DALLAS, April 6 (UPI) -- Sleep medications are twice as likely to cause harm to senior patients as they are to help them sleep better, says a U.S. gerontologist.
"Probably about 50 percent of older adults complain of sleep related problems," says Dr. Jill Studley, gerontologist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
Millions of seniors ask their physicians for sedatives or sleeping pills or even get them over-the-counter, but studies demonstrate how dangerous taking these medications can be for older adults, and these drugs are twice as likely to cause accidents as they are to help you sleep, according to Studley.
"You won't function as well in the morning, you may be at a higher risk for falling, having a car crash, or display problems with cognitive dysfunction," said Studley.
Doing simple things like cutting out caffeine, exercising and going to sleep and waking at the same time each day can really help, Studley advises.
