How to take alprazolam (Xanax) for sleep

The silence of this dark night is broken only by the sound of your health and your wall clock, a gentle reminder of your body’s betrayal. You try to breathe deeper to slow down this frantic rhythm, but ultimately each inhale is a shallow gasp, and each exhale is a sigh of defeat.

Maybe you think that it is due to overeating, post-dinner espresso you drink, or lying down immediately after feeding, or it could be due to anxiety, but you can’t be sure. What you are sure about is that your alarm will ring in a few hours, and you have to wake up and go to work.

That’s sounds too familiar, right???

Insomnia (not being able to sleep) is a major issue that is rising in today’s busy world. Insomnia is a torture that almost everyone can relate to. Millions of adults are facing this issue.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can affect your mental peace, concentration ability, memory, blood pressure, energy level in the body, and much more. And that horrible sleeping difficulty with a lot of position changes in bed and being irritated by insomnia that affects your daily routine.

In fact, the CDC reports that 35% of American adults sleep less than 7 hours at night. That is not ideal and not good for health.

To deal with insomnia (sleeping difficulties), people try so many things, like

listening to calm music

reading a book and

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Deep breathing exercises

Visualizing calming scenes

-Mindfulness Meditation

-Relaxing Sounds

-Focusing on breathing or

-Repetitive Task

While some people prefer to take over-the-counter medicine and supplements, what helps is sleeping, i.e., melatonin.

And some people use benzodiazepine medications like

Xanax® (containing alprazolam), Halcion®, Ativan®, Valium®, and Klonopin® for sleep.

You might have heard of using these benzodiazepine medications like alprazolam (Xanax Tablet) for treating anxiety and panic attack problems, but some people use these medicines for insomnia, staying awake at night, or trouble falling asleep.

But the bitter truth is, obviously they can help you doze off when you need to, but those medicines have their side effects and dependency issues, that’s why they are not the best Choice for this problem.

Below we have discussed everything about alprazolam (Xanax®) like how to take alprazolam (Xanax) for sleep, how does it work, possible side effects of that medicine, and much more…..

Alprazolam, it is an active ingredients in tablet Xanax, it is belongs to  benzodiazepine group, wich work by improving the effects of a natural chemical in the brain called GABA(gamma-aminobutyric acid).

GABA acts as a calming neurotransmitter, and alprazolam helps to enhance its activity, wich helps in reducing anxiety and panic attack and promote relaxation.

Benzodiazepines are depressants medicine that produce sedation and hypnosis, relieve anxiety disorder, panic attack and muscle spasms, and reduce seizures and calm the body.

Alprazolam better know by the brand name Xanax®, is a prescription medicine used to treat mental disorders like anxiety disorder, panic attack and muscle spasms.

Dose, Frequency, everything you need to know….

Dose of alprazolam (xanax) you should take for sleep is depends upon various factors like individual’s age, weight, co morbidities, allergy, and response to medication.

Generally dose can range from 0.25 mg to maximum 2 mg taken orally, 1 , 2 or 3 times a day.

You should know that self medication can harm you hence it’s important to follow a Doctor’s instruction and guidance for the correct direction to take this medicine.

Let’s understand with an example,

Imagine your brain as a chatty party. Anxiety cranks up the volume, making everyone (neurons) talk over each other.

Xanax is like a bouncer. It slips in, calms things down, and helps the neurons whisper instead of shout.

This whisper comes from GABA, a natural brain chemical. Xanax gives GABA a megaphone, amplifying its calming message.

Result?

Chill vibes for your brain, anxiety takes a break, and you might finally catch some Zs.

-Xanax binds to GABA receptors on neurons.

-This stimulates GABA production and activity.

-GABA calms down the excitement of neurons.

-Brain activity decreases, leading to a reduction in anxiety and panic symptoms.

You should remember that alprazolam is dangerous medicine that’s why never take it without consulting a doctor.

It has side effects and can be addictive if not taken as prescribed.

If you are facing insomnia, unable to sleep, using xanax makes you feel sleepy. However there are certain major side effects you should be consider before taking xanax, as well as risk of development of dependency of xanax is also a major issue of concern, if you take xanax frequently.

Xanax is not good for long term use,when it used frequently over the long term, it causes serious side effects and dependency. xanax is intended for short term treatment for mental illness like anxiety and panic disorders.

Let’s start discussing at an immediate side effects,

In the 1987 study mentioned above, people with difficulty falling asleep experienced noticeable improvements after using alprazolam. However, they didn’t last.

At the end of a week of usage, the researchers found that alprazolam’s effectiveness had decreased by approximately 40 percent.

Additionally, within three nights after patients discontinued alprazolam, there was a notable rise in sleep problems. This suggests that many individuals who initially found relief from alprazolam experienced worsened sleep after stopping the medication compared to before they began treatment.

