Statistically speaking, a sleeping pill overdose is among the most common ways used by women to attempt or to commit suicide. Sleeping pills act by slowing down the body functions, by relaxing the muscles, and chemically lulling a person to sleep. In theory, a sleeping pill overdose would pretty much shut down the entire body, including the nervous system, respiratory system, and the cardiovascular systems — all of which would eventually lead to death. A sleeping pill overdose, thanks to the tranquilizing and anesthetic qualities of those medications, can kill a person without pain or agony, which is also the reason why it is very common in suicide cases — one of which is the death of Marilyn Monroe. However, as police investigators and those who actually survived a suicide attempt can attest, a sleeping pill overdose does not always work.
The fact is, most of the sleeping pills that are potent enough to be used as a means to commit suicide are no longer being prescribed by doctors. Some relatively high dosage pills might still be available in hospitals but these are only used for anesthetic purposed during major surgery. Sleeping pills that are still sold...