The long-term use of sedative hypnotics in chronic insomnia

Abstract

Symptoms of insomnia are highly prevalent among adults and insomnia is often a chronic condition which may occur for years. Sedative hypnotics including benzodiazepines (BZDs), zolpidem, eszopiclone, and zaleplon (NBZDs) are commonly used to treat insomnia. The longest controlled studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of NBZDs were 12 months in duration and 2 months in duration for the BZD, temazepam. These studies suggest that NBZDs continue to be effective and safe when used for up to 12 months. The short-term adverse effects are more common and more severe for BZDs than for NBZDs. Despite the current practice of using sedative hypnotics for longer durations, studies have yet to evaluate the long-term adverse effect profile.