sleep

What does a narcoleptic attack feel like? Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder that affects your ability to get good quality sleep. Because of the condition, you will feel excessively sleepy or tired during the daytime even with a full night’s sleep.  If you suffer from narcolepsy, you may experience attacks in which you can …

What is nasotracheal intubation? Intubation through the mouth is known as orotracheal intubation and through the nose is known as nasotracheal intubation. Intubation is a bedside procedure in which a tube is inserted either into your nose or mouth to help you breathe better. It is a life-saving procedure done in emergency situations.  Intubation through the mouth is known as …

What is sleep apnea? The most common warning signs of sleep apnea include recurrent awakenings or insomnia, loud snoring, and others. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which an individual’s breathing frequently stops during sleep. The inadequate breathing causes oxygen levels in the blood to drop and disturb sleep.  In severe cases, sleep disturbances may happen hundreds of …

What is insomnia? Three types of insomnia are acute, transient, and chronic insomnia. Insomnia is defined as repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, consolidation, or quality that occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep and results in some form of daytime impairment. What are the three types of insomnia? Acute insomnia Lasts up to one month Commonly referred to …

What are benzodiazepines, and how do they work (mechanism of action)? Benzodiazepines are man-made medications that cause mild to severe depression of the nerves within the brain (central nervous system) and sedation (drowsiness). Seizures, anxiety, and other diseases that require benzodiazepine treatment may be caused by excessive activity of nerves in the brain. These drugs may work by enhancing the …

What is Intermezzo? What is zolpidem used for? Intermezzo contains a low dose of zolpidem, the same active ingredient in Ambien. Zolpidem belongs to a class of drugs called sedatives or hypnotics. Zolpidem shares some characteristics of a family of sedatives called benzodiazepines which includes diazepam (Valium). Benzodiazepines cause sedation, muscle relaxation, act as anticonvulsants (antiseizure medications), and reduce anxiety. …

What is zaleplon, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Zaleplon is a hypnotic (a medication that induces sleep) that is used for treating insomnia. It is chemically unrelated to the benzodiazepine class of medications for sleep, for example, lorazepam (Ativan), oxazepam (Serax), flurazepam (Dalmane), triazolam (Halcion), and temazepam (Restoril), but it has similar effects because it attaches to …

What are oral caffeine tablets, and how do they work (mechanism of action)? Caffeine acts as a stimulant of the nervous system by inhibiting the enzyme phosphodiesterase, just like theophylline and aminophylline. Inhibiting this enzyme leads to increased formation of the proteins which causes release of stimulating chemical signals known as neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters bind to various sites in the …

What is armodafinil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Armodafinil is an oral drug that is used to promote wakefulness. It is similar to modafinil (Provigil). Like amphetamines, armodafinil promotes wakefulness by stimuatIng the brain; however, the exact mechanism of action of armodafinil is unknown. Armodafinil may work by increasing the amount of dopamine (a chemical neurotransmitter that …

Klonopin vs. temazepam: What’s the difference? Klonopin (clonazepam) and Restoril (temazepam) are benzodiazepines used to treat anxiety. Klonopin is primarily used for treating panic disorder and preventing certain types of seizures such as those caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Temazepam is used to treat symptoms of insomnia. A brand name for clonazepam is Klonopin. A brand name for temazepam is Restoril. …