Dr. Freeman's Blog Posts

Why did my sleeping pills stop working older woman lying awake in bed staring at sleeping pills during insomnia

Sleeping Pills Stop Working: Why It Happens

Many people ask this question after experiencing several frustrating nights of insomnia. A medication helps at first. Sleep improves. Then, sometimes suddenly, the sleeping pills stop working. The person finds themselves awake again and often feels more discouraged than before. In many cases, the medication did not completely fail. Something

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Adult with sleep anxiety talks with a psychologist in a calm therapy office

Sleep Anxiety and Insomnia: Why Fear of Not Sleeping Keeps You Awake

Sleep anxiety can keep insomnia going because the fear of not sleeping activates the same nervous system response that prevents sleep. The person may be exhausted, but the mind starts monitoring, calculating, predicting failure, and worrying about tomorrow. At that point, the first treatment target is often not sleep itself,

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Why sleeping pills sometimes stop working

Why Sleeping Pills Sometimes Stop Working

Why Sleeping Pills Sometimes Stop Working By Dr. Charles R. Freeman, Ph.D. Many people begin taking sleeping pills, sleep pills, sleeping tablets, or other medication for insomnia and experience significant improvement. Over time, some find that their insomnia medications become less effective, leading them to wonder why their sleep problems

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Side effects of sleeping pills shown with common prescription sleep medications

What Are the Side Effects of Sleeping Pills?

A decade ago, in 2010, the Drug Enforcement Agency spearheaded a nationwide initiative to take back unused prescription medications. This move aimed to heighten public awareness about the potentially lethal implications of prescription drug misuse. Despite these efforts, the prevalence of misuse and its consequences remain concerning.

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Dr. Freeman's Articles on Sleep, Trauma, and Behavioral Medicine