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Treatments Of Insomnia: Drug Therapy

Medications used as Treatments of Insomnia

Here we discuss Treatments of Insomnia using medications, rather than behavioral modification techniques. A discussion of the Causes of Insomnia may also be found on this site.

Non-prescription Medications as Treatments of Insomnia

A number of over the counter medicines may be useful as Treatments of Insomnia and your pharmacist should be able to offer advice. The internet too may provide useful information. People use non-prescription sleeping pills containing an anti-histamine such as doxylamine succinate, or a herbal combination containing, for example, valeriana officianalis.

There are also medicines such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride contained in Benadryl, Dimedrol, Nytol, Unisom, and others. Diphenhydramine is an anti-histamine used also for its sedative, hypnotic and anti-emetic qualities.  As with many medicines, these possible Treatments of Insomnia may give rise to side effects which may include a ‘hangover’ and dry mouth on waking, drowsiness in the day, water retention and irregularity. Use of these Treatments of Insomnia may have implications for driving and operating machinery as their labels indicate.

Prescription Medications as Treatments of Insomnia

There are a number of drugs purpose-designed as Treatments of Insomnia, and several intended for other conditions but which assist in getting to sleep. There are Food and Drug Administration-approved sleep inducing medicines, known as hypnotics, available on prescription. Health professionals may also prescribe antipsychotic or antidepressant medications as Treatments of Insomnia.

Hypnotics as Treatments of Insomnia

Hypnotics promote sleep, by acting on certain chemicals in the brain. There are two groups of FDA-approved hypnotics: benzodiazepines (e.g., temazepam, triazolam, estazolam, flurazepam, quazepam) and non-benzodiazepines such as zolpidem, zalepon, and eszopiclone.

Without getting involved in chemical intricacies, some of these medications are longer lasting in their effect than others. Generally the benzodiazepines are active in the body for longer and so promote sleep for longer but the morning hangover side-effect may also be more pronounced, particularly in aged users. Triazolam and the non-benzodiazepines do not persist for as long a time and therefore minimise the hangover effect.

Antidepressants as Treatments of Insomnia

Depression is a known cause of sleeplessness so that an antidepressant such as trimipramine may be effective as a treatment for two co-inciding ailments. Antidepressants are also used as Treatments of Insomnia in the absence of depression. Trazodone is one of the antidepressants frequently prescribed for insomnia. These drugs act in a number of ways other than promoting sleep, while the hypnotic drugs have sleep promotion as their prime design specification.

Antipsychotics as Treatments of Insomnia

Drugs such as olanzapine used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including e.g., bipolar disorder and chronic depression, may also be effective in promoting sleep and therefore is another possible insomnia treatment. Medical professionals are qualified to advise and prescribe such medications and, as is the case with all prescription drugs, are able to supervise their use and attend to any side-effects.

It is essential that medical advice be sought before embarking on a course of any of the drugs mentioned here. It can be very dangerous to use drugs prescribed for a friend or relative since two people may then be at risk.

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