best drug for sleep maintenance insomnia

These drugs do have their issues, though. Eszopiclone has a longer half-life than the other “Z” sedative-hypnotics, so it should be used in patients who plan on sleeping for at least 7 hours. Zaleplon has a quick onset and shorter duration of action, which makes it useful in midnight awakening. Zolpidem comes in a variety of formulations that are useful in many types of insomnia. They are widely considered as part of first-line drug therapy for insomnia. In clinical studies, these drugs have been shown to improve onset and duration of sleep. Zolpidem (Ambien, Intermezzo), zaleplon (Sonata), and eszopiclone (Lunesta) work as facilitators/agonists of GABA A receptors in the body’s central nervous system to inhibit brain activity. Upon follow up, I plan to provide her with the following types of medications that can be used for sleep disorders:

I could have listed 10 different drugs to try, but instead I told her to attempt the cognitive behavioral therapies and follow up in a week if they don’t work. My head started racing with all the different treatment options that could help this woman.Īt first, I recommended some cognitive behavioral therapies, including removal of electronics from her room, avoidance of certain foods and drinks close to bedtime, and reduction of other stimuli. Her doctor made a few recommendations for prescription drug therapies, but she couldn’t remember the names. I recently consulted with a patient who approached the pharmacy counter to ask for something that could help her sleep.

Best drug for sleep maintenance insomnia