Sleep medication use rises in the U.S.

A survey by the Reuters news agency has found that younger people in the U.S. are using an increasing amount of sleep medication. The survey found a 50% increase in the use of the drugs among all adults under 45 from 1998 to 2006. The drugs were also being taken for longer periods of time with the average length of use over the same period rising from 64 to 93 days. There was also a near trebling in the use of sleep medication by 18-24-year-olds; up from 599 users per 100,000 in 1998 to 1,524 users per 100,000 in 2004.

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE50E85Y20090115?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true