New research suggests sleeping pills may result in early death.
Dr. Daniel Kripke is a researcher that specializes in Psychiatry and Neurology who has conducted a study of how sleeping pills are directly related to a shorter life span. 
Kripke started the research in 2010 by studying 34,000 people; 10,500 of those people were taking prescription pills and the rest were not.
Kripke came to the conclusion that the participants who took 18 pills per year were 3.5 times more likely to die earlier than those who did not take sleeping pills.
People that take 18 to 132 pills per year were four times more likely to die earlier, according to the British Medical Journal.
“However, this won’t immediately change the number of medication being prescribed, but it will raise awareness and remind patients as well as the doctors who prescribe the medication, and the potential risks of using sleeping pills for insomnia,” said Nina Barnett of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 
The research also stated that people who use sleeping pills are 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer such as lymphomas, lung, colon, or prostate.  
Sleeping pills may also cause increased drowsiness, impaired judgment, depression, and heart problems.  
Most of the time, individuals who take sleeping pills are insomniacs.  Not getting enough sleep can cause the same harmful dangers as the medication that makes one fall asleep as well.  
There are, however, some non-medical treatments for insomnia. Some alternatives include relaxation exercises; positive thinking links with cognitive behavioral therapy; and simple lifestyle changes like maintaining a stable sleep cycle as often as possible, getting exercise, and eating healthy.