THE TRUTH ABOUT INSOMNIA MEDICATION
Why It’s a Terrible Idea
There’s a reason the FDA doesn’t recommend prescribing insomnia medications longer than a week. These drugs can be highly addictive and difficult to wean yourself off. In fact, there’s an entire cottage industry dedicated to getting people off this stuff — rehab for insomnia medication.
If you’re having problems getting to sleep, it’s best to deal with the root of those problems, not create new ones, like sleep medication addiction.
The best solution is to directly address the isse with a sleep consultation customized to your unique needs.
Addiction is the number one reason we don’t recommend insomnia medication for the long term. The second reason is it’s not very effective. Insomnia medication rewires your brain — it effectively short circuits your brain synapses so they don’t function properly. And that creates a whole host of problems — irritability, a lack of real REM dreaming, and an interruption in the quality of sleep you should be getting. You continue to wake up zapped, sluggish, with absolutely no energy to tackle the day.
Insomnia medication is a dead end road. Fortunately, there are more effective sleep therapies backed by science that get to the root of sleeping problems. Get to sleep quicker, dream better, and have better quality of sleep. You’ll feel more rejuvenated and rested than ever before.
A History of Sleep Medication:
Your Brain on the Wolf of Wall Street
If you’ve seen the “Wolf of Wall Street,” it’s a scene you never forget.
Deep in the “cerebral palsy” stage of a Quaalude high, Leonardo DiCaprio worm-crawls across the pavement to his Lamborghini, his limbs practically pasta as he tries to push open the car’s door with his foot. He’s so blitzed out of his mind, he can’t even stand, let alone drive. Yet he somehow wiggles his way in behind the wheel and proceeds to commit one of the most jaw-dropping DUIs in Hollywood history.
In the movie, Leo’s flying high on Quaaludes — a common “insomnia medication” of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Doctors handed it out like candy. If you couldn’t sleep, had any amount of stress, or even felt a little nervous, doctors prescribed it by the fistful. In fact, in 1972, they were the most prescribed drug ever. No prescription drug has ever been so easy to get your hands on.
Known on the street as disco biscuits, Quaaludes were emblazoned with the numbers 714. They were highly addictive and deadly. Overdose could lead to delirium, kidney failure, liver damage, coma, and possibly death.
Identifying the correct dosage could be challenging, depending on body mass and tolerance. Prescriptions came in 300 mg doses. Some people took 20,000 mg per day. Others would die after just 8,000 mg. People took them to get to sleep, and sometimes didn’t wake up. Overdoses were common, even in people taking the drug for the first time.
After an alarming number of overdoses and obvious signs of addiction, Congress made Quaaludes a Schedule II drug in 1973, meaning it was considered highly addictive with limited medical use and available only by a prescription. By the early 1980s, it was withdrawn from developed markets. In 1982, the DEA made it a Schedule I drug, meaning it had no medical use and could not be prescribed. It continued to be sold on the black market for a number of years before fading into obscurity — the dodo bird of prescription insomnia medication.
Quaaludes may be one of the most notorious insomnia medications, but there are a host of prescription sleep medications out there, still available on the market today. But they all have the same problem: a gradual buildup of tolerance and addiction, and a rewiring of the brain that negatively impacts sleep quality and our ability to dream.
Benzodiazepines: The Solid Gold Records of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Benzodiazepines outsell nearly every type of prescription medication out there. In fact, there are about 94 million prescriptions for various benzodiazepines in the U.S., roughly one script for every three citizens.
Yes, benzodiazepines are more popular than the Beatles.
Benzodiazepines can be prescribed for anxiety and panic attacks, but their most common use is as an insomnia medication.
Their history goes back over 100 years when German chemists first developed a class of sedatives known as barbiturates — the first synthetic tranquilizers. These barbiturates were marketed under a variety of names: Seconal, Luminal, and Nambutol. They became extremely popular during the Great Depression to help the nation “take the edge off” the biggest financial calamity in modern history. By the beginning of World War II, Americans were consuming more than one billion barbiturates per year.
Barbiturates were said to be harmless — at least compared to the opiates Americans used as insomnia medication prior to their invention. Safer than heroin, maybe. Grandma will love it!
And yes, barbiturates worked as an insomnia medication. They helped people relax and get to sleep, but they also produced a steady tolerance that gradually led to addiction. Overdoses were common. Withdrawal could be a tortuous experience that could kill you.
