The Supplemental Kick

Between 2000 and 2004, the use of sleep medications doubled
among adults aged 20-44. But the use of such medications among
children aged 10 to 19 also went up by 85 percent. And money
spent on such drugs within that age group was up 223 percent.

Also of note:

• Spending on sleep meds among adults in the
  20-44 age category spiked upward 190 percent.

• Children in the 10-19 age bracket showed the highest dual
  usage of prescription sleep aids as well as attention deficit
  hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs at 15 percent.

• Women used prescription sleep aids far more often than men,
  particularly among young women under 19 (37 percent) and those
  between 20-64 (58 percent).

• Although adults over age 64 take more sleep medications, the
  increased use was lower among that age group (16.5 percent) than
  all the others in the study.

According to the National Institutes of Health, upwards of 70
million people in the United States may be affected by sleep
problems, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, and 60 percent of
such suffer from a chronic sleep disorder.

MSNBC October 17, 2005

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:Insomnia is a pervasive problem in our
culture. Unfortunately as this articles shows increasing numbers
arerelying onpotentially toxic and highly addictive sleep drugs
like Lunesta and Ambiento solve their sleep challenge.

This is no small issue as obtaining the right amount and quality
of sleep is one ofmost importantthings you can do to optimize
your health, as well as reduce your risk of obesity, but you
don’t need to rely on a potentially toxic drug to do it for you.

If getting the right amount of sleep is a problem for you, I
urge you to review my free 29 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep.
So ditch the drugs and diligently apply these secrets so you too
can start reaping the benefits of a good night sleep.

I you are already addicted to sleeping pills it is important to
understand that you will have to wean off of them very slowly as
your body has become dependent on them.

Whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, or
don’t feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, my
guidelines will provide you with various useful techniques to
improve these problems. Some of my recommendations
include:

• Listen to White Noise or Relaxation CDs. Some
  people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as
  the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent
  relaxation meditation option to listen to before bed is the
  Insight audio CD.

• Sleep in complete darkness or as close to it as possible
  

• Turn off the TV before bed and read something spiritual
  or religious

• Avoid using loud alarm clocks

• Wear socks to bed