Featured Premium Article

Do you take medication at night to help you sleep? Studies show this could make your memory worse in the long run.

Coming off safely might be the best thing you do for brain health this year.

Expert Insights:

Every week we’ll feature a new question submitted to our experts by a Premium Member.

Question: “I tried coming off my sleeping pill and I felt terrible. Why did this happen?”

Dr. Geen’s Answer:

First off, I’m sorry you had such a rough experience on your first attempt at coming off your sleeping pill. It can be really discouraging and sometimes anxiety-provoking to try to make a medication change and feel worse instead of better.

The good news is that often people need to try a few different times before coming off their medication - you are not alone.

While I don’t know your specific clinical case, here are some important points for you to consider with your healthcare provider:

1. The most common reason people feel worse after stopping a sleeping pill is that they reduced the dose too quickly. For certain medications - especially sedative-hypnotics like zopiclone or lorazepam - our brains get used to their effects, and stopping suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms. These may include a spike in anxiety, worsening sleep, or even flu-like symptoms. If this happens, it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider about how to safely adjust your plan back to the previous effective dose.

2. The goal is to cut down on the medication so gradually that your brain doesn’t even notice a little bit of medication is missing every night. You can talk to your pharmacist or your healthcare provider for specific advice for you, and you can show them this tapering plan on page 11 that was studied in a large randomized controlled trial. One in four people who used this strategy were able to come off their sleeping pills successfully!

3. You may need to implement some non-medication sleep strategies at the same time as you taper off the medication, to address the underlying reasons why you can’t sleep. Read this article for tips.

Lastly, perhaps coming off the medication unmasked some underlying anxiety that needs attending to. These days, there are safer medications for anxiety than sleeping pills, and therapy can also be highly effective. Talk to your healthcare provider about what options are available where you live.

Have a question for our experts?
👉 Submit it here.