However there is no firm evidence of differences in their effects and all three Z-drugs carry warnings about their potential to cause tolerance, dependence and withdrawal symptoms. There are two main groups of sleeping medicines, Benzodiazepines which include temazepam and loprazolam, and non- benzodiazepine hypnotics (also commonly known as Z drugs) which include zopliclone, zolpidem and zaleplon. Sleeping tablets can cause side effects such as feeling ‘hungover’ or drowsiness during the day (see 'Telling the difference between depression symptoms and antidepressant side effects'). In some cases, the GP may advise only taking the medicine two or three nights a week, rather than every night. Doctors guidelines recommend prescribing the smallest effective dose possible for the shortest length of time necessary (for no longer than a week). People diagnosed with depression who are experiencing problems with sleep may be given an antidepressant which has drowsiness or sleepiness as a side effect but sometimes doctors may prescribe sleeping tablets for a short time to help establish a sleep routine. They only help to initiate sleep and don't treat the cause of insomnia. Doctors are cautious about prescribing sleeping tablets. Sleeping tablets (hypnotics) may sometimes be prescribed to help ease short-term insomnia. Caroline’s depression is triggered ‘by not being able to sleep properly therefore not being able to cope very well’ while Sonia attributed her insomnia to the effects of fluoxetine. It can be difficult to know sometimes whether difficulty sleeping is a side effect of antidepressant medicines, or a symptom of depression. These included sleeping tablets, medicines to alleviate anxiety, antipsychotics, and mood stabilisers. Some of the people we interviewed had been prescribed other medicines alongside an antidepressant, or in place of one.
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