Insomnia - Page 1 | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Sleep disorder medications are used to treat conditions such as excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder, and restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Fact Sheet

Insomnia: Medication Management

November 3, 2025

Daniel Carlat, MD and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
Full Fact Sheet Editorial Information

There are many medications available to treat insomnia.

Clinical Update

Prescribing Medications for Sleep Disorders in Older Adults

June 12, 2025

Evelina Sterina, MD, MSc, Julia Golden, MD, and Grace Ma, MD

Evelina Sterina, MD, MSc; Julia Golden, MD; Grace Ma, MD. Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School Psychiatry Residency, Boston, MA.

Drs. Sterina, Golden, and Ma have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Sleep disorders affect nearly half of adults over 65, impairing quality of life and increasing risks of cognitive decline, mood disorders, falls, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Risks in Older Adults

Insomnia and Sleep Medications

April 1, 2025

Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP and Shireen Wissa, PharmD

Shireen Wissa, PharmD candidate and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP. Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy, Claremont, CA.

Ms. Wissa and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Examining the long-term impacts of common sleep aids in older adults should urge a rethinking of prescribing practices.

Expert Q&A

Applications of Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia in Geriatric Psychiatry

April 1, 2025

Daniel J. Buysse, MD

Daniel J. Buysse, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Clinical and Translational Science; UPMC Endowed Chair in Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA. Co-author of Treating Sleep Problems: A Transdiagnostic Approach (Guilford Press; 2017).

Dr. Buysse receives licensing fees for the Consensus Sleep Diary, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Addendum for PTSD (PSQI-A), Brief Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (B-PSQI), Daytime Insomnia Symptoms Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Diary, Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire, and Ru-SATED. He receives consulting fees from Sleep Number and Synchronicity Pharma. Relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Dr. Buysse discusses the advantages of Brief Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia (BBTI) in geriatric populations. Learn how this time-efficient, evidence-based approach helps older adults improve sleep without medications—ideal for busy clinical settings.