Abstract
Sleep is essential for our physical and mental well being. However, when novel hypnotic drugs are developed, the focus tends to be on the marginal and statistically significant increase in minutes slept during the night instead of the effects on the quality of wakefulness. Recent research on the mechanisms underlying sleep and the control of the sleep-wake cycle has the potential to aid the development of novel hypnotic drugs; however, this potential has not yet been realized. Here, we review the current understanding of how hypnotic drugs act, and discuss how new, more effective drugs and treatment strategies for insomnia might be achieved by taking into consideration the daytime consequences of disrupted sleep.
MeSH terms
-
Antidepressive Agents / administration & dosage
-
Antidepressive Agents / adverse effects
-
Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
-
Brain Mapping
-
Clinical Trials as Topic
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
-
GABA Modulators / administration & dosage
-
GABA Modulators / adverse effects
-
GABA Modulators / therapeutic use
-
GABA-A Receptor Agonists
-
Histamine Antagonists / administration & dosage
-
Histamine Antagonists / adverse effects
-
Histamine Antagonists / therapeutic use
-
Humans
-
Hypnotics and Sedatives* / administration & dosage
-
Hypnotics and Sedatives* / adverse effects
-
Hypnotics and Sedatives* / therapeutic use
-
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / drug therapy*
-
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / etiology
-
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / metabolism
-
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / therapy
-
Sleep Stages / drug effects
-
Wakefulness / drug effects*
Substances
-
Antidepressive Agents
-
GABA Modulators
-
GABA-A Receptor Agonists
-
Histamine Antagonists
-
Hypnotics and Sedatives