how many sleeping pills to overdose:

The market is full of different types of sleeping pills that help those combating insomnia have the much-needed rest at night. However, many of us do not know the fact that sleeping pills are not a long-term solution to help you fight any kind of sleeping disorders.

Some of the most popular sleeping aid pill categories are Lunesta, Ambien, Rozerem, silence, sonata, such benzodiazepines as Halcion or Restoril, and such antidepressants as Desyrel. Sleeping pills can be dangerous, even lethal if not taken with caution and prescribed by physicians.

How many sleeping pills to overdose?


The answer to this question is pretty simple – any amount of dosage that is more than what your doctor prescribed you could make you experience a sleeping pill overdose. However, there are several factors that come into play when you are asking the question, how many sleeping pills to overdose?

Even if your sleeping pill dose is within the recommended amount, you could still overdose on it if you mix other drugs and alcohol. So if you are looking for any number of pills that can cause an overdose, you should know that would vary from person to person.

Below we will discuss these factors that might help you avoid any possible sleeping pills overdose in case you are heavily dependent on these pills.

Your tolerance level

If your tolerance level to any particular type of sleeping pill increases because of regular consumption, you will end up increasing the amount of dosage so as to get the desired effects. This is a known fact that if you have long-term exposure to these pills, of course, there will be a reduction in the success rate. People often end up overdosing on these drugs since they often take too many of them for getting sleep.

Your medical condition and age

These two factors will also determine the possibility of sleeping pills overdose effects. Your doctor will prescribe you medicines for sleep based on your age, gender, and medical conditions. For instance, if your heart is weak, you will be prescribed a weaker dosage.

Your dependency on these pills

Your body might find it easier to counteract the effects of sleeping pills if you have been taking them for long, as mentioned before. This occurs because your brain produces melatonin, a sleep hormone, in reduced amounts in this case. When your brain secretes this hormone in fewer amounts, making you alert and awake for long hours and dependent in the long run.

Your mixing of substances

Mixing of alcohol and other drugs with sleeping pills may cause an overdose that could even be fatal. It has been found that drinking alcoholic beverages mixed with sleeping medicines containing benzodiazepines can be very dangerous.

What Happens If You Overdose on Sleeping Pills?


You can actually experience the harmful effects of sleeping pills long before the occurrence of an overdose. Some of the physical indicators of a sleeping pill overdose are:

Breathing irregularities

Any overdose victim could have dysfunctional and/or very slow breathing. If the victim loses consciousness because of the cessation of breathing, CPR should be administered as soon as possible.

Unanticipated actions or behaviors:

Tiredness often results in clumsiness, which often results in mistakes. The victim when lethargic may act differently, but close attention should be paid to find out if there is any drunk-like behavior.

Abdominal pain:

You can suffer abdominal pain with different outcomes, from constipation to appetite loss.

Excessive lethargy:

Though sleeping pills are taken for this purpose, the user should know very well the difference between the typical sleepiness and the excessive fatigue that generates from sleeping pills overdose.

Can you die from sleeping pills?


Yes, not only can you overdose on sleeping pills, you can die of sleeping pill overdoses. There is even a long list of celebrities who died of this overdose, including Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, and Marilyn Monroe. Although not every user will die from the same amount of overdose and other factors, certain dosage limits of certain categories of sleeping pills are known to be fatal.

For example, Ambien, which is one of the forms of Zolpidem, has a recommended dosage of 10 mg. A user will get to the overdosing zone at 600 mg where serious health damage is a great probability. Death has been reported for overdoses that were over 2,000 mg.

On the other hand, you can have an overdose on Lunesta if you take 90 times more than the recommended dosage. And it could be fatal if Lunesta is combined with depressants like alcohol and benzodiazepines.

Similarly, you have to take 200 mg of Sonata to experience an overdose on this sleeping pill. If not taken with alcohol, there is a great chance for the victim to avoid the possibility of death because of the overdose.

Now that you know it’s not just about the number of the sleeping pills you intend to take when you ask the question how many sleeping pills can you take, just follow the dosage your doctor has prescribed you based on your age, health condition, and other relevant factors to stay on the safe side.

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