Insomnia is one of the most common disorders. It affects much of the population, of different ages and conditions, so it is necessary to study and understand the pharmacological treatment of insomnia, as well as other alternatives that exist to combat it today.
Insomnia can be defined as difficulty starting and/or maintaining sleep, sometimes it is a condition related to other organic diseases or psychological or psychiatric problems, other times it appears alone, without apparent cause.
Some symptoms that we can include in the term?Insomnia? Are
Some expert criteria consider that the duration of these problems should be about one month to diagnose insomnia, however, there are many different classifications and the diagnostic criteria vary between them.
It is estimated that about 30% of adults suffered from insomnia at some point in their lives. The prevalence of this disorder increases considerably with age and is much higher in women than in men.
In turn, there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of insomnia. Some of them are:
Insomnia is a condition that can have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life, in fact, in patients with insomnia increases the likelihood of depression and even cardiovascular disease.
In order to establish adequate treatment for insomnia it is essential to make a good diagnosis and know what causes it and make it worse. Sometimes this study is complicated and many tend to abuse the pharmacological treatment of insomnia without much justification.
However, today we have many tools that can help us diagnose and classify the type of insomnia that each patient suffers in order to apply the treatment that best suits their needs.
In fact, the first step in establishing treatment for insomnia should always be to identify the underlying causes and disorders that can cause or influence this sleep problem.
Initially, treatment should always focus on non-pharmacological measures, which is what we call sleep hygiene. Some of the recommendations included in these measures include:
On many occasions, sleep hygiene measures are not enough to correct insomnia and pharmacological treatments are necessary.
First, a doctor should prescribe this type of treatment if necessary. Self-medication for insomnia is dangerous.
There are many drugs used in the pharmacological treatment of insomnia, among which are some therapeutic groups, such as:
The pharmacological treatment of insomnia, while effective, is not without controversy due, fundamentally, to its side effects.
For example, benzodiazepines are often associated with effects such as daytime sedation or rebound insomnia when stopping treatment. Some experts also associate memory problems with their use.
These problems are aggravated, especially when there are other underlying pathologies in patients with insomnia, and the situation can be even worse when someone tries to treat insomnia without knowing or changing the responsible agents.
Therefore, in general, it is preferable to start with non-pharmacological treatments, more natural products, such as melatonin, or less problematic drugs, such as H1 antihistamines.
If it is necessary to use benzodiazepine-type hypnotics, short-lived hypnotics, such as alprazolam or lorazepam, are preferable.
In the event of a insomnia problem do not hesitate to consult your doctor, he will help you and prescribe the treatment that best suits your case and your needs.