In some cases, physicians will prescribe medicines for the treatment of sleep disorders.
Treatment with medications should begin with the lowest possible effective dose and should be for the short-term when the medicines are used nightly. Medications should be used in combination with good sleep practices and/or behavioral approaches.
The benefits of medications to treat sleep disorders
Medications used to treat sleep disorders can have benefits that include:
- shortening the time it takes to fall asleep,
- increasing total sleep time,
- decreasing the number of awakenings, and
- improving sleep quality.
Types of medications used to treat sleep disorders
Your doctor can prescribe the appropriate medication for your particular sleep disorder. Listed below are some of the types of drugs used to treat sleep disorders:
- Anti-Parkinsonian drugs (dopamine agonists
) including levodopa/carbidopa, bromocriptine, ropinirole (Requip), pergolide (Permax), and pramipexole (Mirapex).
- Benzodiazepines, which are included in a class of drugs called hypnotics. Some types of benzodiazepines include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), temazepam, alprazolam (Xanax), and lorazepam.
- Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, which include zolpedim (Ambien) and Zaleplon (Sonata).
- Opiates including medications such as codeine, oxycodone, methadone, dihydromorphone, and propoxyphene.
- Anticonvulsants including medications such as carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol); valproate (Depakene, Depakote); and gabapentin (Neurontin).
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), and trazodone (Desyrel).
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 2/10/2005
