Sections
Medications Used for Sleep: Introduction | Medications for Insomnia | Medications for Excessive Daytime Sleepiness | Medications for Restless Legs Syndrome | Medications for Parasomnias | Research Directions | Summary Points | References
Excerpt
Prescription and nonprescription medications
are being used for sleep problems by child psychiatrists and pediatricians
at increasing rates, despite there being no U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA)–approved drugs for pediatric insomnia. We are beginning
to see, only recently, published research on pharmacotherapy for
pediatric sleep disorders. This chapter will summarize the use of
medications for sleep disorders in children and adolescents. A recent survey
of child and adolescent psychiatrists reveals that prescription
or nonprescription medications are frequently used to manage insomnia
in the following disorders: primary insomnia, depression, bipolar
affective disorder, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, delayed
sleep phase syndrome, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, chronic pain, oppositional disorder,
and mental retardation/developmental delay (Rosen et al. 2005). More than 75% of primary care pediatricians
surveyed recommended nonprescription medications for pediatric insomnia
and greater than 50% had prescribed a medication specifically
for sleep (Owens et al. 2003). Clinical situations
in which medications were most commonly used were acute pain and
travel, closely followed by children with special needs such as
mental retardation, autism, and ADHD.