For the treatment of
insomnia/sleep disturbances, drugs are indicated only if non-
drug-procedures alone are not sufficiently successful or not successful at all. To facilitate sleep,
sedative-
hypnotic agents are used clinically. Because of favorable risk-benefit ratio, non-
benzodiazepines with
benzodiazepine-like action (
zolpidem, zopiclon) or
benzodiazepines themselves (dependent on their pharmacokinetic
profil) are administered in the most cases.
Sedative-
hypnotic drugs reducing the electric activity of the CNS sufficiently to produce
coma and even death are not recommended at present. To assess the clinical relevance of
amino acid L-tryptophan for the treatment of
insomnia/sleep disturbances, more controlled clinical studies are necessary. The nonprescription
antihistamines (Doxylamin, Diphenhydramin) are only suitable for short-term administration in adults. Under certain conditions,
antidepressant and
antipsychotic drugs can be taken. Because of potential risks, the intake demands caution. Different herbal remedies are recommended, but only for extracts of valerian a sleep-inducing effect can be assumed.
Melatonin, an endogenous
hormone and
tryptophan-metabolite is thought to be involved with the sleep-wake cycle. Therefore the exogenous intake of
melatonin may influence vigilance and sleep. This is particularly true for patients with
jet-lag symptoms.