This article explains how dependence on sleeping tablets develops, which warning signs to look out for, and how to stop sleep medication safely, limiting withdrawal symptoms, with medical support.
Sleeping tablets can help in the short term, but the body can get used to the tablets. According to the NHS, sleeping pills are usually prescribed for a few days or weeks at most, because tolerance and dependence can develop. The first warning sign of dependence is often that sleep medication no longer brings sleep. Taking more rarely solves the dependence, and stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, so any change to sleep medication should be planned with a doctor.
Key takeaways
1. Sleeping tablets such as zopiclone are a short-term sleep medication, usually prescribed for no longer than 4 weeks.
2. Tolerance, when a sleep medication stops working as well, is often the first warning sign of dependence.
3. Increasing the dose of the tablets tends to mask the cause of insomnia rather than treat it.
4. Stopping sleep medication suddenly can cause substance withdrawal symptoms such as agitation or anxiety.
5. Any reduction of a prescription for sleeping pills should be a gradual, planned decision made together with a prescriber.
What Are Sleeping Tablets?
Sleeping tablets, also called sleeping pills or sleep medication, are medication used to help people fall asleep or stay asleep. Prescription sleep medication in the UK includes Z-drugs such as zopiclone and zolpidem, and some benzodiazepines, which may also be prescribed for insomnia. According to the NHS, Z-drugs are a type of medication called a hypnotic, which affect a calming chemical in the brain.
A pharmacy also sells over-the-counter sleep aid products, some with an antihistamine and some with natural ingredients such as valerian or lavender. The NHS notes that an over-the-counter sleep aid cannot cure insomnia and should not be taken for longer than 1 to 2 weeks.
Prescription sleep medication is not a first-line treatment for insomnia. According to NHS guidance, GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills, and a sleep medication is only prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, when insomnia is very bad and other treatments have not worked.
Can You Become Dependent on Sleeping Pills?
Yes. The NHS states that sleeping pills can have serious side effects and that people can become dependent on sleeping pills. Dependence on sleep medication can develop even when the tablets are taken exactly as prescribed.
For zopiclone, NHS guidance explains that treatment is usually not prescribed for more than 4 weeks, because the body can become used to the tablets and the tablets stop working as well. This is called tolerance, and tolerance is one of the two features of dependence; the other is withdrawal symptoms. It is also possible to become addicted to zopiclone, which is why a doctor prescribes the lowest dose of sleep medication for the shortest time.
Dependence on sleeping tablets is not the same as addiction. Dependence describes tolerance and withdrawal symptoms; addiction adds cravings, loss of control and continuing despite harm. Our article The Difference Between Dependence and Addiction (https://www.noveya.co.uk/blog/the-difference-between-dependence-and-addiction) explains the difference between dependence and addiction in more detail.
What Are the Warning Signs of Dependence on Sleeping Pills?
The warning signs of dependence on sleep medication are often quiet at first. UK clinical guidance on prescription medication associated with dependence (NICE NG215) and NHS advice point to warning signs such as:
1. Sleeping pills that used to work no longer bring sleep, or night waking returns despite the tablets.
2. Taking more tablets than prescribed.
3. Frequently asking for a higher dose of sleep medication.
4. Running out of a prescription earlier than expected.
5. Seeking early prescriptions, or a prescription from more than one prescriber.
6. Continuing sleep medication despite harm, such as next-day drowsiness or problems with mood.
None of these warning signs on its own proves misuse of sleep medication or addiction. Together, the warning signs are a good reason to talk to a GP or pharmacist about sleeping pills and dependence.
What We See at NOVEYA: When Sleeping Tablets Stop Working
At NOVEYA, we see that a problem with sleeping tablets is most often noticed only when, despite taking sleeping pills, a person still cannot fall asleep or keeps waking up during the night.
Sadly, at that point most people decide to increase the dose of sleep medication, instead of looking at how their own nervous system is functioning and finding the source of the insomnia. Continuing sleep medication and increasing the dose works like masking the problem: the tablets cover poor sleep, while the cause of the insomnia stays untouched.
Why Does Stopping Sleeping Tablets Feel So Frightening?
In our work at NOVEYA, the biggest fears around stopping sleeping tablets are connected with losing control. A person with dependence on sleep medication may fear being unable to function without sleep medication, that sleepless nights will return, and that their nervous system will be strained again.
On top of that, stopping sleep medication without a doctor's guidance can cause physical reactions in the body, and those physical reactions can have a negative effect on mental health. This is why, at NOVEYA, we believe the decision to stop sleeping pills should be made together with the prescribing doctor.
