can't sleep if I stop taking them, " " The more you take, the more effective it will be "... Such statements make many insomnia patients afraid to take medicine even if they can't sleep at night. They would rather bear it than seek scientific help. However, these perceptions largely stem from a lack of understanding of the differences in the mechanisms of " traditional sleeping pills " and " new sleeping pills. "
2.Why are traditional sleeping pills so addictive?
Although traditional benzodiazepines (such as diazepam, alprazolam) and Z -drugs (such as zopiclone, zolpidem) can quickly calm the brain in the short term, they have several potential problems:
|
question |
illustrate |
|
Strong dependence |
Directly activates the GABA-A receptor system, causing the brain to become "dependent" on the drug. Once the drug is stopped, sleep rebound is severe ( Lader, 2011 ) |
|
Tolerance |
The effect weakens after a few weeks of use, and the dosage needs to be increased continuously to maintain sleep ( Sateia et al., 2017 ) |
|
Withdrawal symptoms |
"Rebound" symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, and palpitations after stopping the drug |
|
Disruption of sleep structure |
Reduce the ratio of REM to deep sleep, making it easier to fall asleep but not sleeping soundly ( Kuriyama & Endo, 2018 ) |
Long-term use of this type of medicine may indeed make people " become more and more dependent on it " , and it is difficult to get rid of the worry of " medicine jars " .
3.Why are new sleeping pills not addictive?
The new generation of sleeping aids - Orexin Receptor Antagonists (ORAs ) , such as Suvorexant, Lebrexant, and Darilexant , are completely different from traditional drugs.
✅ Core mechanism: reducing arousal signals, not forcing sedation
• The orexin system in the brain is responsible for maintaining wakefulness.
• People with insomnia often have overactive orexin, their brains are " over-awake " , and they find it difficult to fall asleep even when they are physically tired.
• ORAs reduce wakefulness signals by blocking OX1R and OX2R receptors , allowing the brain to naturally enter a sleep state. It is not a " sedative hypnosis " but more like " turning off the alarm clock. "
4. Why won’t the new sleeping pills make you addicted?
|
Features |
Traditional sleeping pills (such as diazepam) |
Newer sleep aids (such as sulvorexant) |
|
Mechanism of action |
Strengthens the GABA system and forces sedation |
Inhibit the wakefulness system and fall asleep naturally |
|
Is it addictive? |
Long-term use may cause dependence and tolerance |
No dependence, no rebound after stopping the drug |
|
Sleep structure |
Disruption of deep sleep |
Does not affect deep and REM sleep |
|
Post-drug withdrawal reactions |
Insomnia and anxiety rebound may occur |
Maintain stable sleep quality |
📌 Research evidence :
• A 12 -month study using suovolumab showed no sleep rebound or withdrawal symptoms after discontinuation ( Sun et al., 2021 ).
• In a 6 -month clinical trial of leborexant, no drug resistance was observed, and sleep rhythm remained stable after discontinuation of the drug ( Ueno et al., 2022 ).
• A study by Darlene Johnson showed that long-term users maintained good daytime alertness and showed no signs of cognitive decline ( Muehlan et al., 2021 ).
5. Correctly understand that " long-term medication " does not mean " addiction "
Many patients are afraid of " long-term medication " and worry that " once you take the medicine, you can no longer live without it. " But we should realize that:
🔹 Long-term use ≠ addiction :
• Addiction refers to physical dependence, and withdrawal reactions occur when the drug is stopped.
• New sleeping aids do not activate the reward system and will not form psychological / physiological dependence .
🔹 The essence of sleeping pills is " regulation " , not " control " :
• By regularly using sleeping pills + daily routine management, the brain's original sleep rhythm can be gradually restored .
• Many patients can stop taking the medication naturally after using it for several months and still maintain good sleep .
🔹 The key lies in personalized assessment and doctor's guidance :
• For suitable people to use under the guidance of a doctor, sleeping pills are a " bridge " rather than a " crutch " in the recovery process .
6. Conclusion: Don’t be constrained by the anxiety of “ medicine jars ” anymore, scientific sleep is the key
If you refuse scientific sleep aids because you are afraid of drug dependence, you are actually more likely to fall into chronic health problems caused by long-term insomnia - anxiety, depression, decreased immunity, memory loss, etc.
New sleeping aids such as suvorexant, lebrexant, and darilexant have mild mechanisms, are non-addictive, and are highly safe, making them important tools for breaking the insomnia cycle .
📌 Instead of staying up late again and again, it is better to scientifically understand the principles and advantages of sleeping pills, use them correctly under the guidance of a doctor, and live a healthy lifestyle to restore natural good sleep.
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