Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders
In medicine, sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, including insomnia, are "disorders characterized by impairment of the ability to initiate or maintain sleep. This may occur as a primary disorder or in association with another medical or psychiatric condition."[1][2]
Diagnosis
While an extremely thorough history, including observations from sleeping partners or household members, is the proper starting point, a polysomnogram is often needed for the differential diagnosis.
Treatment
Treatment options for geriatric patients have been reviewed.[3]
Non-drug treatment
No-drug treatments such as light therapy, exercise, and sleep-hygiene modification have been reviewed.[4]
A combination of education, sleep hygiene, exercise, and light therapy helped patients with Alzheimer's disease in the NITE-AD randomized controlled trial.[5]
Indirect evidence suggests a warm bath may help.[6]
Exercise, perhaps by raising body temperature, may help.[6]
Medications
GABA agonists
These medications are agonists of the gamma aminobutyric acid.
BZ1 selective agonists
These medications include zopiclone, eszopiclone, zolpidem, and zaleplon. In treating persistent insomnia in adults, 6 weeks of zolpidem 10 mg nightly along with weekly sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy followed by 6 months of monthly sessions and no medications yielded the most remission of insomnia in a randomized controlled trial.[7]
In geriatrics, the benefits of zolpidem for insomnia to not clearly exceed the drug toxicity.[8][9]
The benefit of eszopiclone may not be strong.[10]
Melatonin agonists
Ramelteon is one available agonist. Its magnitude of benefit may be small. among outpatients.[10]
Tasimelteon can help transient insomnia due to shift changes related to employment..[11]
References
- ↑ Anonymous (2024), Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders (English). Medical Subject Headings. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ↑ Silber MH (2005). "Clinical practice. Chronic insomnia.". N Engl J Med 353 (8): 803-10. DOI:10.1056/NEJMcp043762. PMID 16120860. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Bloom HG, Ahmed I, Alessi CA, Ancoli-Israel S, Buysse DJ, Kryger MH et al. (2009). "Evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of sleep disorders in older persons.". J Am Geriatr Soc 57 (5): 761-89. PMID 19484833. PMC PMC2748127.
- ↑ Shub D, Darvishi R, Kunik ME (2009). "Non-pharmacologic treatment of insomnia in persons with dementia.". Geriatrics 64 (2): 22-6. PMID 19256583.
- ↑ McCurry SM, Gibbons LE, Logsdon RG, Vitiello MV, Teri L (2005). "Nighttime insomnia treatment and education for Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, controlled trial.". J Am Geriatr Soc 53 (5): 793-802. DOI:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53252.x. PMID 15877554. Research Blogging.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Horne JA, Moore VJ (1985). "Sleep EEG effects of exercise with and without additional body cooling.". Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 60 (1): 33-8. PMID 2578352.
- ↑ Morin CM, Vallières A, Guay B, Ivers H, Savard J, Mérette C et al. (2009). "Cognitive behavioral therapy, singly and combined with medication, for persistent insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.". JAMA 301 (19): 2005-15. DOI:10.1001/jama.2009.682. PMID 19454639. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Glass J, Lanctôt KL, Herrmann N, Sproule BA, Busto UE (2005). "Sedative hypnotics in older people with insomnia: meta-analysis of risks and benefits.". BMJ 331 (7526): 1169. DOI:10.1136/bmj.38623.768588.47. PMID 16284208. PMC PMC1285093. Research Blogging. Review in: ACP J Club. 2006 Jul-Aug;145(1):14 Review in: Evid Based Med. 2006 Aug;11(4):110 Review in: Evid Based Nurs. 2006 Jul;9(3):87
- ↑ Nowell PD, Mazumdar S, Buysse DJ, Dew MA, Reynolds CF, Kupfer DJ (1997 Dec 24-31). "Benzodiazepines and zolpidem for chronic insomnia: a meta-analysis of treatment efficacy.". JAMA 278 (24): 2170-7. PMID 9417012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Schwartz LM, Woloshin S (2009). "Lost in transmission--FDA drug information that never reaches clinicians.". N Engl J Med 361 (18): 1717-20. DOI:10.1056/NEJMp0907708. PMID 19846841. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Rajaratnam SM, Polymeropoulos MH, Fisher DM, Roth T, Scott C, Birznieks G et al. (2009). "Melatonin agonist tasimelteon (VEC-162) for transient insomnia after sleep-time shift: two randomised controlled multicentre trials.". Lancet 373 (9662): 482-91. DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61812-7. PMID 19054552. Research Blogging.