People who took prescription sleeping pills were more likely to die or get cancer than those who did not take them
Once you begin taking sleeping pills, it can be hard to stop, particularly if you’ve been taking them for a long time. Some people experience “rebound insomnia” — when sleeping problems actually worsen once you stop taking the drug. If you want to go off your sleeping pills, talk to your doctor about setting up a schedule to gradually reduce your dosage, rather than just quitting cold turkey. “It may be rough coming off, but things will eventually get better,” Leavey says.