Article: Risks and Benefits of Non-Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Acute Primary Insomnia in Older Adults

QUESTION. Ms. Antai-Otong, I am a psychiatric consultation liaison nurse and I work with primary care patients. A large percentage of these patients have sleep problems. Many of these patients are older adults with several co-occurring medical problems. Because of the negative side-effect profile of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as diphenhydramine, herbs, and benzodiazepines (BDZs), I am hesitant to recommend or prescribe these agents. Please discuss the assessment and treatment of insomnia in older adults.

ANSWER. There are legitimate reasons for hesitating to recommend OTC sleep medications or prescribe hypnotic agents to older adults. Research indicates that even the newer ...

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