Psychopharmacology of sleep disorders

The concept of psychopharmacology has particular applicability to the study of sleep because the states of sleep and wake are so intensely and complexly neurophysiologic in nature. Growing understanding of the structure and function of the neural pathways involved is increasing the capacity to devise targeted pharmacologic interventions to address maladaptions and malfunctions that result in various sleep-related disorders and better ways to promote or replicate sleep in situations where it is needed but does not occur naturally. In this chapter we review the neurobiology of sleep and wake states, and how this relates to understanding of common sleep problems and their pharmacologic treatment.