Medicines for treating insomnia

Although so much research has gone into sleep medications and lots of big pharma companies have many products in the market today, most experts say that you should not get too dependant on sleeping pills. Even though sleeping pills do put you to sleep, many frequent users say that they do not refresh the mind like natural sleep does. Plus long term usage of these pills may lead to certain side effects such as amnesia and sleepwaking. So it is always a good idea to try some of the natural therapies first. 

However, in many cases, insomnia is caused by another disease or psychological problem. In this case, medical or psychological help may be useful. The most commonly used class of hypnotics prescribed for insomnia are the benzodiazepines. These are minor sedatives and include drugs such as temazepam, diazepam, lorazepam, nitrazepam and midazolam. These medications can be addictive, especially after taking them over long periods of time.Non-benzodiazepine prescription drugs, including the Ambien and Lunesta, are quickly replacing benzodiazepines as a first-line treatment for insomnia, as these drugs show little to no possibility of addiction or dependence. Some antidepressants such as mirtazapine, trazodone and doxepin have a sedative effect, and are prescribed off label to treat insomnia. Low doses of Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine (Seroquel) are also prescribed for their sedative effect.

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