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Review
. 2018 Apr 19:10:1179573518770672.
doi: 10.1177/1179573518770672. eCollection 2018.

Pharmacotherapy of Insomnia

David N Neubauer  1 , Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal  2 , David Warren Spence  3 , Kenneth Buttoo  4 , Jaime M Monti  5
Affiliations
Review

Pharmacotherapy of Insomnia

David N Neubauer et al. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis. .

Abstract

Insomnia remains a common clinical concern that is associated with negative daytime consequences for patients and represents a significant public health problem for our society. Although a variety of therapies may be employed to treat insomnia, the use of medications has been a dominant approach. Regulatory agencies have now classified insomnia medications into 4 distinct pharmacodynamics classes. Medications with indications approved for insomnia treatment include benzodiazepine receptor agonists, a melatonin receptor agonist, a selective histamine receptor antagonist, and a dual orexin/hypocretin receptor antagonist. Both pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic advances with hypnotic medications in recent years have expanded the pharmacopoeia to allow personalized treatment approaches for different patient populations and individual sleep disturbance patterns.

Keywords: benzodiazepine; drugs; hypnotics; insomnia; medication; sleep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests:The authors have read the journal’s policy and have the following potential conflicts: This study was not an industry-supported study. S.R.P-P. is a stockholder and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Somnogen Canada Inc., a Canadian Corporation. This does not alter his adherence to all the journal policies. He declares that he has no competing interests that might be perceived to influence the content of this article. All remaining authors declare that they have no proprietary, financial, professional, nor any other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product or services and/or company that could be construed or considered to be a potential conflict of interest that might have influenced the views expressed in this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Categories of compounds that people take to try to treat insomnia based on indication and requirement for prescription. FDA indicates Food and Drug Administration.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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