Britain spent 50 million pounds on sleeping pills

The recession in Britain has made people more anxious and led to a rise in sleeping problems. The country last year spent 50 million pounds on sleeping pills, a report said Friday. Data released by the National Health Service (NHS) Business Services Authority showed that 152 primary care trusts spent 49.2 million pounds on sleeping pills in 2010-11, the Telegraph reported. NHS official Mandeep Mudhar said the recession was likely to have made people more anxious. "Sleep patterns can be affected by physical or psychological factors and the continued economic downturn is a likely cause for the increased use of sleeping pills because of the heightened stress, anxiety and worry levels people face as a result of job insecurity or money worries," he said. He advised against long-term use of sleeping pills. "Some sleeping drugs are only recommended for short term use because they can lead to psychological dependency and lose their effectiveness over time," he said..