Benzodiazepine was the next generation of tranquilizers developed in the 1950s. The Swiss drug firm Hoffmann-La Roche synthesized Librium, the first benzodiazepine, in 1955. It was available by prescription in 1960.
Like barbiturates, the new generation of benzodiazepines depressed the central nervous system and relaxed the body and mind. But they also led to tolerance, addiction, and could be fatal when taken at increasing dosage to reach the desired effect.
Also like barbiturates, pharmaceutical ads hailed these new drugs as miracle cures that were completely safe, a new breakthrough in modern medicine. But the path to tolerance and addiction was also the same. Fatal overdoses were common. Kicking was a grueling experience.
Do You Sense a Pattern?
The results are in, and the science is clear. Insomnia medication stops working over time and leads to addiction. It rewires your brain and makes it harder to get healthy sleep.
Want to learn a better way? Schedule a sleep consultation.
Skip the Insomnia Meds For Good
Despite their clear problems, pharmaceutical companies continue to peddle benzodiazepines and other sleep medications in a new generation of pills that promise the world but always fall short.
Benadryl
Sominex
Sleepinal
Tylenol PM
Advil PM
Nytol
ZzzQuil (manufactured by NyQuil)
Zolpidem (Ambien, Edluar, Intermezzo):
Ramelteon (Rozerem)
QUVIVIQ
Suvorexant (Belsomra)
Zaleplon (Sonata)
When it comes to insomnia medication, there are plenty of options, but no real solutions.
The Good News:
There is a REAL Solution For Your Sleep
Fortunately there is a better approach to sleep than forming habitual addictions through insomnia medication.
At Sleep Science Academy, we take a science-based approach to get to the root cause of the problem. We develop a customized, cognitive approach based on your unique needs and challenges. We teach you good sleep habits, but more importantly, we explore those deep seated psychological issues that may be preventing a good night’s sleep.
We believe every single person alive is a unique individual. When it comes to sleeping difficulties, the problems tend to run deep and are different for everybody. At Sleep Science Academy, we get to the root of the problem with a unique approach to sleep that’s customized to your individualized needs — without the need for dangerous and addictive insomnia medication.
Take the first step and schedule a sleep consultation with one of our specialists. Let us help you get the sleep you need. Learn to feel better, dream deep, and have renewed energy to enjoy life like never before.
What You’ve Been Told
About Insomnia
There is a lot of information out there about Insomnia. Unfortunately a lot of it is misleading and even downright harmful…
“Insomnia is Hereditary”
There are genetics that influence your sleep, but ultimately, you have complete control over your sleep — if you tackle the root cause of your sleep anxiety.
“Sleeping pills cure Insomnia”
Sleeping pills have their place. They can provide a decent short-term solution. But rely on them too often, and they become a dangerous problem. Overtime, the long-term use of sleeping pills can be habit forming, addictive, and deadly. That’s how we lost Jimi Hendrix!
“Changing a few habits is all it takes to cure Insomnia”
We wish it were that easy! And yes, changing your behavior — avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, turning off screens, limiting light — can certainly help. But the problems that cause sleep issues can be deeply rooted psychologically. It takes a holistic, step-by-step, science-backed approach.
“Insomnia cannot be solved”
Absolutely it can!
We’ve seen the proof every day with our clients. Check out our client testimonials, and see for yourself! We’ve helped thousands of people get the sleep they need. Our clients wake up refreshed, energized, and happy to start each day.
Want to sleep to your full potential? Stop feeling helpless. Give up on the Band-Aid solutions. Together, we can work one-on-one with you to address more than just the symptoms of insomnia, but get to the root cause.
The Truth About Sleep
Sleep is a natural biological process. It’s nature’s instinctive time to heal our minds and bodies. Sleep helps our bodies fight disease. It teaches our minds to process new information, and literally rids our brains of toxic waste. Through sleep, our cells learn to repair themselves and release the hormones and proteins that are key to our survival. Sleep happens naturally when we allow it to happen — when we clear our minds of stress and allow our dreams to take us where we need to go. Through cognitive training and a holistic sleep approach, sleep can happen as naturally and intuitively as heartbeat, digestion, and breathing.
But problems occur when we allow stress to take control and get in the way of our natural sleep cycles.
