{"id":5490,"date":"2019-08-22T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T14:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=5490"},"modified":"2025-09-12T20:08:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T00:08:28","slug":"opioids-and-sleep-aids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/opioids-and-sleep-aids\/","title":{"rendered":"The dangers of using opioids as sleep aids"},"content":{"rendered":"

The word <\/span>morphine<\/span><\/i> is derived from Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. If you\u2019ve ever been on a painkiller like <\/span>morphine<\/span><\/a>, you know that a side effect is drowsiness. However, using morphine\u2014or any opioid\u2014to help you sleep is extremely dangerous. And yet many people are doing just that. In fact, a <\/span>recent study revealed<\/span><\/a> that <\/span>doctors have noticed patients are using opioids to help them fall asleep when acute pain is keeping them up, or because of simple insomnia. And many patients don\u2019t realize the harm in that habit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Opioids and sleep aids are two entirely different types of drugs:<\/span> Opioids are powerful narcotics whereas sleep aids are soporific and hypnotic, aka sleep-inducing. These two kinds of medication are intended for two very different purposes\u2014and you shouldn\u2019t use one in place of the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

What counts as opioid or sleep aids?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The class of drugs called \u201copioids\u201d include prescription painkillers such as <\/span>oxycodone<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>OxyContin<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>hydrocodone<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Vicodin<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Percocet<\/span><\/a>), and <\/span>codeine<\/span><\/a>, as well as synthetic opioids such as fentanyl<\/a> and the illegal drug heroin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Commonly prescribed sleep aids include <\/span>zolpidem tartrate<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Ambien<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Ambien CR<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>flurazepam hydrochloride<\/span><\/a> (Dalmane), <\/span>triazolam<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Halcion<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>eszopiclone<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>Lunesta<\/span><\/a>), and <\/span>estazolam<\/span><\/a> (Prosom).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why shouldn\u2019t you use opioids as sleep aids?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cCertainly opioids can make you drowsy, but they should never be used as a sleep aid,\u201d says Wilson Compton, MD, deputy director of the <\/span>National Institute on Drug Abuse<\/span><\/a> in Rockville, Maryland. \u201cThey\u2019re not safe, with their potential for addiction and other complications. They\u2019re only for acute pain, and in some cases, chronic pain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While opioids may help you fall asleep, they do not help you get better sleep. \u201cOpioids lower the rate of REM and slow-wave sleep necessary for restful, recharging sleep,\u201d explains Yili Huang, DO, director of the Pain Management Center at <\/span>Northwell Phelps Hospital<\/span><\/a> in Sleepy Hollow, New York.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Opioids and sleep apnea<\/b><\/h3>\n

Additionally, between 7% to 20% of Americans have undiagnosed sleep apnea, Dr. Huang says, and for those people, opioids could interfere with their ability to breathe while asleep, potentially endangering their lives. A <\/span>small study<\/span><\/a> found that the higher the opioid dose, the higher the number of sleep apnea episodes. <\/span>Other research<\/span><\/a> showed that oxygen saturation dipped sharply just 15 minutes after taking an opioid in the middle of the night. Meaning, opioids may depress respiration for people with sleep apnea, increasing risk of death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Compton adds that if you\u2019re already taking opioids for pain management and increase your dosage at night to help you sleep, you\u2019re risking a serious chance of an overdose.<\/span><\/p>\n

What if I\u2019m in pain and I can\u2019t sleep?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Acute pain can have many sources, whether it\u2019s from a surgical operation, cancer treatment, a chronic pain-inducing medical condition, or a physical accident. But what should you do if you\u2019re in terrible pain and can\u2019t sleep because of it?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTalk to your doctor about safe alternatives,\u201d Dr. Huang recommends firstly. \u201cTreat what\u2019s causing the pain with more directed treatment at its source. If it\u2019s temporary insomnia along with nerve pain, certain nerve pain medications can treat the pain and also induce sleep, and they can be helpful. <\/span>Gabapentin<\/span><\/a> [<\/span>a prescription drug often used relieve nerve pain as a result of shingles in adults] <\/span>is one such medication. But there\u2019s no magic bullet\u2014all medications have side effects.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And what you don\u2019t want to do, Dr. Huang says, is to continue taking your opioids while taking sleep aids or sedatives such as Ambien, Xanax, or <\/span>Valium<\/span><\/a>. This combo increases the chance of respiratory depression (hypoventilation). Combining opioids with <\/span>any<\/span><\/i> other sedative\u2014including alcohol\u2014creates serious risk for overdose, and even death, Dr. Compton remarked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re having trouble sleeping, you can also turn to solutions that don\u2019t involve prescription medication, says Dr. Laura Fanucchi, associate professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky and an opioid addiction specialist. These alternatives include behavior changes like:<\/span><\/p>\n