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Medications for sleep disturbance

What is sleep disturbance in people with schizophrenia?

Typically, sleep follows a characteristic pattern of four stages, where stage 1 is a state of drowsiness and early sleep, stage 2 comprises the largest component of the sleep cycle and is the first complete loss of awareness of the external environment, stage 3 is a deep slow-wave sleep, and the fourth stage is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep where muscle paralysis and memorable dreaming occurs. Sleep disturbances include changes in sleep time, sleep latency (the length of time it takes from full wakefulness to sleep) and sleep efficiency (the amount of time spent asleep while in bed).

What is the evidence for medications for sleep disturbance?

Moderate to low quality evidence finds no benefit of the nonbenzodiazepine eszopiclone over placebo for sleep efficacy and no differences in adverse effects.

October 2020

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Last updated at: 3:40 am, 31st August 2021
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Tags:  Sleep disturbance

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