Concerning the Possibility of Long-Term Hypnotic Use
Current recommendation based on the 2005 NIH Consensus does not solely recommend short-term hypnotic treatment of chronic insomnia. This occurs due to the accumulation of data of the efficacy and safety of longterm use of modern non-benzodiazepine hypnotics like eszopiclone and ramelteon. Moreover, the current concept of chronic insomnia implies the need of long-term or lifelong treatment including non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic approaches to prevent insomnia relapse. This could lead to extension of time frames for prescription of hypnotics in chronic insomnia.