Sleeping Tablets

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Is it worth taking them and do they have any side effects?

What do you mean by sleeping tablets? Which drug specifically are you talking about?

Thats a really difficult question to answer.

For me I have only taken sleeping tablets a handful of times in my life to help me get back into a good sleep routine ( 1 night is usually enough ). As for side effects , most drugs have side effects and they affect everyone differently , I've never had any side effects bad enough to stop me from taking them.

I was prescribed Mirtazapine for anxiety and found that the 5mg orodispersible tablets taken at night used to knock me out in about 20 minutes , it didn't help my anxiety so they upped the dose ( they wouldn't give me orodispersible as they are more expensive , so they were normal tablets ) and it stopped helping with my sleep. I'm convinced that the 5mg dispersable tablets are great for helping with sleep.

I've had sleeping tablets prescribed many times in the past, as I have always had really bad late-onset insomnia.
Interestingly, the Mirtazapine which SaveFerris mentioned have been the most effective for me too, even though they are not strictly-speaking sleeping tablets.

As far as the more typical sleeping tablets are concerned (usually the "hypnotic" class of drugs), I've personally not found them to be at all effective, but that doesn't mean they won't work for you. However, they are generally considered to be for short term use only, as you tend to build up a tolerance to them very quickly, which for some people can lead to dependency/addiction. As for side-effects, I have found that some (Zopiclone in particular) have made me feel very "fuzzy" for a while after I wake up the next day, and I sometimes feel that the sleep they induce is not really very restful - like I've just been "knocked-out" rather than getting a proper sleep.

I've been on sleeping tablets for years and am REALLY keen to get off them.
They do have side effects - and some emerging research (sorry I can't provide evidence, it's something I remember reading and thinking "aaah!" but didn't save the links to) links prolonged use of sleeping tablets to cognitive and neurological disorders. Some side effects I have noted through some of the pills I've been prescribed have been weight gain, daytime sleepiness but without actually being able to sleep, and of course chemical dependency. At this stage in the proceedings I cannot sleep naturally anymore unless I take them. And I have been kept awake for days before, to the point of starting to hallucinate, if I hadn't taken them. So yeah, bad news.
I used to take a whole cocktail of them, most of which I can't remember as I was drinking at the time and mixing them and a bunch of other crap with half a fifth of whiskey, but some have included zolpidem tartrate style tablets, very high dose melatonin tablets, and a whole range of things related to benzodiazepines of various strengths.
My advice - don't start off down this road if you can help it. You may not be able to get off it once you develop a dependency without scary psychotic-like symptoms. A LOT of sleep advice is utter crap if you actually have a sleep disorder (drink milk, eat bananas, drink chamomile, do hypnotherapy, take valerian, turn off your phone or computer, reserve bed only for sleep or sex, blah blah - I've head all this and it's totally useless to someone who actually has a sleep disorder) but I'm becoming more convinced that the basis on which this sort of problem developed may have a behavioural basis and as such, that could be looked into addressing before you turn to drugs.
Autism of course has a notorious reputation for sleep problems, so depending on how severe your issue is and if it is autism related, getting on something to treat it chemically may be your only option.
But I'd recommend at least starting with something low dose, reasonably safe / few side effects, and coupling it with other approaches to treat behaviour issues or anxiety.
/ Sorry for the rant.

No and yes,seek natural alternatives.

I become tolerant to all sedating substances spanning all classes of medications, supplements, herbs etc eventually and require my meds to be switched up often. I have chronic severe difficulties with sleep from a variety of health problems. I take sometimes a half dozen meds to sleep at night. I cannot sleep naturally without sedation and havent had a nap in years no matter how tired I get.

If I dont sleep my chronic pain is 10 times worse, my depression immediately goes out of control, I feel suicidal, my anxiety is way worse, I am a total wreck without sleep. I will either work with doctors or self medicate because I am going to get to sleep one way or the other because of how horrible I feel when I dont sleep.

If you have options to not use sleeping medications I highly suggest you do every sleep hygiene rule in the book but I understand there are cases like mine where you just gotta do what you gotta do.

I've taken different types of sleeping meds including antihistamines, hypnotics, benzodiazepines, & antidepressants. The worst one was the antidepressant Remeron/Mirtazapine. All I did was sleep & eat while I was taking it. The worst effects I've noticed from the rest of the meds was feeling alittle hungover when I woke up.

What are the alternatives? please

I used to take sleeping medication but it gave me terrible nightmares

Linden flower tea, chamomile tea, melatonin tablets, a cup of warm fatty milk, passiflora, valerian root (and many other herbs), computer apps to adjust light, sticking to a schedule even if you're not feeling sleepy yet, sleeping in a completely dark room with no noise etc.
But I also know that these don't perfectly work for people with insomnia due to mental health problems.

I don't have an ongoing sleeping problem but I started to take Risperdal a few weeks ago for irritability and realized that it makes me sleep like a baby. (I have normally very light sleep) Stopped taking the morning dose because of it though.

It's hepatotoxic and has withdrawal symptoms. "Natural" doesn't mean "safe".

Out of curiosity, has anyone here taken Zopiclone? It seems a popular and frequently prescribed sleeping tablet.
I've been considering getting sleep medication; recently saw my GP regarding my appalling insomnia, and she had the gall to 'direct me to the internet', to research sleep hygiene. She's pretty much inept. Anyway, I'm sorely tempted to skip her authority altogether and have a chat with my psychiatrist instead. I understand sleeping pills are a temporary fix to get one's sleep pattern back into some semblance of order, but I'm almost desperate, it's so apparent my body can't naturally make that first move back into normalcy.

I've been on zopiclone but I really dislike how it makes me feel. It also gave me a really bad taste in my mouth. I have ongoing sleep problems but won't take zopiclone any more. I do take seroquel at nighttime for a comorbid condition and it helps me sleep. Sometimes tiny doses of that are prescribed off label for sleep issues, but it's an antipsychotic.

I've taken Zopiclone, Eszopiclone, Zolpidem, and Zalpedon, which are nonbenzodiazepenes known as "Z drugs". I found Zolpidem to be my favourite. Chronic use of Zopiclone caused me depression. Zopiclone also leaves a metalic taste in your mouth which Zolpidem does not. They are both great for sleep and you fall asleep within 10 minutes, but they subject to tolerance and rebound insomnia.

Both Zopiclone and Zolpidem can make you feel high if you take them and just force yourself to stay awake for a bit before falling asleep.

I don"t know if the UK has Zolpidem or not but if you have a choice id pick that over Zopiclone.

Sleep hygiene needs to be part of any insomnia treatment regardless what medications you use.

I've taken Zopiclone but it only helps me fall asleep alittle bit. Talk to your psych about this. Sleeping problems may be related to psychological issues & some psych meds are sometimes used partly to help people fall asleep.

I used to take zopiclone, i took myself off it as i felt addicted, and it didn't give me quality sleep. Yeah sleep hygiene better than not sleep hygiene, but obviously no cure for anyone really suffering with insomnia. Going to try 1mg melatonin I'm importing from Italy, as you can not buy it in the uk.