When it comes to medications for the treatment of insomnia, there are many options to choose from. They include drugs created specifically for the treatment of insomnia, drugs designed for other applications that also help promote sleep, and over the counter medications. Medicines often used as sleep aids include:
-FDA approved prescription medications sleep (Hypnotica)
-Antidepressants
-Antipsychotic Medications
-Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, such as antihistamines, are also often used as sleep aids.
Hypnotics
The drug has the FDA approved for the treatment of insomnia are listed below. They are called Hypnotics because they promote sleep, and they fall into two categories: benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. Each of these drugs work by activating certain chemicals in the brain that affect sleep.
Non-benzodiazepines:
-zalepon (Sonata)
-zolpidem (Ambien)
-eszopiclone (Lunesta)
-Ramelton (Rozerem)
Benzodiazepines:
-estazolam (ProSom)
-flurazepam (Dalmane)
-quazepam (Doral)
-temazepam (Restoril)
-triazolam (Halcion)
The effects of some of these drugs longer than others. The benzodiazepines, with the exception of triazolam, have a longer half-life, which means that they are in the body for a greater length of time. These drugs are good for the maintenance of sleep for a longer period of time, but they are also more likely to leave you feeling groggy in the morning. This effect is greater in the older population.
The benzodiazepines triazolam and have shorter half-lives, which means that they leave the body more quickly. This helps minimize the chance of feeling groggy the next day.
Antidepressants
Antidepressant medications that often are used to promote sleep include:
-Trazodone (Desyrel)
-doxepin (Sinequan)
-trimipramine (Surmontil)
-mirtazapine (Remeron)
-nefazodone (Serzone)
Depression can be associated with difficulty sleeping, so in some cases, Antidepressant medicines can be used to treat both conditions. In others, antidepressants are used for the treatment of insomnia alone. This is a fairly common practice, and in some surveys, the antidepressant trazodone is identified as the most commonly prescribed medications for insomnia. Many of these medications have other effects besides sedation, relative to the FDA approved Hypnotics whose primary goal is for the treatment of insomnia.
Antipsychotic Medications
-quetiapine (Seroquel)
-olanzapine (Zyprexa)
The antipsychotic medications, which are intended for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and severe depression, are also used for the treatment of insomnia because of their effectiveness at getting people to sleep.
Although these medications may be prescribed for insomnia, most of them are not tested for this purpose and there are potentially serious side effects for the use of them.
Over the counter (OTC) medicines
-Diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl; Nytol; Sominex)
Most of these over the counter medications that contain diphenhydramine is an allergy medication. The problem with these drugs is that they are also potential side effects, especially for older people have. Side effects may include daytime sedation, urinary retention, dry mouth, constipation, and have been shown to affect the ability to concentrate safe driving and machines in operation.
Tags: insomnia, Medications, treatments