Sleeping Aids Spending by NHS Reaches £50 M

Recent figures revealed a significant increase in the use of sleeping pills saw National Health Service (NHS) spending on the drugs reached about £50 last year.

Compared to 14.5 million prescriptions of sleeping pills in 2007 to 2008, some 15.3 million prescriptions were handed out in 2010 to 2011, based on figures revealed by the NHS.

In 2010 to 2011, a Freedom of information request showed health trusts spent £49.2 million on the drugs, up from £42 million three years ago. It was actually an increase of more than 17%.

According to statistics, the highest number of prescriptions for sleeping pills was distributed in the North West area, wherein more than £8.5 million on almost £2.5 million rely on best sleeping aid.

One of the best sleeping aids was in fact prescribed to more than 5.2 million patients across the country, making the drug more popular.

In U.K., more or less a third of people are thought to have dilemmas on insomnia, which can eventually lead to a distressing problem for many.

Health chiefs have voiced out their concerns regarding the frequent use of sleeping pills which can lead to “psychological dependency”.

NHS business director at the Co-operative Pharmacy, Mandeep Mudhar said that the agency’s research reveals that millions of people suffering from a sleep deprivation vastly depend on sleeping pills.

While usage has constantly boosted, its cost to the NHS have risen unevenly, with costs going up at a higher rate.

However, some sleeping pills are commonly recommended for short period of time use only since it can lead to psychological dependency and lose their effectiveness as time passed by.

The NHS encourages people who are suffering from insomnia to use natural sleep remedies or consult a doctor first before taking any sleeping pills.

In a recent study which involved 10,500 people taking the drugs found that sleeping pills that are commonly prescribed by physicians in U.K. increase the risk of death more than a cigarette.


Several drugs used in the U.K. include benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, barbiturates and sedative anti-histamines.

In another study from experts at the Jackson Hole Center for Preventive Medicine in Wyoming and Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center in California, found that people taking sleeping pills were 4.6 times more likely to die during a 2.5 year period compared to those who are not sleeping aid dependent.

Therefore, before taking any sleeping pills, always seek prescription from your doctor for natural sleeping remedies to avoid early death risks.

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