So found out my uncle was taking sleeping pills since his wife died, 25 years ago. He was prescribed them at the time because he predictably had issues when she was dying, and he just kept taking them ever since. So last week he sees a doc that says "those are pretty strong, maybe we should get you off those" and switches him to melatonin, which he reacts to. So he stops altogether and he says he's feeling better than he has in decades.

Old people will just do what a doctor says without questions, and they just expect to have to take some sort of pill for anything.

Can't really say he's done too much damage, he is 93 now after all, and he still shovels his own snow, rides a horse for cattle moves, and feeds livestock every day.