Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
05:59
High-Throughput Small Molecule Drug Screening For Age-Related Sleep Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: October 20, 2023
Insomnia (primary) in older people
Cathy Alessi1, Michael V Vitiello
1David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, USA.
BMJ Clinical Evidence
|October 28, 2011
Summary
This systematic review examines non-drug and drug treatments for insomnia in older adults. It found evidence on antidepressants, benzodiazepines, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other interventions for sleep issues in seniors.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Insomnia affects up to 40% of older adults, characterized by sleep onset difficulties, early awakenings, or non-restorative sleep.
- The prevalence of insomnia escalates with age, influenced by factors like psychological distress, stress, daytime napping, and hyperarousal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effects of non-drug treatments for insomnia in the elderly population.
- To systematically review the effects of drug treatments for insomnia in the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases including Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library up to December 2010.
- Included studies comprised systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and observational studies, with a GRADE evaluation of evidence quality.
- Harms alerts from regulatory agencies like the FDA and MHRA were also incorporated.
Main Results:
- The review identified 34 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies meeting inclusion criteria.
- Evidence quality for various interventions was assessed using the GRADE system.
Conclusions:
- The review presents data on the effectiveness and safety of multiple interventions for insomnia in older adults.
- Interventions evaluated include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), diphenhydramine, exercise, timed bright light exposure, zaleplon, zolpidem, and zopiclone.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Insomnia
Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
Multiple factors contribute...
01:19Management of Insomnia
The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
01:24Sleep-Wake Cycles
Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM).
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:07Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by pervasive, uncontrolled sleepiness and other sleep disturbances. One of its hallmark symptoms is an abrupt transition to REM sleep upon falling asleep, which causes symptoms typically associated with this phase to occur unexpectedly during wakefulness. These include the following symptoms, which typically last from a minute or two to half an hour.