Somnifacient

Somnifacient (from Latin somnus, sleep^[1]), also known as sedatives or sleeping pills, is a class of medications that induces sleep. It is mainly used for treatment of insomnia. Examples of somnifacients include benzodiazepines, barbiturates and antihistamines.

Around 2-6% of adults with insomnia use somnifacients to aid sleep.^[2] However, somnifacients only benefit transient or short-term insomnia but not chronic insomnia.^[3] It is because somnifacients lack supportive evidence for sleep aids in chronic insomnia, and chronic use of somnifacients leads to many adverse effects.^[4]^[5] When somnifacient is used, it should be combined with Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and healthy sleeping habits but not solely used due to potential severe adverse effects.^[6]^[7]

Somnifacients are mainly in oral formulations, including tablets, capsules, solution and suspension, with an onset time within an hour.^[8] One or two doses of somnifacients should be given for transient insomnia, while doses indicated for a week should be given for short-term insomnia.^[9]

^ "Definition of SOMNIFACIENT". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^ Ohayon, Maurice M. (2002). "Epidemiology of insomnia: what we know and what we still need to learn". Sleep Medicine Reviews. 6 (2): 97–111. doi:10.1053/smrv.2002.0186. PMID 12531146.
^ "MedicinesComplete — CONTENT > BNF > Hypnotics and anxiolytics". Medicinescomplete.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^ Kripke, Daniel F. (2013). Risks of Chronic Hypnotic Use. Landes Bioscience.
^ "Pharmacotherapy for insomnia in adults". www.uptodate.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
^ Qaseem, Amir; Kansagara, Devan; Forciea, Mary Ann; Cooke, Molly; Denberg, Thomas D.; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians (19 July 2016). "Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians". Annals of Internal Medicine. 165 (2): 125–133. doi:10.7326/M15-2175. ISSN 1539-3704. PMID 27136449. S2CID 207538494.
^ Sateia, Michael J.; Buysse, Daniel J.; Krystal, Andrew D.; Neubauer, David N.; Heald, Jonathan L. (15 February 2017). "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline". Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 13 (2): 307–349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470. ISSN 1550-9397. PMC 5263087. PMID 27998379.
^ Donaldson, Mark; Gizzarelli, Gino; Chanpong, Brian (2007). "Oral sedation: a primer on anxiolysis for the adult patient". Anesthesia Progress. 54 (3): 118–128, quiz 129. doi:10.2344/0003-3006(2007)54[118:OSAPOA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0003-3006. PMC 1993866. PMID 17900211.
^ "MedicinesComplete — CONTENT > MARTINDALE > Insomnia (Anxiolytic Sedatives Hypnotics and Antipsychotics - Sleep disorders)". Medicinescomplete.com.

[1] "Definition of SOMNIFACIENT". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

[2] Ohayon, Maurice M. (2002). "Epidemiology of insomnia: what we know and what we still need to learn". Sleep Medicine Reviews. 6 (2): 97–111. doi:10.1053/smrv.2002.0186. PMID 12531146.

[:0-3] "MedicinesComplete — CONTENT > BNF > Hypnotics and anxiolytics". Medicinescomplete.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

[4] Kripke, Daniel F. (2013). Risks of Chronic Hypnotic Use. Landes Bioscience.

[:1-5] "Pharmacotherapy for insomnia in adults". www.uptodate.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.

[6] Qaseem, Amir; Kansagara, Devan; Forciea, Mary Ann; Cooke, Molly; Denberg, Thomas D.; Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians (19 July 2016). "Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder in Adults: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians". Annals of Internal Medicine. 165 (2): 125–133. doi:10.7326/M15-2175. ISSN 1539-3704. PMID 27136449. S2CID 207538494.

[7] Sateia, Michael J.; Buysse, Daniel J.; Krystal, Andrew D.; Neubauer, David N.; Heald, Jonathan L. (15 February 2017). "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline". Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 13 (2): 307–349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470. ISSN 1550-9397. PMC 5263087. PMID 27998379.

[8] Donaldson, Mark; Gizzarelli, Gino; Chanpong, Brian (2007). "Oral sedation: a primer on anxiolysis for the adult patient". Anesthesia Progress. 54 (3): 118–128, quiz 129. doi:10.2344/0003-3006(2007)54[118:OSAPOA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0003-3006. PMC 1993866. PMID 17900211.

[9] "MedicinesComplete — CONTENT > MARTINDALE > Insomnia (Anxiolytic Sedatives Hypnotics and Antipsychotics - Sleep disorders)". Medicinescomplete.com.

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