Managing Shift Work Sleep Disorders With Artificial Sleep Aids

Artificial Sleep Aids

As with all sleep disorders, there are two fundamental approaches to treating the problem - artificial sleep aids and sleep enhancers such as sleeping pills and prescription medications, and natural remedies that help to address the root of your sleep problem and re-train your physiological processes so that you can enjoy a good night's sleep once again.

In the case of severe sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy or restless legs syndrome, medical guidance and some prescription medication might well be a valuable component of your treatment. However, if you are looking to manage your own sleeping problems - and to effectively remedy them - you need to find treatments and approaches that remedy the problem at the source instead of simply masking the symptoms.

Many shift workers resort to the use of sleeping pills, other prescription and non-prescription drugs or alcohol to ease their sleeping problem.

Sleeping Pills

If you work on a rotating shift schedule or your work shifts have recently altered, you may have resorted to sleeping pills as a means of over-riding your circadian rhythm and getting to sleep when your body is programmed to stay awake. Likewise, you may also have turned to sleeping pills if you have been struggling with the vicious cycle of insomnia and drowsiness that plagues so many shift workers.

Unfortunately sleeping pills present an inherent problem in so far as they do not directly address the source of your insomnia; rather they simply suppress your body's central nervous system so that the body falls into a sleep-like state.

Because this artificially induced sleep is not natural or "genuine", you may discover that you wake up feeling drowsy or groggy; you may also notice that your reflexes are slower and your mental clarity is compromised.

Even if you do feel comfortably rested using sleeping pills, you also need to be aware that your body does not process through its natural sleep cycles during artificially induced sleep. Furthermore, if you are using sleeping pills to compensate for a work schedule that disrupts your regular sleep pattern, you also run the very distinct risk of generating a potentially damaging dependence upon them - over time your body will gradually build up a dependence on sleeping pills and you will need to consume increasing quantities in order to achieve the desired effects.

Other Prescription and Non-prescription Drugs

Other than sleep pills, you may be tempted to try a range of other drugs including such things as diet pills, amphetamines or a variety of so-called "uppers". All of these act as stimulants, increasing your alertness and eliminating the need for sleep in the short term.

Unfortunately, as with sleeping pills, these drugs only mask the symptoms of your sleep problem and do not provide you with a long term cure. In addition, the vast majority of these drugs (many of which, although commonly used, are illegal) are extremely strong and, even in the short term, will provide you with far more of a boost than you need.

They are also highly addictive and over time you will find that you need to take them in increasing quantities and at more frequent intervals to achieve the same effect.

Not only will these drugs not cure your insomnia in the longer term, they will also leave you with a serious problem of drug dependency.

Alcohol

Many people find that a drink or two before bed helps them to fall asleep. This is true, alcohol can indeed aid in the process of falling asleep. However, alcohol also disturbs your natural sleep cycle so that, having fallen asleep, you sleep more lightly and do not enjoy the benefit of deep sleep which your body needs.

While a drink or two with food is fine socially and to help you to relax, you should avoid drinking alcohol for at least one or two hours before going to bed.

An alternative is that of managing shift work sleep disorders through lifestyle changes. >>>