Specific effects of sedative/hypnotic drugs in the treatment of incapacitating chronic insomnia.

Sedative/hypnotic drugs for the treatment of chronic insomnia are generally considered ineffective by most experts but helpful by many patients. Occasionally, insomnia-induced debilitations may be remedied by long-term use of sedative/hypnotic drugs; some examples are given. The present discrepancy between expert and patient opinion may be derived from current research practices. The improbability that series of sedative/hypnotic drug trials will be carried out for patients with insomnia further biases against observation of rarer but clinically significant distinctions among these drugs.