The result can be acute insomnia, and leave you wondering if you do need a sleep doctor. You probably don’t, but you do need help. You need sleep. Fortunately, we can help you get the sleep you need with our holistic sleep approach.
The Sleep Paradox
The less you sleep, the more stressed your body is. But the more stressed your body is, the less you sleep.
It doesn’t seem fair.
But it’s that very Sleep Paradox that dug so many of our clients into a bottomless hole of exhaustion and unhappiness. Many felt they could never find a way out — until we helped them address the root cause of their stress.
The first step is to schedule a sleep consultation. Help is on the way!
The Holistic Strategy — Solve Your Insomnia With Science
Never Have Another Sleepless Night Again!
Real Results From Clients of Sleep Science Academy
“Before Sleep Science Academy I was up 3-5 times a night, frustrated and enraged. I had tried everything from life coaching to meditation, Tylenol PM to natural supplements, weighted blankets to a bed tent. I had even tried other programs but nothing worked because I wasn’t getting to the root cause of the issue. I saw improvement after four weeks in the program and now my sleep has dramatically improved. Sleep is not really a thing anymore. Now I have more energy, feel happier, and recognize how much joy is in my life. Sleep Science Academy helped me get my life back.”
Mike
“Before working with Sleep Science Academy my sleep was sporadic and there was a lot of fear associated with it. I had tried herbal supplements, prescription medication and therapy. Nothing worked because I realized I was waiting for magic to happen and wanted an immediate response. Going through the program uncovered issues I didn’t realize were a big deal. SSA helped me bring joy back into my life. There is no longer a fear component to my sleep, no lurking thoughts and I no longer feel helpless. EVERYONE should go through this program.”
Jackie
“I suffered from insomnia for the past 12 years. I didn’t think it was possible to fall asleep without sleep medication. Within the first 7 days of the program, I was able to fall and stay asleep without medication which was really amazing. I immediately saw results. I would recommend this program to any folks who want to live a high quality of life, folks who have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, folks who have always relied on medication. I haven’t had this kind of creativity and inspiration in a long time.”
Marc
Meet Devin Burke
Devin Burke helps exhausted insomniacs get and stay asleep so they can wake up with more peace, power and presence.
He is a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, renowned sleep coach and founder of Sleep Science Academy which helps people stop suffering and start sleeping using a unique holistic approach based in science.
He was named one of the “Top 25 Health Coaches in America.” and has studied innovative holistic coaching methods from some of the world’s top health and human performance experts for over a decade.
Sleep Expert
with a PhD in Results
%
Successfully Recover From Insomnia
%
Total Decrease In Time Taken To Fall To Sleep
%
Increase In Total Sleep Time Achieved Per Night
We believe…
Sleep is the foundation of life and when you’re not sleeping well your health, relationships, career and happiness suffer.
That sleep naturally happens when the mind and body are brought back into a state of balance because what affects the mind affects the body.
Great days, start with great sleep and we are committed to helping our clients get the sleep they deserve as soon as possible… we guarantee it.
We found that…
It takes addressing sleep holistically to create life-changing results. When you bring the mind and body back into balance sleep happens naturally.
When you implement cutting-edge sleep strategies, the most advanced sleep technology and world-class coaching you simply get results.
Addressing the root cause of insomnia rather than just treating the symptoms (sleep medications, sleep supplements, etc.) is what’s most effective.
A Unique Approach…
We solve insomnia with science. We pair proven methods backed by science with the most cutting-edge sleep technology and world-class coaching to help you solve sleep.
That’s the reason so many of our clients are overcoming weeks, months and years of insomnia within just the first few weeks of working with us… we guarantee better sleep.
Our Mission…
Our mission is to give the 40+ million people who suffer from insomnia the tools and support they need to stop suffering and start sleeping as quickly as possible.
We help our clients get and stay asleep even if they’ve “tried everything” and have been struggling with sleep for years.
Who We’re For…
Those ready to start living again by being free of insomnia once and for all. If you’re ready to finally solve your sleep challenges we are ready to help you.
We found our clients who get the best results are coachable, open and committed.
If that’s you, then schedule a sleep breakthrough call with one of our sleep support specialists and we will reveal the step-by-step strategy we’re using to help our clients say goodbye to sleepless nights forever.
