New medication helps with insomnia

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A clinical trial shows that ramelteon helps people with insomnia to fall asleep more quickly.
Insomnia can make your life a misery and many of the drugs used to treat it have side effects or can create dependence. So it's good news that a new medication called ramelteon (ROZEREM®) seems both safe and effective, according to a new trial.

A group of 269 adults received either ramelteon or placebo for five weeks and a polysomnograph was used to evaluate sleep quality. Around two thirds of those on the active drug experienced a reduction of at least 50 per cent in the time taken to fall asleep. There was no rebound insomnia or withdrawal effects after they stopped taking the drug. The new drug works by targeting the brain's sleep-wake clock and so normalizes the rhythm of night and day for people with sleep problems. Ramelteon is approved for long term use and, unlike other sleeping tablets, it is not classified as a controlled drug.

Source
American Academy of Neurology meeting 3rd April 2006