Insomnia cures and medications
Whilst medication is used to treat many people who suffer from insomnia, it should be viewed as a “sleep aid” rather than a cure for insomnia. Many sleeping tablets have side effects and can even exacerbate your insomnia if used for long periods of time, or incorrectly. It is important to consult with your doctor to find out what type of insomnia treatment is best for you. Some common insomnia treatments are summarized in this article.
Sedative hypnotic medications
These medications are used to reduce the length of time it takes to fall asleep and to increase the duration of sleep. There are different classes of sedative hypnotic medications, with most medicines falling into the class of “benzodiazepines”, “non benzodiazepines” or “benzodiazepine receptor agonists”. You may have heard of drugs called Doral, Halcion, Prosom or Restoril, all of which are sedative hypnotic medications used to treat insomnia. Benzodiazepines used to be the first line treatment for insomnia, however concerns about their addictive nature and “hangover” effect have limited their use in recent years. Non benzodiazepines, such as Zolpidem or Zaleplon are increasingly prescribed to treat insomnia because of their improved safety profiles.
Sedating anti-depressants
Sedating antidepressants are medications that have been developed for the treatment of depression, but which are known to have sedative side effects. Common insomnia drugs include Trazodone, Effexor, Elavil and Sinequan. There is good evidence that use of these medications is helpful in the context of treating depression-related insomnia. However, when a patient is not clinically depressed, the evidence to support the use of these drugs is equivocal. Many argue that the first line therapy for insomnia should be with sedative hypnotic medications.
Over the counter medications
Insomnia treatments that can be bought from the pharmacy without prescription include Nytol, Sominex and Sleep-Eze. These medications mostly contain anti-histamines such as Benadryl, which have a sedative effect. Some insomniacs find anti-histamines ineffective, and others may experience adverse effects such as dry mouth, urinary retention and even delirium. Others complain of next day hangover effects.
Natural, herbal and home remedies
Some insomniacs turn to natural remedies to treat their insomnia. Melatonin has recently gained much coverage, is known to be involved in the normal regulation of sleep and wakefulness. Ingestion of melatonin has been shown to induce sleep, however its ability to maintain sleep is not confirmed. Herbal products such as valerian, chamomile and others have been promoted for many years, however their safety and effectiveness has not been scientifically documented.
Regardless of which medication you choose to treat your insomnia, it is important to consult with your doctor. Your doctor can suggest other treatments, such as cognitive therapies to support your medication regimen to assist you in developing a sleep routine.