The Big Business of Sleep

ByABC News via logo
December 19, 2004, 9:15 AM

Dec. 19, 2004 — -- For 96 million Americans, a good night's sleep is only a dream. In order to get the rest they need, many people are relying more often on sleeping pills.

The Food and Drug Administration has just approved Lunesta, a sleeping pill that is being called safe for long-term use.

Unlike most sleeping medications that are recommended for only seven to 10 days of continuous use, Lunesta is designed to be taken for months at a time. Researchers say this long-term use won't cause addiction or cause the drug to lose its effectiveness.

Helping tired Americans get to sleep already is a $2 billion-a-year industry, and 35 million prescriptions for sleeping pills such as Ambien and Sonata were written last year for patients like Stevan Alburty.

"I look at the world around me, where people can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, and I have no idea how they do that," said Alburty.

There are countless over-the-counter remedies like Tylenol PM and Nyquil that are selling at record pace.

For those who struggle to get to sleep each night, Lunesta could be a desperately needed option.

"When you are an insomniac, you are always on the lookout for additional tools," said Alburty. "It [insomnia] makes me feel angry. It makes me feel depressed. It affects my social life, my work life. It is my biggest issue -- the biggest ticket in my life of things I'd like to solve."

But some specialists worry the new drug and its planned $60 million ad campaign will lead to the overuse of sleeping pills and an increased dependence overall on sleep aids.

Dr. Gregg Jacobs, a Harvard Medical School sleep specialist, is one of those who believe sleep aids already are overused. While Lunesta has been shown effective in helping people both fall asleep and stay asleep, up to 75 percent of patients can fix their insomnia without drugs, Jacobs said.

"What drug companies don't tell you is that most people don't need a drug long term," Jacobs told "Good Morning America" on Sunday. "For most people, cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective, has no side effects and is cheaper."