{"id":282,"date":"2025-06-30T17:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T17:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.downtownpittsburghdentist.com\/blog\/?p=282"},"modified":"2025-07-21T17:04:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T17:04:37","slug":"can-sleep-pills-help-with-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.downtownpittsburghdentist.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/30\/can-sleep-pills-help-with-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sleeping Pills Help with Sleep Apnea?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sleep apnea<\/a> is one of the most common sleep disorders. It can rob you of precious rest and leave you feeling drained day after day. In an effort to get more sleep, you might be tempted to start taking sleeping pills, especially if your sleep apnea is accompanied by bouts of insomnia. While pills might help you fall asleep, taking them is not <\/em>a good idea if you have sleep apnea! This blog post explains why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Sleeping Pills Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping pills are designed to induce sleep or prolong its duration. These medications typically affect the central nervous system, altering the signals in the brain that control wakefulness and drowsiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most sleeping pills are intended for short-term use and are typically prescribed to help individuals with acute insomnia or temporary disruptions to their sleep schedule. Although these medications can provide relief from sleepless nights, they do not address the underlying causes of disturbed sleep. Moreover, for people with sleep apnea, using sleeping pills can actually create new risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping Pills and Obstructive Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much during sleep, causing a temporary blockage of the airway. This leads to repeated pauses in breathing, which can last from a few seconds to over a minute. These interruptions fragment your sleep and reduce the oxygen levels in your blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using sleeping pills when you have OSA is generally not recommended for a few reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n