The idea that sleeping pills have a dark side is nothing new.  Indeed, generations of physicians have shared my opinion, based on their own clinical experiences. Probably, the majority today agree.  They are a silent majority, with little to be gained by making their opinions public.

The sleeping pills industry has over two billion dollars of yearly sales, and it has thought of many subtle ways of keeping its products popular. To be frank, the manufacturers of sleeping pills have often given the leaders of sleep research large monetary grants to test their products. These colleagues are very nice people who are not the sort to bite the hand which feeds them. Some of the most prominent leaders of sleep research have been supported mainly by drug company grants. The drug companies have used many subtle free offers and not-so-subtle methods of influencing the wider group of sleep clinicians to mute their critical attitude towards sleeping pills.

For example, a few years ago, manufacturers offered free chocolate cream pie at a national sleep meeting for attendees to watch a bizarre comic session in which leaders of the sleep community mocked the Food and Drug Administration for its efforts to regulate sleeping pills.  I suppose a good deal of money was spent for those free chocolate cream pies and the advertising of that clowning.

For several years, the National Sleep Foundation has launched a yearly publicity campaign about the dangers of insomnia, encouraging everybody to sleep 8 hours.  Scientific evidence to support 8 hours sleep is almost nonexistent:  for example, people live longer who sleep less (see above).  Could this campaign be influenced by the fact that much of its money comes from sleeping pill manufacturers?  The public relations firm for Ambien bragged that National Sleep Foundation publicity was effective in increasing sleeping pill sales .

Unfortunately, nobody advertises for behavioral treatments, or for hypnotic abstinence.  The advertising for light treatment is minuscule compared to pharmaceutical advertising.

Continued in Chapter 9