A US study has reported that people prescribed sleeping pills "Hypnotics" run a threefold increased risk of death.
People prescribed hypnotics, even at very low doses, were more likely to die than those not prescribed hypnotics.
It also found that people prescribed high doses (more than 132 pills a year) were more likely to develop any
cancer.
Researchers studied eight different types of hypnotic separately (zolpidem, temazepam, eszopiclone, zaleplon,
triazolam, flurazepam, barbiturates and antihistamines. They estimate that hypnotics may have been associated
with 320,000 to 507,000 excess deaths in the USA.