An approach to long-term sedative-hypnotic use.

Insomnia is a common, often chronic medical disorder with significant medical and socioeconomic repercussions. However, unlike other medical conditions, there is intense debate as to whether the long-term treatment of insomnia is clinically appropriate. The perceived deleterious side effect of sedative-hypnotic medications may result in patients remaining untreated or undertreated.

Self-report of memory and affective dysfunction in association with medication use in a sample of individuals with chronic sleep disturbance.

Benzodiazepines produce memory disturbance after acute administration. It is not clear whether chronic use of benzodiazepines is hazardous to memory processes. Epidemiological data indicate that a large proportion (10-30 per cent) of individuals with sleep dysfunction take hypnotic aids for a year or longer.