[Clinical picture and therapy of sleep in aged, internal-medicine patients]

The management of sleep disorders in elderly patients with internal diseases consists in the first line in rectifying pathophysiological disregulations. Only in the second line, proper hypnotics are to be prescribed. When considered as indispensable, these medicaments are selected according to their toxicity and side effects. In present time, Benzodiazepines are definitely preferred, whereas neuroleptic, anti-depressant and the older drugs are to be taken secondarly in account.