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Prescription sleep aids are widely available, but they are only meant for short term use. Many people (and even doctors) seem to forget that these sleep aids have dependency and addiction issues, and were never meant to be taken in the long term. Taking prescription sleep aids for more than a few weeks puts you at risk of having to rely on them to get to sleep. Once you stop using prescription sleep aids at this point the rebound insomnia and other withdrawal symptoms can be excruciating. It is best not to start using prescription sleep aids if possible, and instead use herbal remedies to get to sleep. There are rarely any negative effects to taking herbal sleep remedies over prescription sleep aids, and they will not lead to dependency or addiction. For the best results I recommend looking for something with Valerian root and/or St John's Wort, the most effective herbal sedatives.
If you are suffering from insomnia you can get to sleep without the negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs with a natural sleep aid. Not only is a natural sleep aid much safer, usually they are cheaper as well. While a prescription drug will leave you groggy and drowsy the next day, a natural sleep aid provides natural sleep, and allows you to awaken refreshed the next morning. Your natural sleep aid will also not expose you to the risk of addiction and dependency, and will not result in a strong rebound of insomnia if you discontinue use. They should always be used before considering prescription drugs; pharmaceutical sleeping pills should only be used in the most severe cases, and then it is not recommended to use them for long periods of time. Insomnia affects millions of people and the severity can range from something that is an annoyance to completely debilitating sleep deprivation, under these circumstances people use prescription drugs because it is the quickest fix; though as I demonstrated above, it is not the healthiest solution. So try a natural sleep aid and get the sleep you need without the side effects you don't.
Lorazepam has shown moderate effectiveness in controlling anxiety and some effectiveness in the treatment of insomnia. Many people however find that Lorazepam stops working for them after a week or two while conversely another group of people use Lorazepam for long periods of time recreationally. This is because Lorazepam, like most benzodiazepines, produces a very pleasant and euphoric feeling that lends itself to addiction. Also to be taken into account is the fact that one can easily form a dependence on Lorazepam for dealing with anxiety or sleep. These problems will become amplified if one stops taking Lorazepam. Psychiatric science is in its infancy compared to other realms of science, and in the future hopefully there will be much more effective and side effect free drugs than Lorazepam; for now it is best to avoid using prescription anti anxiety drugs if possible and instead look for help in milder forms of treatment such as therapy, introspection as well as natural remedies. St John's Wort and other herbs have been used clinically all over the world and are quite effective in treating anxiety and insomnia. In my opinion, Lorazepam should only be used to correct severe chemical imbalances.
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