Pharmacological Treatment Of Insomnia

In many cases, good sleep hygiene does not cure insomnia, and it is therefore necessary to turn to pharmacological treatment. In this article, we talk about the options currently available to improve insomnia, their effects, and their risks.

Insomnia is one of the most common disorders and affects a really large portion of the population. Many people benefit from alternative treatments for insomnia, but for some, pharmacological treatment is the only option.

Insomnia can be defined as the difficulty of falling asleep and / or staying asleep. Sometimes this disorder is associated with other organic illnesses or psychological or psychiatric problems. The symptoms that can be attributed to “insomnia” are as follows:

Difficulty falling asleep.
Poor sleep quality or unsatisfactory sleep.
Short-term sleep.
Waking up in the middle of the night.
Fatigue after waking up.
Problems experienced during the day that have to do with lack of sleep, such as fatigue, impaired concentration, decreased motivation, headache, and stress.

Some experts in the field believe that in order to be diagnosed with insomnia, these problems must last for at least a month. However, there are a wide variety of different classifications and diagnostic criteria that vary between individuals.

According to many studies, about 30% of adults have experienced insomnia at some point in their lives. The incidence of this disorder increases with age and is more common in women than men. In addition, some risk factors increase the chance of insomnia, such as:

Mood disorders.
Chronic diseases.
Neurodegenerative diseases.
Chronic headache.
Menopause.

Insomnia is a condition that can significantly affect the quality of life of a person suffering from it. In fact, insomnia also increases the likelihood of depression and even cardiovascular disease.

Different types of treatment

In order to find adequate treatment for insomnia, it is important to make a good diagnosis and find the factors that cause insomnia. Sometimes the cause of insomnia is really hard to find, which in turn can lead an individual to misuse pharmacological treatment.

But today, fortunately, there are many different tools that can help diagnose this disorder more quickly. This process is necessary because it determines the type of insomnia as well as what treatment is best for the patient.

The first step in starting treatment should be to identify latent causes, i.e., disorders that may cause or affect insomnia.

Treatment should focus primarily on non-pharmacological measures. This is called sleep hygiene. Some sleep hygiene recommendations include:

Maintaining a good sleep rhythm. In other words, this means going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
Quiet bedroom.
Avoid stimulant drinks such as caffeine or alcohol.
Avoiding large doses of food before going to bed.

Avoiding technological devices, such as a telephone or television, before going to bed.
Relaxation exercises in the evening.
Avoiding daydreams.

Pharmacological treatment of insomnia

In many cases, sleep hygiene is not enough to correct this disorder, and it is therefore necessary to turn to pharmacological treatment. First, such treatment should only be resorted to if your doctor has prescribed it. Treating insomnia with medications on your own can be very harmful.

Several different medications can be used for insomnia:

1. Sleeping pills:

Benzodiazepines:

Short-acting. Alprazolam, lorazepam.

Medium-acting. Lormetazepam, clonazepam.
Long-acting. Bromozepam, chlorazepate.

Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics such as zolpidem.

2. Antidepressants:

Tricyclic antidepressants.
Trazodone.
Mirtazapine.

3. Anticonvulsants such as gabapentin.

4. H1 antihistamines such as doxylamines and diphenhydramines.

5. Melatonin and derivatives.

6. Virma root and other natural products.

A desperate man wonders what would be the best treatment for insomnia.

Problems related to the pharmacological treatment of insomnia

Although pharmacological treatment of insomnia is effective, it also has its own side effects. This has caused a lot of debate. For example, benzodiazepines are often associated with side effects such as drowsiness during the day or return to insomnia after treatment is over. Some experts also associate benzodiazepines with memory problems.

These problems can be exacerbated, especially when the patient suffers from other diseases in addition to insomnia. But when a medical professional tries to treat insomnia without locating or altering the real causes of insomnia, the side effects can get worse.

In general, it would be best to start with non-pharmacological therapies, using more natural products like melatonin or less harmful drugs like H1 antihistamine. If it is necessary to switch to benzodiazepines, it is best to use alprazolam or lorazepam.

If you, or someone close to you, suffers from insomnia, do not hesitate to contact your doctor. Professionals can help you and prescribe the treatment that best suits your case and needs.