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You were hanging out with your friends to help destress from the work week. You’d all been watching a movie and eating popcorn together when someone pulled out a bag of pills. It was some Xanax that they’d managed to get their hands on, and they asked if you all would like to try some. You were curious so you took them up on their offer. You’d planned on heading home soon but how much harm could one little pill really do?
You took the pill and after a bit, a feeling of calm washed over you. It felt nice. You decided now was a good time to call it for the night and said goodbye to your friends. You got into your car and started driving home when, the next thing you know, you’ve hit a tree. You don’t even remember swerving off the road, but a kind man is helping you out of your car. He says you were asleep behind the wheel. You hadn’t felt tired before you left, so how did that happen? Was it the Xanax?
Nearly 25% of all fatal or serious car crashes in Oregon are linked to substance use. As a facility that offers specialized programs for not only first responders but for families too, we’ve seen exactly how much substance use can impact our community. Here at Serenity Lane, we strive to help provide educational information regarding substance use to bring more awareness to how it impacts lives, and to help lower stigma. Today, we’re going to be talking about drugs that make you sleepy, how that happens, and what risks can come along with it.
Fatigue and drowsiness are both fairly common side effects of substances and medications, but why?
One of the main reasons is because of the type of substance involved. Depressants are meant to slow down the body. As a result, this can lead to a feeling of general lethargy or even unconsciousness.
The other reason can come from the aftermath of a substance. Substances like stimulants that are meant to make you feel more alert and energetic can then lead to a “crash” afterward where you feel exhausted.
There are many different types of medications and substances that can cause drowsiness. Some cause it intentionally while others can have drowsiness as a side effect. Being aware of different medications and substances that can cause drowsiness can be important for keeping yourself safe.
Besides medications that are intended as sleep aids, such as melatonin, there are other medications that can cause drowsiness.
Benzodiazepines, commonly utilized for seizure disorders and anxiety, can often make you sleepy when taken. They’re a depressant form of medication, calming the system to reduce the effects of seizures and anxiety. This effect can also lead to sleepiness and overall exhaustion.
Antihistamines are also a common culprit of drowsiness. Allergy and cold medications that help suppress cough and runny nose can also cause drowsiness. The chemicals in antihistamines that help suppress coughs and runny noses can also impact your alertness. While some people take these medications when managing a cold to help with sleep, it isn’t always produced with that express purpose.
Finally, pain management-based prescriptions also run the risk of causing drowsiness. Always be aware of any warnings that come with your medication and don’t be afraid to ask your doctor about potential side effects.
Substances that often have drowsiness as a side effect primarily include depressants. This encompasses things like opioids and alcohol. When taking depressants, they can make you feel relaxed. The higher the quantity of depressant-based substances, the higher the risk of feeling drowsy or falling unconscious.
Stimulants like cocaine and meth also run the risk of potential drowsiness. Since stimulants speed up different systems in your body, when the effects fade people experience a “crash.” The shock of no longer having your system sped up leads to exhaustion by comparison.
Our bodies thrive from a healthy sleeping pattern. While no set pattern is the “ideal” for everyone, when you have no pattern at all, this can lead to other changes in your body.
The most common effects of a disrupted sleeping pattern include:
Our body does a lot of maintenance when we’re asleep and requires set amounts of sleep to keep itself in good shape. Taking substances that make you drowsy consistently can have a ripple effect on other aspects of your health.
If you take a product that can cause drowsiness, make sure to be aware of how you’re feeling. Operating heavy machinery while drowsy can increase your odds of getting into a car accident. Additionally, heavy sedation combined with side effects such as shallow breathing and a blue tint to the lips and nails can be an indicator of a potential overdose.
If you see someone fall unconscious after taking a substance, don’t be afraid to call for medical help. While not all forms of unconsciousness from substances should be of concern, unconsciousness combined with other symptoms does have an increased risk of being harmful. You will never get into legal trouble for seeking medical help regarding substance use due to the Good Samaritan Law, so if you’re ever uncertain it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As we mentioned above, irregular sleep patterns can impact you in many ways. Drowsiness and changes in sleep can not only affect you physically but mentally as well.
The most common mental health condition that can be impacted by sleep is depression. Depression itself often impacts sleeping patterns, and adding substance use into the mix can exacerbate these side effects. Just like you can get too little sleep, getting too much sleep can often lead to a gloomier mood and worsening depression.
The main reason oversleeping impacts our mental health is because it can make us feel like we’re missing out on the day. Societally, we feel as though we’ve “wasted away” which can impact our motivation to want to do things. Additionally, sunlight is very important to our mental health, and missing large chunks of it frequently can start to leave an impact over time.
Whether excessive drowsiness was your tipping point or not, there is no wrong time or reason to start your recovery journey away from substance use. Finding a quality substance use treatment program can help set you up for long-term success.
During treatment, addressing your side effects will come both from stepping away from substance use, but also from the skills you learn in therapy. Don’t be afraid to bring up any concerns you particularly want to work on during your healing journey. You deserve to be an active participant in planning your recovery.
Here at Serenity Lane, we offer the full continuum of care so you have access to all the tools you need for long-term success. Our team of trained and licensed medical staff is here and ready to help you whenever you want to get started. Just give us a call anytime at 800-543-9905.
Find serenity in long-term recovery.
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