Restoril Common Side Effects
One of the most concerning adverse effects of sleeping medications, including Restoril, is that a person may do things while asleep for which they have no recall.2
This can include sleep-driving, sleep-cooking, sleep-shopping, or other activities that one cannot remember doing the next morning. This may not happen to everyone, but a cautious and prudent approach would entail having someone monitor overnight activity to avoid accidents or injuries to themselves or others.
The sedation that benzodiazepines cause can be profound.
The drug label itself clearly states the risks that drug-induced sedation causes. Of notable significance, the drug trials done on temazepam lasted either 24 hours or over a period of 2 weeks in total. The FDA-recommended time frame for a prescription was decided at 7-10 days at maximum.18
Safety Tip: Don’t Shortcut the Sleep Window
Another tip is never to take Restoril before sleeping when the sleep window is not sufficient, for example, seven to eight hours. If one takes Restoril but only intends to sleep five hours, there may be considerable difficulties upon awakening, as the drug will still be active in the system and the person will still be subject to sleepwalking, cognitive impairment, or unusual thoughts and behaviors.
Therefore, one certainly should never drive or operate machinery in such circumstances.
Reactions to Restoril can vary from person to person. The period of time that a person should take the drug is limited to a week or so. In any case, however, a person should be monitored to ensure no health risks occur over the period of time that Restoril is taken.
Other commonly reported adverse effects as noted on the drug insert 2 include:
- A feeling of euphoria
- Headache
- Blurring of vision
- Vertigo or dizzy feeling
- Feeling drowsy during normal waking hours
- Numbness or tingling skin
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Feeling irritable
- Increased anxiety
- Nervousness
- Stomach pain or discomfort
- Clay-colored stools
- Amnesia
- Weakness
- Dry mouth, increased thirst
Some severe reactions can occur. Immediate medical intervention can mitigate a life-threatening situation.
More severe adverse reactions to Restoril from drug insert 2 include:
- Unusually shallow breathing, difficulty breathing
- Tachycardia, fast heartbeat, pounding heart, irregular heartbeats
- Slurring of speech
- Behavior that seems strange or unusual
- Thoughts that seem unusual or disturbing
- Suicidal thoughts
- Thinking about self-harm
- Akathisia (restlessness that becomes intolerable)
- Repetitive movements of muscles, tongue, jaw, neck, eyes, etc.
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
- Flu-like symptoms — fever, headache, body aches. general malaise
- Dark or painful urination
- Aggressive behaviors
- Allergic reactions include fever, chills, unconsciousness, raised welts, and crusting or weeping sores on the skin, in the mouth, or in other mucous membranes.
- Signs of Jaundice, yellowing skin, or whites of the eyes.*
*May signal the need for medical attention without delay according to Merck’s Consumer Manual.
Generally, a person who opts for a sleeping aid such as Restoril will likely already be in a sleep-deprived state, and this can cause accident-proneness, drowsiness, and errors in judgment or spatial perception. Take care not to ask too much of yourself work-wise or even socially, until the sleep debt is more in control and the mind is refreshed and ready to take on more difficult cognitive tasks requiring alertness.
A word of caution — if you mix Restoril or any benzodiazepine drug and alcohol, opiates, or any other substance which suppresses the CNS, the results can be fatal. Avoid this practice at all costs.
In 2011, the DEA reported an astounding 300,000 emergency hospital visits linked to benzodiazepines such as Restoril. Be responsible and vigilant in your use of any sleep medication for the sake of your safety and the safety of others.1