Sleep Medications are Associated With Memory Deficits

A new study assessed the use of various sleep medication classes on memory in a population-based study in Brazil. 250 users of sleep medications were compared to 250 non-users of sleep medications (mean age= 43 years) on multiple measures of memory. The results indicated that sleep medication users consistently performed worse on measures of memory for all types of sleep medications compared to non-users of sleep medications. These findings are consistent with prior studies indicating that various classes of sleep medications, including benzodiazepines (e.g., Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin), benzodiazepine agonists (e.g. Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata), and anti-cholinergic sleep aids (e.g., Benadryl, Elavil) impair memory.