Are sleeping pills effective?
Sources:
While has not directly commented on the effectiveness of all sleeping pills, he does caution against them in certain contexts. On his podcast, mentions that sleeping pills can be problematic, potentially habit-forming, and may come with a high incidence of side effects. He suggests that some individuals can handle sleeping pills just fine, but also emphasizes the importance of consulting a doctor before adding any medications or supplements to one's health regimen. Instead of immediately turning to sleeping pills, he discusses the importance of behavioral protocols for sleep and mentions the potential benefits of certain non-prescription supplements that may have high safety margins for aiding sleep, indicating a preference for non-pharmaceutical interventions where possible 1.
also highlights the potential of using sleep aids like the Reverie app, which employs sleep hypnosis and has been shown to help people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and even, in some cases, cure insomnia. This app, he suggests, can be a more cost-effective and potentially less risky alternative to supplements 2.
For managing depression-related sleep disturbances, another expert on Huberman's podcast, Dr. Nolan Williams, explains that sleep deprivation can have an acute antidepressant effect, but this is a temporary solution and should not be done without medical supervision. The overall goal would be to reset one's circadian rhythm to battle depression through a combination of sleep deprivation, phase shift, and bright light exposure, if professionally guided 3.
Lastly, shares concerns regarding melatonin, a common sleep supplement, noting its suppressive effect on puberty, effect on sex steroid hormones, and general caution with dosage and frequency of use. He expresses his opinion that melatonin is often used in quantities too large for what is actually beneficial 4.
Overall, seems to advocate for sleep aids as short-term solutions or suggests behavior-based interventions over long-term use of sleeping pills or reliance on high-dosage supplements.
RELATED QUESTIONS
