Actor Han Jung-su says he quit long-term sleep medication cold turkey — why doctors warn against it

Actor Han Jung-su has revealed that he stopped taking sleep medication he had used for a long time. He also said that after recently adding another drug to help with poor sleep, he felt mentally foggy well into the following day.

In a video posted to his SNS, Han said, "There's a medication I used to take, and if I take it, I'm not clear-headed until the next day." He added, "I've been sleeping poorly lately, so I added it back in, and my mind just feels blank."

On the sleep medication he had taken for years, Han said he had "completely stopped." He had previously disclosed that he had received treatment for severe insomnia.

Depending on the type, sleep medications can leave residual drowsiness or reduced concentration the following day. Abruptly stopping some sleep medications taken over a long period can cause insomnia to worsen again or trigger withdrawal symptoms, meaning the discontinuation process itself requires careful management.

Still foggy the morning after — sleep medication effects can linger

Sleep medications help reduce the time it takes to fall asleep or maintain sleep through the night, but their effects can sometimes extend into the following morning.

Common residual symptoms include drowsiness, dizziness, reduced concentration and slower reaction times. The severity varies depending on how quickly the drug clears the body, the dosage, the time of administration, and whether alcohol or other medications were taken alongside it.

Among benzodiazepines, longer-acting drugs carry a higher risk of sedative effects persisting into the next day. Zolpidem, commonly used to treat insomnia, can also impair performance in activities requiring alertness the following morning.

The FDA has warned that in some patients who take zolpidem, blood drug levels may not fall low enough by the next morning to safely perform activities requiring high alertness, such as driving — even if the patient feels fully awake. This risk was found to be particularly elevated with extended-release products.

The specific medication Han mentioned was not disclosed. Because sleep drugs differ in duration and side effects, it is difficult to attribute a "foggy morning" symptom to any particular drug without more information.

If severe morning drowsiness recurs consistently after taking a sleep aid, it is advisable to consult the prescribing physician to review the dosage and timing rather than adjusting it independently. Particular caution is warranted for those who drive or operate hazardous machinery.

Quitting long-term sleep medication abruptly can make insomnia worse

The type of medication also matters when it comes to stopping sleep aids.

Benzodiazepines in particular can cause physical dependence when taken continuously over a certain period. Stopping abruptly in that state can trigger "rebound insomnia" — sleep that is worse than before — along with withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, tremors and nausea.

In severe cases, dangerous symptoms such as confusion or seizures may follow. The American Society of Addiction Medicine recommends that patients who have taken benzodiazepines for more than a month not stop abruptly without medical supervision, and instead taper the dose gradually.

So-called Z-drugs — including zolpidem and zopiclone — can also produce rebound insomnia or withdrawal symptoms when discontinued after long-term use. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends a slow, stepwise tapering of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, taking into account the original dose, duration of use and any prior withdrawal history.

There is no single formula for the tapering speed. Even with the same medication, the discontinuation process differs depending on how long it was used, the dosage, the patient's age and any co-existing conditions. Difficulty sleeping or heightened anxiety after reducing the dose does not necessarily mean the underlying insomnia has worsened — it is important to distinguish between withdrawal symptoms and a relapse of the original condition.

Having taken sleep medication for a long time does not mean a person can never stop. When needed, a tapering plan can be developed with a physician while simultaneously treating the insomnia itself.

Stopping the medication is not the end — chronic insomnia calls for CBT-I

Even after reducing sleep medication, managing the insomnia itself is necessary to sustain sleep.

Recent clinical guidelines prioritize cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, known as CBT-I, as the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. The 2025 guidelines from the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense also recommend CBT-I for patients with chronic insomnia.

CBT-I goes beyond simple sleep hygiene advice such as "go to bed earlier" or "stop looking at your phone."

It combines several techniques: stimulus control, which reduces the habit of lying in bed for long periods without being able to sleep; sleep restriction, which aligns time in bed with actual sleep duration; and cognitive therapy, which addresses excessive worry about sleep and corrects unhelpful beliefs about it.

The VA/DoD guidelines recommend combining multiple behavioral and cognitive interventions — as in CBT-I — over sleep hygiene education alone. Research has also shown that CBT-I helps reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and the time spent awake during the night, while improving sleep efficiency and overall sleep quality.

Basic habits such as maintaining a consistent wake time and avoiding caffeine and heavy alcohol late in the day also support treatment. Sleeping too long during the day or spending extended time in bed without being able to sleep can further disrupt the sleep cycle.

When insomnia persists over a long period, it is also worth checking for other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome. Pain and other medications being taken concurrently can also interfere with sleep.

Sleep medications can help manage insomnia symptoms, but stopping a drug taken over a long period requires careful consideration of how long it was used and what it contains. Following the personal experience of someone like Han — and quitting abruptly — should be avoided. When necessary, the safer approach is to work with a physician on a tapering plan while also addressing the insomnia itself.