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Related Concept Videos

Insomnia01:27

Insomnia

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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...
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Management of Insomnia01:19

Management of Insomnia

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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...
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Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

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Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
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Limits with Oscillating Discontinuities01:19

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An oscillating discontinuity is a type of discontinuity in which a function’s values fluctuate infinitely often as the input approaches a particular point. Unlike jump discontinuities, where the function suddenly shifts between two values, or infinite discontinuities, where the function diverges without bound, an oscillating discontinuity arises from rapid back-and-forth variation. Because the function never stabilizes toward a single value, no finite limit exists at that point.One of the...
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Improper Integrals: Discontinuous Integrands01:28

Improper Integrals: Discontinuous Integrands

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Evaluating Areas Under Curves with DiscontinuitiesA definite integral is considered improper when the integrand is discontinuous at one of the limits of integration. This occurs when the function is undefined or becomes infinite at an endpoint, making the corresponding region under the curve unbounded. Such behavior is commonly associated with vertical asymptotes at the boundary of the interval. To properly define and evaluate these integrals, a limiting process is used to determine whether a...
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Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A...
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Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia reduces actigraphy and diary measured sleep discrepancy for individuals with comorbid insomnia and major depressive disorder: A report from the TRIAD study.

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Heat-sensitive Moxibustion as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Combined with Insomnia
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Hypnotic Discontinuation in Chronic Insomnia.

Jonathan P Hintze1, Jack D Edinger2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville, Greenville Health System, 200 Patewood Drive, Suite A330, Greenville, SC 29615, USA.

Sleep Medicine Clinics
|May 16, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Discontinuing hypnotic medications for chronic insomnia is encouraged but challenging. Gradual tapering, patient education, and behavioral therapies can aid in successful cessation and prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Keywords:
BenzodiazepinesDeprescribingDiscontinuationHypnoticInsomniaSleep disorder

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Area of Science:

  • Sleep Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Chronic insomnia frequently leads to hypnotic medication prescriptions.
  • Long-term effects of these medications are not well-understood.
  • Discontinuation is recommended but often difficult for patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review strategies for effective hypnotic medication discontinuation in patients with chronic insomnia.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of different discontinuation approaches.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on hypnotic cessation strategies.
  • Analysis of studies on gradual tapering versus abrupt cessation.
  • Assessment of the role of patient education and behavioral therapies.

Main Results:

  • Gradual tapering is superior to abrupt cessation to mitigate rebound insomnia and withdrawal.
  • Written patient information may support discontinuation efforts.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral therapies show promise in improving outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Phased reduction of hypnotics is crucial for managing chronic insomnia.
  • Behavioral interventions are effective adjuncts for medication cessation.
  • Further research is needed on adjunct medications for hypnotic discontinuation.