INSOMNIA AND ITS TREATMENT

Course overview

Course Objectives: 1.Define insomnia 2.Describe the classes of medications for insomnia 3.Name the medications that benzodiazepines interact with 4.Describe cognitive impairment that occurs when benzodiazepines are combined with certain medications 5.Describe the side effects of benzodiazepines including its two main drawbacks 6.Describe how prescription medications work in regards to GABA receptors 7.Describe the safety profile of the current prescription medications 8.Describe counseling points and limitations 9.Know limitations on using sleep medications in elderly people Insomnia and its Treatment Occasionally insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, happens to most people at one time or another. Usually, sleep disorders are divided into those that cause daytime sleepiness and those that cause sleep disruption. This may be due to many reasons such as depression, jet lag, medications or may be secondary to a disease. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the doctor takes a thorough medication history before prescribing any medication. Transient insomnia affects 80% of the people while 15 % suffer chronic insomnia. One particularly important factor to consider is the patient's substance abuse history as many sleep medications are controlled substances with chance for abuse.