Can't Sleep? Here's What to Know Before Popping a Pill

On any given night, one in every three American adults gets less than the recommended minimum 7 hours of sleep, according to a 2023 research brief by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. With so many of us struggling to get quality z’s, sleeping pills can seem like an easy fix. But prescription pills, over-the-counter sleep med and supplements like melatonin have some downsides; they can put you at greater risk of falls and next-day drowsiness, for example.

For older adults, there are some serious health risks linked to sleep medication use. According to a study of 4,197 adults with an average age of 75, taking sleep aids was associated with a 48 percent increase in the risk of dementia. Researchers analyzed more than six years of data for the study, which was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, in 2022. Many popular sleep aids lack sufficient data to prove they’re safe or effective, especially for long-term use, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2022 in which researchers did a systematic review of 170 trials of 47,950 adults as well as a meta-analysis of 154 trials of 44,089 adults.

So how can you improve your sleep without relying on pills? Here are some good strategies​.​​

Focus on good sleep hygiene

From waking up more frequently to not sleeping as deeply, sleep issues often increase with age, according to AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health 2016 report “The Brain–Sleep Connection.” But the good news is that people at any age “can change their behavior to improve their sleep,” the report notes.

Techniques to try:

• Make an effort to get outside in the daylight.
• At night, keep your bedroom dark​.
• Exercise — physical activity promotes good sleep​.
• Avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol several hours before bedtime.
• Limit your eating and drinking three hours before going to bed​.
• Do relaxation exercises like deep breathing or meditation​.

Consider cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia

With cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), patients work with a sleep therapist (ask your health care provider for a referral) to improve their habits. “It’s the most effective treatment for insomnia in older or younger adults,” says ​​Sonia Ancoli-Israel, emeritus professor in the school of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. In addition to reducing insomnia symptoms, CBT-I may also help improve quality of life, according to a meta-analysis of 24 studies of 1,977 people (age range 15 to 72) published in Sleep Medicine Reviews in 2022.