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Medications For Insomnia There are many treatments for insomnia. Medication is among the most commonly used treatments, and is an important consideration for people who suffer from difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or poor quality ("non-restorative") sleep.
History It is likely that humans have attempted to control states of sleep and wakefulness since the beginning of time. There are early reports of the use of herbal potions, alcohol, and laudanum to induce sleep. However, the first reports regarding a medication used to promote sleep were in the mid 19th century and related to the drug known as bromide. Bromide was initially developed for the treatment of epilepsy, but was soon found to be effective as a tranquilizer and sedative. This medication was prone to producing toxicity and serous adverse effects and was removed from the marketplace several years ago. Following the introduction of bromide, other sedative-hypnotics were developed. These included drugs such as chloral hydrate, paraldehyde, urethane, and sulfonal. However, in the early 1900s a new class of drug was developed that represented an important advancement in sleep therapy. The drugs in this class are known as barbiturates (such as amobarbital, pentobarbital, secobarbital, and phenobarbital). They were known to be quite effective in promoting sleep and were used quite commonly until the 1960s when safety concerns and newer therapeutics resulted in a decline in prescriptions. Barbiturates were found to have a wide variety of effects on the body, were associated with multiple adverse effects, and were extremely dangerous, or lethal, when taken in overdose. In the 1960s, the benzodiazepines were introduced for the treatment of insomnia. These medications were shown to be effective and safe medications. Most notably, they were much less likely to produce adverse effects, and much less likely to be fatal when taken in overdose than the barbiturates. Benzodiazepines are still in use today for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, and seizures. They are less often prescribed now than in the past, however, because of concerns regarding abuse and dependence, impairment in memory and movement, and next day "hangover," or residual effects. In the 1990s a newer class of medications, known as "non-benzodiazepine, benzodiazepine receptor agonists" were introduced for the treatment of insomnia. The drugs in this class are as effective as the benzodiazepines in promoting sleep. However, they are believed to be associated with a very low risk of abuse or dependence and fewer adverse effects than the benzodiazepines. Most users of these medications are satisfied with the outcome of therapy, and do not suffer from any unwanted or adverse effects. Newer prescription medications for insomnia are currently in development. If we have learned the lessons of history, it is likely that manufacturers will identify medications that match or exceed the effectiveness of the existing drugs on the market, and are associated with better safety profiles. |
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