Rumour: Sleeping pills increase the risk of falls and fractures.
Truth: This is true.
Sleeping pills are prescribed by doctors to help treat insomnia or difficulty sleeping. There are two types of modern sleeping pills: benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. Both types of sleeping pills decrease alertness and cause drowsiness during the day. Patients taking benzodiazepines have an increased risk of falling and bone fractures. Non-benzodiazepines are recommended by doctors as the safer option with fewer side effects.
Researchers in Israel examined previous studies to find out if non-benzodiazepines also increase the risk of falling and bone fractures and published their results in the scientific journal Age and Ageing. Researchers determined that individuals are more likely to fall when taking non-benzodiazepines. To read more about this study, click here.
