The Pharmacological Treatment of Sleep Disorders

Alcohol has been used since the dawn of history by lay persons to treat insomnia. During part of the previous century several classes of drugs including potassium bromide, chloral hydrate, paraldehyde and the barbiturates were frequently used to treat patients with an insomnia complaint. They were substituted in the 1970s by the benzodiazepines that rapidly increased in popularity because of their efficacy and relative safety compared to other drugs. Recently, a structurally dissimilar group of non-benzodiazepine derivatives have become available for the treatment of insomnia. They include zopiclone, eszopiclone, zolpidem, and zaleplon. Melatonin and the melatonin receptor agonist ramelteon are also currently used for the treatment of insomnia.