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Are there any prescription treatments for insomnia?

Insomnia is the inability to get enough good sleep to feel rested. This can mean being unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. It may also include waking too early or not feeling refreshed after sleeping. Certain medicines, medical conditions, excess stress, or poor sleep habits can all affect the quality of your sleep. Developing good sleep habits often eliminates insomnia without the need for other therapies.

In some situations, your doctor may recommend a prescription medication. In general, you should try to limit the use of prescription sleep aids to less than 3 weeks. It's very important to treat the underlying cause of insomnia.

Common prescription medicines for insomnia include temazepam (brand name Restoril) and triazolam (>Halcion). These medicines may cause daytime sedation or "hangover", decreased coordination, and confusion. If morning drowsiness becomes a problem, your doctor may prescribe medicines such as zolpidem (>Ambien) or zaleplon (>Sonata). These newer medicines have been reported to cause fewer side effects such as daytime drowsiness.

Some doctors may prescribe antidepressants such as >trazodone (Desyrel) at low doses for insomnia. They may alternatives for people who cannot take other prescription sleep aids.

Talk to your doctor about which medicine is best for you.

Sources:
Micromedex Healthcare Series. Micromedex Inc., 2000.
Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. William Morrow & Co., 1996.
Kirkwood, C. "Management of Insomnia," Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association 39 (1999).
Pharmacotherapy: a Pathophysiologic Approach. Appleton & Lange, 1999.
Nowell P.D., "Benzodiazepines and zolpidem for chronic insomnia: a meta-anaylsis of treatment efficacy," The Journal of the American Medical Association 278 (1997).
Danjou P., "A comparison of the residual effects of zaleplon and zolpidem following admintration 5 to 2 hours before awakening," British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48 (1999).
Doghramji, K., "The need for flexibility in dosing of hypnotic agents," Sleep 23 (2000).

This answer prepared 12/20/00.