If the cause of the sleep problem is depression, an antidepressant may be the best solution. Increasingly, some sedating antidepressants have been prescribed in low doses for insomnia. However, many experts believe that in the absence of clinical depression, there is little evidence to support the use of these drugs for insomnia. Among the prescription hypnotic drugs, a group of hypnotics called benzodiazepine agonists were developed in the l960's. These sleep-promoting drugs have since proven effective and safe.
All hypnotics induce and maintain sleep.
The benzodiazepines agonists work by acting at areas in the brain believed to be involved in sleep promotion. They are the drugs of choice because they have the highest benefit and the lowest risk as sleep-promoting drugs. Hypnotics differ by half-life as well as chemical structure. Half-life refers to how long a drug is active in the body. Drugs that have a shorter half-life are effective in the body for a shorter time.