Can anti-depressants work as sleeping pills?

Q: I would like to know the effects that a heavy consumption of sleeping pills lead to. Do depression medicines such as Venlor XR, work as sleeping pills?

A:Sleeping pills are to be taken only when prescribed by a doctor who will state the dose and duration. Hence, there is no need to take heavy doses.Venlox SR is the brand name of a medicine called venlafaxine. In some patients, it induces sleep while in others it can lead to loss of sleep. Why should any one take large doses without medical prescription?