Following a Medicare Part D change in 2006, physicians started prescribing sleeping pills such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata for nursing home residents with insomnia. The newer sleeping pills were thought to be safer for residents than benzodiazepine hypnotics, researchers noted.
But in a study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of 26,618 nursing home residents who had lived in their facilities for at least six months before having a hip fracture, those taking non-benzodiazepine hypnotics had a 70% increased risk for a fracture, MedPage reported.åÊ
Additionally, the risk was even higher in residents with little or no cognitive impairment compared to those with significant cognitive impairment.
Obviously this was a study of nursing home residents. Nonetheless check with your physician if you are having trouble sleeping and thinking about medications. I am sure any pill that puts you into a sound sleep could have consequences if you awake prematurely, still half-asleep and unsure of your surroundings. That puts you at risk for falls and therefore hip fractures and more.