Med. praxi. 2011;8(5):219-221

Pharmacology of sleep disorders in clinical practice

doc.MUDr.Petr Smolík, CSc.

Centrum pro poruchy spánku a biorytmů, Psychiatrická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice v Hradci Králové

Prevalence of insomnias and other sleep disorders has been growing up in the course of past years (1). Pharmacology of sleep disorders

has always been a complex process that includes behavioral, neurophysiologic, psychological, chronobiological and, not in the least,

pharmacological factors. Negative influence of different pharmaceuticals use to be very often neglected or underrated. In reverse, an

extent of positive treatment possibilities of pharmacotherapy has been perceived inconsistently very often at present. The simple classification

of pharmaceuticals for insomnia into sedatives/hypnotics and stimulants respectively, can’t stand up in the context of nowadays

knowledge about neurophysiology and chronobiology of sleep process.

Keywords: sleep disorders, sleeplessness, insomnia, hypnotics, chronohypnotics, chronobiotics, sedatives, chronobiology, drug interactions

Published: June 1, 2011  Show citation