What Medication Treats Insomnia?

by | Jan 22, 2020 | Insomnia | 0 comments

Sleep deprivation is a common and insidious problem in American life. Due to hectic schedules, a shocking number of Americans have learned to get by on less that the seven or eight hours of sleep that their bodies need. Unfortunately, sleep medication is often not included in insurance, which is why many low cost clinics in Las Vegas that have fixed rates for doctor visits and medication.

Add in the stress factors that keep people up nights, and you have recipe for chronic insomnia. Long term sleep deprivation can cause all kinds of physical problems, not to mention making day-to-day life an ordeal.

Although no sleep medication for insomnia comes without risks and side effects, the compounds of sleeping pills (hypnotics) have been fine-tuned in recent years to bring those side effects to a minimum. Bear in mind that no insomnia drug should be taken long-term. You may want to address lifestyle issues or stress management problems as part of a big-picture approach to insomnia.

  • Ambien (Zolpidem)- Since its introduction to the market in the early 1990’s, Ambien has been shown to be one of the safer, most effective hypnotics in the sleep medication field, and is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for insomnia. There have been highly-publicized incidents of people binge-eating, driving, talking or doing other daily activities while fully asleep after taking Ambien, but these have been very isolated. Ambien does have the risk of hangover, dependence or rebound insomnia over time.
  • Xanax (Alprazolam)- Even though Xanax was designed as an anti-anxiety drug to address things like panic attacks or social anxiety disorder, it’s also been very effective in treating insomnia. Its chemical makeup is similar to that of valium, and although it does have the risk of dependence, there’s a low incidence of xanax users becoming abusers of the drug. On the market for almost thirty years, xanax has shown itself to be a safe and effective drug for insomnia and anxiety both.
  • Restoril (Temazepam)- Introduced in 1969, Restoril is a commonly prescribed hypnotic that’s also in the same family as valium and xanax. It’s a strong hypnotic that’s usually prescribed for severe insomnia or other debilitating sleep disorders. It is not often prescribed long term, as it has a high potential for dependence and is disruptive to normal sleep patterns.
  • Valium (Diazepam)– On the market since 1963, valium was actually the best-selling pharmaceutical in the United States for years. Initially formulated as an anxiety-drug, ohysicians soon saw it as an improvement over baribiturates for insomnia treatment. Although valium does have a strong risk of dependence over time, it’s very effective for sleeplessness.

All these drugs should only be taken under a doctor’s care, and should not be taken long-term. Since they accumulate in the system, they all lose their effectiveness over time and a physician will usually want follow-ups to adjust dosages. Doctors at Patient’s Choice Medical Center in Las Vegas are ready to work with you to address your insomnia. As with all programs, insomnia treatment at Patient’s Choice Medical Center is low cost, and insurance is not required.

Got Insomnia? Call Patient’s Choice Medical Center at (702) 474-6300 your low cost/discount solution to quality medical care.