This is called “rebound insomnia” and mostly people face this issue who use xanax tablet to treat insomnia.

They works in the beginning, and make person dependent and once person becomes addicted then they find hard to fall a sleep without medicine.

And because of this risk, FDA advices that people who are more prone to addiction should be kept under supervision and proper consultation when use xanax tablet.

Withdrawal symptoms is also noted when you use regularly and suddenly stopped

Symptoms may includes shaky body, anxiety, difficulty in concentration, poor memory, sleeping difficulty.

Xanax(Alprazolam) can be lifesaver drug for management of patients of having anxiety and panic attacks, but like his magical effects this drug also have major side effects, ranging from mild to severe symptoms.

– Drowsiness

– Dizziness

– Fatigue

– difficult in concentration

– muscle weakness

– clumsiness

– poor memory issues

– mood change

– lethargy

– headache

– Dryness of mouth

– Depression

– light headedness

– confusion

– syncope

– Akathiaia (movement disorder)

– Tiredness

– Nausea

– Vomitting

– Tachycardia

– Nervousness

– blurred vision

– Constipation

– Skin allergy

– Tremors

– dependency

– Addiction

– Respiratory depression

– Seizures (Convulsions)

– xanax can worsen suicidal thoughts

Always consult your doctor before taking xanax tablet. Discuss your symptoms with doctor and medical history, potential allergies, and other medications you’re taking is important before starting Xanax. They can advise on managing side effects, monitor your progress, and adjust the dosage if needed.

Xanax, despite its benefits, requires a cautious approach. Let decide your doctor to about potential side effects against your individual needs and work closely to ensure safe and effective treatment for your anxiety.

As we have discussed about effects and side effects of xanax, you may be feel sleepy after taking it but it is not a good medication to use as a sleeping pills as tablet have it’s side effects and dependency issues.

Although there are some medications available in market for sleep , but remember sleeping pills have its own side effects and without prescription of doctors taking sleeping pills can be risky.

But if you are still looking for pharmacological alternatives there are some medicines available in the market that can treat insomnia and sleeping issues.

Although they have side effects but side effects are less severe or lesser than xanax, dependency and risk of addiction also less compared to xanax.

1. Bupropion:

Bupropion can be a good option for sleep when it comes to medications with non-benzodiazepine alternatives.

Bupropion is Primarily used as an antidepressant, it acts on dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitters and also has stimulating and sleep-promoting effects depending on dosage and timing.

Low doses (less than 150mg per day) can have stimulating effects, potentially worsening insomnia.

Higher doses (up to 300mg per day) can have sedative effects, promoting deeper sleep and reducing insomnia problem.

Can be helpful for individuals with insomnia and co-existing conditions like panic attack, depression or seasonal affective disorder, and potentially improve sleep quality.

Bupropion can cause side effects like

– Dry mouth

-Headache

-Dizziness

– Nausea

– Anxiety.

In rare cases, it can also cause

-seizures or allergic reactions.

Therefore,decision to use bupropion for sleep should be made in consultation with your doctor.

Doxepin is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA), a class of medication that primarily treats depression but also has sedative effects useful for promoting sleep.

Dosage for sleep is typically much lower than the dosage used for depression, usually ranging from 3-6mg per day.

It works by blocking the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation and sleep.

Doxepin can be effective in improving sleep quality and duration for people with both insomnia and co-existing anxiety or depression.

Doxepin can cause side effects

– drowsiness

– dizziness

– dry mouth

– constipation

– weight gain.

In certain instances, it can also lead to more severe side effects such as.

– rapid heart rate

– urinary problems

– allergic reactions.

Therefore, the decision to use doxepin for sleep should be made in consultation with your doctor. They can evaluate your individual needs and health risks to understand if this medication is right for you.

Zolpidem, also known by the brand name Ambien®, is a prescription medication used for the short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep). It belongs to a class of drugs called sedative-hypnotics, which means it works by slowing down activity in the brain to promote sleep.

4. Melatonin:

Melatonin tablet also helpful for sleeping issues.

It is a Natural sleep hormone that mimics the body’s melatonin production.

Studies suggest that it can shorten sleep onset and helpful to sleep peacefully by improving sleep quality.

It is generally considered safe and generally safe for most adults.and it can be easily available over the counter in most pharmacies and health store.

It is a type of psychotherapy that focus on the relationship between thinking, behaviour, feeling and emotions.

It is based on idea that our thoughts process can influence our feelings and emotions and that can change negative pattern of thinking by therapy.once overthinking get settled automatically sleep quality will improve.

Practices like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can calm your mind and body, that’s helps in improving sleep quality.

Set a regular sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and optimizing your sleep environment can significantly improve sleep quality.

Exposing yourself to bright light early in the day helps regulate your natural sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep at night.

Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime

Read more articles 👇