Valium for sleep

 

Valium is a member of a class of drugs called benzodiazepines.

Valium is used for treating anxiety, seizure disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and muscle spasms.

Valium has a rapid onset of action, that’s why using Valium for sleep is a good choice; it is used off-label to treat insomnia.

Valium is prescribed for adults above 18 years; it is not yet approved for children below 6 months.

Uses of Valium:

• Short-term treatment of severe, disabling anxiety, including panic attacks, also used during manic phases of bipolar disorder.
• Short-term treatment of insomnia (sleeping problems).
• Relaxing muscle spasms, including poisoning or tetanus.
• Managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
• Controlling convulsions caused by epilepsy or fever.
• A pre-med to induce relaxation and sleepiness before surgical or dental procedures.

If you decided to take Valium for sleep, tell your doctor if you:

• Had ever been subjected to any allergic reactions to Valium or any other drug.
• Have liver or kidney problems.
• Have myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness).
• Have sleep apnoea (breathing problems while sleeping).
• Have depression or have experienced any thoughts of suicide.
• Have arteriosclerosis.
• Have a low level of albumin (protein) in your blood.
• Over 65 years.
• Going to have general anaesthesia for an operation.
• Planning to get pregnant, or already pregnant, or breastfeeding.
• Have narrow-angle glaucoma or uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma.
• Diagnosed by schizophrenia (long-term psychotic illness).
• Hyperactive or very restless.

Drug-drug interactions:

Some drugs may interfere with Valium, causes an increase in the chance of the risk of fatal side effects

Examples of these drugs:

• Drugs for treating epilepsy (anticonvulsants).
• Other sleeping pills (hypnotics).
• Sedating antihistamines such as promethazine.
• Antifungals as fluconazole.
• HIV medicines as atazanavir.
• Strong pain killers as morphine, codeine, or tramadol.
• Proton-pump inhibitors (medicines used for reducing stomach acids as esomeprazole.
• Muscle relaxants as baclofen.
• Medicines for bacterial infections as rifampicin.
• Medicines for treating asthma as theophylline.

Mixing Valium for sleep with herbal supplements:

Till now, there are no enough researches done on mixing Valium with herbal supplements, don’t take any herbal medicine for treating insomnia such as valerian, this combination may cause an increase in the drowsy effect of Valium.

Common side effects when using Valium for sleep:

• Drowsiness or dizziness.
• Problems in maintaining body balance.
• Tremors (shaky hands).
• Feeling sleepy during the daytime.
• Shallow breathing.
• Amnesia (difficulty in remembering things).
• Anaphylaxis (a condition of feeling faint, breathing difficulty, fast heartbeats, and anxiety), also may include allergic symptoms (itchy skin, swelling, and stomach pain.
• Unusual changes in mood or behavior.

It is recommended to avoid these while using Valium for sleep:

• Drinking alcohol: drinking alcohol together with Valium makes you sleep deeply, you also may find breathing problems and difficulty in waking up.
• Driving: don’t drive a car or ride a bike if Valium makes you feel sleepy during the day.

It may cause blurred vision, dizziness, or inability to concentrate to take decisions.

• Operating machine: you are not advised to operate machinery while using Valium; otherwise you will be subjected to the risk of Valium side effects.

Symptoms of an overdose of Valium for sleep:

• Slow or irregular heartbeats.
• Feeling sleepy.
• Trouble speaking.
• Feeling unbalanced during movement.
• Uncontrolled eye movement.
• Muscle weakness.

Pregnancy and lactation:

Using Valium for sleep during pregnancy makes the baby dependent on the drug, this can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms after birth.

If you are already taking Valium and you got pregnant, see your doctor immediately and don’t stop the drug suddenly unless the doctor says to.

Valium can be used by a lactating mother only for very short periods with a low dose.

Researches have found that Valium passes into breast milk, so taking Valium for sleep for long periods or in high doses makes the baby drowsy or tired, it also can make it difficult for them to feed.

 

Addiction:

Valium is not known to be addictive if taken at low doses and for short time (2 to 4 weeks).

You are more likely to get addicted if it is used for more than 4 weeks in a large dose especially if you are alcohol or drug abused.

Some lifestyle tips that can help with insomnia:

• Set fixed times for going to bed and waking up.
• Take a warm bath or listen to calm music before bedtime to help you to relax.
• Use an eye mask and earplugs and thick curtains to help you to sleep deeply without being interrupted by light and noise.
• Avoid caffeine, smoking, drinking alcohol, and heavy meals before going to bed.
• Exercise before bedtime by few hours.
• Don’t watch TV or use phones and computers just before bedtime.
• Quit napping during the day.

There is a wide range of causes of sleeping problems, try to concentrate on steps that promote restful sleep.

For many people, starting some small changes will promote you towards a healthier sleep.

Remember that using Valium for sleep will always be a great choice to induce sleep.