Getting good sleep with disorders anxiety or insomnia can be difficult to manage. Otc sleep aids don t normally cause serious side effects or create any physical dependency concerns like prescription pills do. Sleep 101 A Quick Guide To Common Prescription Sleep Aids Sleep In addition sleep aids pose risks for women who are pregnant or breast feeding and might pose risks to people over age 75 including an increased risk of strokes and dementia. Mild sleep aids prescription . These medications are used to help individuals who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep on their own. There is no proof that they work well for insomnia and they can cause some drowsiness the next day. Sleeping pills refers to a generic term used to describe both prescription and over the counter otc medications. On average people who take one of these drugs sleep only a little longer and better than those who don t take a drug. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is...