Support to Stop Long-Term Sleeping Tablets

Coming off Sleeping Tablets

Medically supervised withdrawal with treatment for the underlying insomnia.

Sleeping tablets can be helpful during a short period of severe insomnia. However, many people find themselves continuing them for months or even years. If you want to stop, we can help you with coming off sleeping tablets, safely, gradually and without being left to struggle alone.

Sleep Clinic Leads: Dr Alice Scott and Dr Zoe Bailey.

GPs with additional postgraduate training in the management of sleep disorders

Are you reliant on sleeping tablets?

You may have reached a point where:

  • Your sleeping tablets no longer work as well as they once did
  • You need a higher dose to achieve the same effect
  • You still sleep poorly despite taking them
  • You feel groggy, foggy or unrefreshed the following day
  • You are worried about becoming dependent on them
  • You would like to stop but do not know how
  • You have tried to reduce them before and found that your sleep became much worse
  • No one has properly explored why you are struggling to sleep

This can leave you feeling trapped: the medication is no longer solving the problem, but the thought of sleeping without it feels overwhelming. Our clinicians can review your sleeping medication safely while also addressing the underlying cause of your sleep problem.

Why do sleeping tablets stop working?

With regular use, the body can become accustomed to sleeping tablets. This is known as tolerance. Over time, the same dose may have less effect. Some people find that they need to take the medication more frequently or require a higher dose to achieve the same result.

Physical dependence can also develop. This means that reducing or missing a dose may cause withdrawal symptoms or a temporary worsening of sleep. This is one reason people can find it extremely difficult to stop sleeping tablets without appropriate medical support.

Dependence is not a personal failing. It is a recognised effect of taking certain medications regularly.

Risks of using sleeping tablets

Long-term use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs such as zopiclone may be associated with tolerance and dependency.

The medicine may gradually become less effective, while stopping or reducing it becomes increasingly difficult.

Reducing the medication too quickly may cause anxiety, agitation, physical symptoms and a temporary worsening of insomnia. Sleeping tablets should not usually be stopped suddenly without medical advice.

The effects of some sleeping tablets can continue into the following day. This may cause fatigue, reduced alertness, slower reactions and difficulty functioning at work or at home.

Long-term use may contribute to poor concentration, forgetfulness, mental clouding and difficulty thinking clearly.

Drowsiness, impaired balance and slower reactions can increase the risk of falls and fractures, particularly in older people or those who get up during the night.

Residual sedation can affect reaction times, judgement and coordination. Some people may be unsafe to drive the following morning, even when they feel awake.

Some people experience increased anxiety, low mood, emotional blunting or reduced motivation while taking these medicines regularly.

Sleeping tablets can be particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol, opioid painkillers or other sedating medication. These combinations can cause excessive sedation and may suppress breathing.

Sleeping tablets do not usually resolve the factors that maintain chronic insomnia. These might include anxiety about sleep, changes in sleep patterns, menopause symptoms, chronic pain, restless legs, sleep apnoea, medication effects or an underlying physical or mental health condition. Without addressing these factors, poor sleep may continue even when medication is being taken.

  Non-restorative sleep 

Sleeping tablets can make you feel sedated, but sedation is not necessarily the same as natural, restorative sleep.

During normal sleep, the brain moves through a series of different sleep stages. These include lighter sleep, deep sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. Each stage has an important role in physical recovery, memory, learning, emotional regulation and daytime functioning.

Some sleeping tablets can alter this normal sleep architecture. You may therefore spend several hours apparently asleep but still wake feeling tired, heavy-headed or poorly restored. Sleeping tablets may suppress the symptom of being awake without addressing the reason the insomnia developed in the first place.

You do not have to manage this alone

Many people are told that they should simply stop their sleeping tablets, but receive little guidance or support about how to do so. Others have tried to reduce their medication independently, only to experience severe rebound insomnia and conclude that they cannot sleep without it.

Coming off long-term sleeping tablets requires an individual approach. It is important to understand what you are taking, why it was originally prescribed, what is now affecting your sleep and whether there are other sleep or health conditions that need attention.

Our service provides supportive, non-judgemental medical care for people who want to reduce their reliance on sleeping tablets and work towards more natural, restorative sleep.

 Addressing the insomnia

Our aim is not simply to remove medication and leave you struggling. We will look at the wider picture, including:

  • How your sleep problem originally began
  • What is currently keeping it going
  • Your sleeping pattern and daily routine
  • Relevant physical and mental health conditions
  • Other medicines that may be affecting your sleep
  • Symptoms that could suggest another sleep disorder
  • Whether cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia may help

CBT-I is a structured treatment that addresses the thoughts, behaviours and sleep patterns that maintain long-term insomnia. Unlike sleeping tablets, it is intended to treat the underlying sleep problem rather than temporarily sedating you. Combining a gradual, supervised reduction with CBT-I means you build natural, reliable sleep as the medication is withdrawn.

Who may benefit from help?

This service may be suitable for you if:

  • You have taken sleeping tablets regularly for several months or years
  • Your medication is no longer working effectively
  • You are worried about tolerance or dependence
  • You have tried unsuccessfully to reduce or stop
  • You are still sleeping poorly despite medication
  • You want support from a clinician who understands both medication withdrawal and chronic insomnia
  • You would like to address the underlying reason you cannot sleep

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Long-term sleeping tablets should not be stopped suddenly without medical advice. Stopping abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms and severe rebound insomnia. A gradual, medically supervised reduction is safer and far more likely to succeed.

It varies with the medication, the dose, how long you have taken it and how your sleep responds. Some people reduce over weeks, others over several months. Your plan is individual, reviewed regularly, and never rushed.

A temporary worsening of sleep can occur during withdrawal, which is why we address the underlying insomnia at the same time, usually with CBT-I. The goal is that by the time the medication is withdrawn, you have rebuilt natural, reliable sleep rather than being left without support.

Yes. Previous unsuccessful attempts usually reflect reducing too quickly or without treatment for the underlying insomnia, not a personal failing. With a gradual plan and proper support, most people can successfully reduce or stop.

Taking the first step

You should not suddenly stop long-term sleeping tablets without obtaining medical advice.

The first step is a detailed sleep and medication assessment with one of our doctors. This gives us the opportunity to understand your current medication, your health, your sleep pattern and what you would like to achieve. We can then discuss whether our supported sleeping-tablet reduction and insomnia treatment service is suitable for you.

Book Your Sleep and Medication Assessment

Essex Private Doctors provides medically supervised support to come off long-term sleeping tablets in Brentwood, Essex, combined with CBT-I for the underlying insomnia. Serving Chelmsford, Billericay, Basildon, Romford, Colchester, Southend, Harlow and surrounding Essex areas, with easy access from North and East London via the Elizabeth line.