What medicine should teenagers take for insomnia

Insomnia is a symptom that occurs in people of all ages. For example, for many teenagers, insomnia problems may occur due to problems such as study pressure. If this problem exists for a long time, it will have a certain impact on the mental state and learning efficiency of teenagers. If insomnia is severe, teenagers are recommended to choose the following drugs for treatment!

1. Antihistamines

Several transient and small non-placebo trials found that diphenhydramine 25 to 50 mg improved subjective sleep latency and sleep quality, but tolerance developed after 3 to 4 days [2]. Antihistamines should be avoided in patients taking cardiovascular medications, who have cognitive impairment, urinary retention, or difficulty urinating.

2. Melatonin

Giving 10 volunteers 5 mg of melatonin at 8 pm shortened the sleep latency and prolonged subjective sleep; taking melatonin 15 minutes before bedtime did not shorten the sleep latency, suggesting that taking melatonin at different times has different effects.

Refractory insomnia. Patients with refractory insomnia taking melatonin 1mg or 5mg not only did not improve objective sleep onset or sleep duration, but also reduced subjective sleep time, suggesting that melatonin is ineffective in treating refractory insomnia. Currently, melatonin is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a hypnotic.

Schizophrenia. Several studies have shown that the rise of melatonin at night in schizophrenia patients is slower. Melatonin has a sedative property, and its slow rise may explain why the rate of sleep disorders in schizophrenia is higher than that in normal people. Shamir et al. conducted a randomized, double-blind, crossover study in which 2 mg of melatonin was given to schizophrenia patients with sleep disorders, which significantly improved their sleep.

Cognitive and vascular effects. Melatonin has a sedative effect and may impair performance when taken during the day [2]. Melatonin can stimulate melatonin type 1 receptors, constricting blood vessels; and stimulate melatonin type 2 receptors, dilating blood vessels. For people with normal blood pressure, taking melatonin can lower their blood pressure, while for people with hypertension who have stabilized their blood pressure by taking nifedipine, taking melatonin can increase their blood pressure.

3. L-Tryptophan

A base for synthesizing melatonin, promoting sleep. Data released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2001 showed that in 1989 at least 1,500 people who took L-tryptophan developed eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome, including 37 deaths, so the addition of L-tryptophan to food was restricted.

4. Valerian Tincture

It is a valerian plant derivative that is classified as a nutrient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Valerian tincture can activate adenosine receptors in rat cortical neurons and may also be a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) reuptake inhibitor, thereby increasing slow-wave sleep. Its withdrawal symptoms are similar to those of benzodiazepines (BZDs). Four reports indicate that valerian tincture can cause hepatotoxicity and is contraindicated in patients with active liver disease. Valerian tincture has been suggested to be a cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP 3A4) inhibitor, but there are conflicting results.