Drugs can also cause insomnia

Re “Snooze alarm,” Opinion, March 30

Gayle Greene implies that the drug abuse of certain celebrities was caused by sleep deprivation so extreme that, according to her, they overdosed on sleep medications. This is misleading and misrepresents the true circumstances involved in the deaths of these celebrities. Heath Ledger’s autopsy revealed a cocktail of drugs in his body, many of which were not intended for soporific effect. One cause of insomnia is prescription drug use. Therefore, insomnia may be caused by drugs, not the other way around, as Greene suggests. It’s deceitful and self-serving of Greene to tantalize her readers with celebrity names to illustrate a speculation that is not common-sensical. What the deaths of celebrities can teach us is that drugs can be extremely dangerous when abused, and that hedonism and narcissism are antithetical to happiness.

Giuseppe Mirelli

Los Angeles

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I enjoyed reading Greene’s article, but, from my point of view, insomnia is a result of an improper lifestyle rather than a medical disorder that requires powerful drugs for correction. If a person has a crazy working schedule, is constantly stressed out and travels a lot; if a person uses coffee and alcohol to boost energy instead of a cardiovascular workout; if that person eats chaotically and mostly spicy junk food, it’s no wonder that insomnia, intestinal problems and other maladies follow.

Alexander Viduetsky

Valley Village