"A comparison of the effectiveness of two hypnotic agents for the treatment of insomnia".
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effectiveness and tolerability of two hypnotic agents, trazadone (Desyrel) and zaleplon (Sonata) on psychiatric inpatients with insomnia.


METHODS
Fifteen patients who were psychiatric inpatients were assigned openly and randomly to receive either trazodone (50-100 mg) or zaleplon (10-20 mg) doses on an "as-needed basis" and followed throughout their hospital stay. Efficacy and side effect profile were subsequently assessed.


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study suggests that trazodone may be a better agent to promote longer, deeper subjective quality sleep for psychiatric inpatients with insomnia in terms of effectiveness. However, tolerability was much better with zaleplon as daytime residual side effects were less.
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Psychiatry, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Thomas
T
Schwartz
Nikhil
N
Nihalani
Subhdeep
S
Virk
Shefali
S
Jindal
Anne
A
Costello
Ray
R
Muldoon
Nouman
N
Azhar
Juhi
J
Hussein
Syed
S
Tirmazi
D000081:Acetamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014196:Trazodone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000081:Acetamides; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011743:Pyrimidines; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014196:Trazodone; C085665:zaleplon