Treating insomnia: Two New Drugs Do The Trick

Many people cannot go to sleep or may not be able to stay asleep and in case a person is suffering from insomnia it is imperative to begin treating insomnia by taking the first step in that direction and talking to a doctor about it. There may be many underlying causes for insomnia and some studies by researchers at Washington State have shown that many people who tried to get medical care for treating insomnia were in fact suffering from a mental disorder such as depression. This indicates that a person should be sure that the problem really is insomnia and not some other ailment.

Some Common Causes Of Insomnia

To put it in clearer perspective, insomnia may be thought of as being a symptom rather than a disease. It may be due to painful conditions such as arthritis which causes interference with the afflicted person’s sleep or it may be due to injuries that cause pain when lying down and this is more so in injuries to the back or neck which makes sleeping more difficult. There are also other causes for insomnia such as sleep apnea, sleep paralysis and night terrors or nightmares.

Normally, a person may try treating insomnia by relying on sleeping pills which sometimes work but the patient will find it difficult to wake up next morning. Such over-the-counter remedies may also result in side effects such as headaches, and hangovers. Treating insomnia is now more possible with the introduction of two new drugs and using one of these sleeping aids may help restore natural sleep as well as help in recovering from insomnia and deprivation of sleep.

These two drugs are called Zolpidem and Zaleplon, respectively. Zolpidem is often sold as Ambien and is a medication that needs to be taken regularly for a few days before its benefits become evident and one should not stop its usage without first talking to the doctor and under no circumstances should it be stopped abruptly. Also, alcohol and Zolpidem do not go hand in hand and its combination may cause coma or even death. Though Ambien is not a narcotic it can become a habit.

The second drug is Zaleplon and is sold as Sonata which does not cause residual effects and can be taken as desired and can be taken when sleep is not forthcoming and it may be taken before retiring for the night or when sleep eludes the patient, even in the middle of the night. Sonata has been designed for occasional short-term use and so is not habit forming and can also be used effectively by elderly people who wish for treating insomnia.