Report of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Efficacy and Safety of Halcion

Insomnia medications: History, characteristics, and guidelines for optimal use in clinical practice

This article reviews the history of insomnia pharmacotherapy, documenting the evolution that has occurred over time in the increasing availability of medications with novel mechanisms of action that more specifically target the neural systems that modulate sleep/wake function. This evolution provides an increasing capacity to improve the effectiveness of insomnia pharmacotherapy by allowing the selection of medications that specifically target the particular type of sleep difficulty present in each patient. As a result, they can achieve a therapeutic effect with fewer effects on aspects of brain function other than those needed to achieve benefit, thereby minimising adverse effects. The accumulated evidence-base is such that it can serve as the basis for a personalised insomnia pharmacotherapy paradigm. Here we outline a set of best-practice recommendations for how to carry out optimised personalised insomnia pharmacotherapy based on that evidence base in the hope that it will improve the treatment delivered to the many individuals suffering from insomnia.

Insomnia

Effective management of insomnia begins with recognition and adequate assessment. Family doctors and other health care providers such as practice nurses and psychologists should routinely enquire about sleep habits as a component of overall health assessment. Identification and treatment of primary psychiatric disorders, medical conditions, circadian disorders, or specific physiological sleep disorders--eg, sleep apnoea and periodic limb movement disorder--are essential steps in management of insomnia. Conditioned aspects of insomnia can be primary (psychophysiological insomnia) or may complicate sleep disturbance owing to other causes. Approved hypnotic drugs have clearly been shown to improve subjective and objective sleep measures in various short-term situations. Despite widespread use of standard hypnotics and sedating antidepressants for chronic insomnia, their role for this indication still remains to be further defined by research evidence. Non-pharmacological treatments, particularly stimulus control and sleep restriction, are effective for conditioned aspects of insomnia and are associated with durable long-term improvement in sleep.

Treatment of insomnia in hospitalized patients

OBJECTIVE

To provide recommendations for the short-term management of insomnia in hospitalized patients and review patient assessment, nonpharmacologic treatment modalities, and selection of hypnotic medications.

DATA SOURCES

Review articles and primary literature representative of current knowledge regarding the treatment of insomnia were identified by MEDLINE search (1966-January 2001). Search terms included insomnia (sleep initiation and maintenance disorders), benzodiazepines, zaleplon, zolpidem, and trazodone.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Literature regarding the management of insomnia in hospitalized patients is limited; therefore, data pertinent to the treatment of ambulatory patients must be extrapolated to the inpatient setting. When evaluating insomnia in hospitalized patients, it seems reasonable to obtain a thorough history and physical examination to identify potential underlying etiologies. Treatment of these underlying etiologies should be considered. When the use of a sedative-hypnotic agent is necessary, medication and dose selection should be based on the pharmacokinetic and adverse effect profiles of each agent. Patent-specific characteristics should also be considered to provide effective treatment while minimizing adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonpharmacologic approaches to the treatment of insomnia should be considered for hospitalized patients. When sedative-hypnotic medications must be administered, the pharmacokinetic profile of intermediate-acting benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam, temazepam) makes them good first-line agents. Zaleplon and zolpidem are also attractive hypnotic agents; however, they are typically reserved for second-line therapy due to cost. Trazodone may be an alternative for patients unable to take benzodiazepines.

Non-benzodiazepines for the treatment of insomnia

Benzodiazepine hypnotics, the mainstay of pharmacological treatment for insomnia, have been associated with altered sleep architecture, psychomotor and memory impairment, rebound insomnia, withdrawal effects, tolerance, dependence, abuse potential and respiratory depression. Non-benzodiazepines, such as zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplon, demonstrate hypnotic efficacy similar to that of benzodiazepines along with excellent safety profiles. Non-benzodiazepines generally cause less disruption of normal sleep architecture than benzodiazepines. Psychomotor and memory impairment may be less problematic with non-benzodiazepines, especially when compared to longer-acting benzodiazepines. Rebound insomnia and withdrawal symptoms occur infrequently upon discontinuation of non-benzodiazepines and may be less common and milder than those seen upon discontinuation of some benzodiazepines. For the long-term treatment of insomnia, which is generally not recommended, zolpidem and zopiclone are particularly good options because they do not develop tolerance rapidly and have a low abuse potential. Limited data indicate that zaleplon has low tolerance and abuse potential, although further experience is needed to determine its long-term efficacy and safety profile. Since non-benzodiazepines produce minimal respiratory depression, they may be safer than benzodiazepines in patients with respiratory disorders. The choice of which hypnotic to use should be based on the patient's primary sleep complaint, health history, adverse effects and cost.

Hypnotic medication in the treatment of chronic insomnia: non nocere! Doesn't anyone care?

Chronic primary insomnia is a recurrent condition that negatively effects the daily functioning of patients, diminishing the quality of their lives. It is associated with, and in some situations, is a risk factor in both psychiatric (depression) and physical (cardiovascular) illness. Treatment effectiveness has been shown in the short term for both drug (benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine agonists) and behavioral treatment. Expert opinion has strongly advised against long-term drug treatment because of concerns about residual sedative effects, memory impairment, falls, respiratory depression, rebound insomnia, medication abuse, dose escalation, dependency and withdrawal difficulties, and an increased risk of death possibly associated with the current hypnotic medications. Many of these concerns could be made against using these agents at all. Worries about these potential problems are challenged by the widespread clinical practice of using hypnotic drugs long-term without any of these difficulties developing and with patients who feel their sleep and daily function function is improved with the nightly use of their sleeping pill. The ability to mount a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group, double-blind trial of hypnotic medication in primary insomnia may not be possible. We may have to develop large systematic clinical databases, a number of case series in effect, to monitor both emergent symptoms and possible clinical effectiveness. There is the additional concern that there is a reluctance to examine the long-term drug treatment of insomnia. This reluctance may reflect a negative moral judgement about treating primary insomnia with drugs, a sort of <<<<pharmacological Calvinism>>>>, rather than just a data based judiciousness.

Management of insomnia

OBJECTIVE

To review current issues in the pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management of insomnia.

DATA SOURCES

Controlled trials and case studies identified via MEDLINE for 1990 through April 1999 under the search terms insomnia, hypnotics, flurazepam, quazepam, estazolam, temazepam, triazolam, zolpidem, zaleplon, L-846, CL-284,846, melatonin, and valerian.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Insomnia is a common, undertreated disorder. Nonpharmacologic management strategies (e.g., stimulus control, relaxation therapy, sleep hygiene) are therapeutic options that, compared with medication use, provide more sustained effects. The benzodiazepines and zolpidem are the most commonly prescribed hypnotic agents, but their use is associated with tolerance and central nervous system adverse effects. A new nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent, zaleplon, was very recently approved in the United States. Because of its short half-life, zaleplon will be useful in patients experiencing difficulty in falling asleep and in those who wake up at night and have trouble falling back to sleep. Antidepressants, antihistamines, and alternative medications are other treatment options. To avoid complications of therapy, hypnotic agents should be used at their lowest possible doses and for limited treatment durations.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacotherapy is currently the most common treatment modality for insomnia, but long-term use of hypnotic agents can become complicated by drug tolerance, dependence, or rebound insomnia. Nonpharmacologic options--including combinations of behavioral interventions, sleep-restriction therapy, and patient education--provide longer-lasting benefits.