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Sleeping Pills?
Withdrawal symptoms from sleeping pills are the physical and mental reactions that can appear when sleep medication is reduced or stopped. The NHS warns that stopping zopiclone suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms such as feeling agitated or anxious, which is why a doctor will reduce the tablets gradually.
According to NICE guidance (NG215), substance withdrawal symptoms from prescription medication do not affect everyone, and it is not possible to predict who will be affected. Where withdrawal symptoms do appear, withdrawal symptoms can vary in type and severity, affect both physical and mental health, and sometimes last a long time.
Withdrawal symptoms can also be hard to tell apart from the return of the original insomnia. NICE notes that withdrawal symptoms may be difficult to distinguish from the condition the medication was prescribed for. Any new or worsening insomnia during a reduction of sleep medication should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
How Can You Stop Sleeping Tablets Safely?
Stopping sleeping tablets safely means reducing sleep medication gradually, with a plan agreed with a prescriber. These steps reflect NHS and NICE guidance:
Step 1: Do not stop sleep medication suddenly on your own. Stopping the tablets abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms, and withdrawal symptoms can make dependence harder to overcome.
Step 2: Talk to your GP or prescriber. NICE recommends that any reduction of prescription medication is agreed through shared decision-making, and that a reduction plan can be slowed down if withdrawal symptoms become hard to cope with.
Step 3: Look at the cause of the insomnia. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) and note that, unlike sleep medication, the benefits of CBTi persist after treatment ends. The NHS also recommends regular sleep habits, such as getting up at the same time every day.
Step 4: Avoid alcohol. The NHS warns that alcohol can increase the effects of sleeping pills such as zopiclone, which can cause breathing problems.
Step 5: Bring support. People can ask a family member or someone close to them to come to appointments about their sleep medication.
What the Guidance Says
Sleeping tablets are a short-term treatment: NHS guidance states that sleeping pills are only prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, because people can become dependent on sleeping pills, and that zopiclone should not be stopped suddenly because stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms.
In Short
Sleeping tablets can help with insomnia for a short time, but tolerance and dependence can develop, even when sleeping pills are taken as prescribed. The clearest warning sign of dependence is often that the tablets no longer bring sleep. Increasing the dose of sleep medication masks dependence and insomnia rather than solving them. If you are worried about sleeping tablets, talk to a GP or pharmacist, and do not stop suddenly, as stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms.
Our article Prescription Drug Addiction: When Medication Becomes a Problem (https://www.noveya.co.uk/blog/prescription-drug-addiction) looks at other types of prescription medication associated with dependence, and at the signs of prescription drug misuse.
At NOVEYA, understanding comes first, support follows, and change becomes possible once support is there.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is it safe to take sleeping tablets?
Sleeping tablets are meant for short-term use. According to the NHS, sleeping pills are prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, and zopiclone is usually not prescribed for more than 4 weeks, because the body can become used to the tablets, which can lead to dependence.
Are over-the-counter sleep aids addictive?
An over-the-counter sleep aid is different from prescription sleep medication, but a sleep aid is still not meant for long-term use. NHS guidance advises that an over-the-counter sleep aid should not be taken for longer than 1 to 2 weeks, and to check with a doctor before taking any medication for insomnia.
Can I drink alcohol with sleeping tablets?
No. The NHS advises not to drink alcohol while taking zopiclone, because alcohol can increase the effects of zopiclone, which can cause breathing problems and make it very difficult to wake up.
Will my insomnia come back if I stop sleeping pills?
Insomnia can return, and withdrawal symptoms can feel similar to insomnia. This is why a gradual reduction of sleeping pills, alongside support for the cause of insomnia, such as CBT for insomnia, matters.
What should I do if I have taken too many sleeping tablets?
Taking an extra dose of a sleep medication such as zopiclone can be dangerous. The NHS advises calling NHS 111 if you have taken more than your prescribed dose. If you are told to go to A&E, do not drive: ask someone to drive you or call 999 for an ambulance.
About This Article
Barbara Zadworna is the Founder of NOVEYA, bringing together a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Criminology, professional experience supporting people in a psychiatric hospital setting, specialist training in Addiction Therapy and Psychological First Aid (2026), and personal lived experience of addiction and recovery.
If you would like to talk to someone or find out more about the support NOVEYA offers, get in touch (support@noveya.co.uk).
Sources
NHS guidance on insomnia.
NHS guidance on zopiclone.
NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Insomnia.
NICE (2022) Medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms: safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults (NG215).