Medications and Sleep

Sleep is essential for optimal mental, physical and social wellbeing (or, generically, health). Sleep disruption and/or deprivation can have adverse health consequences, promoting or worsening cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The sleep-wake cycle is a very tightly regulated process that involves multiple neuropharmacological reciprocal interactions. It was recently shown that sleep deprivation and sleep disorders can have adverse metabolic consequences. Multiple medications have a direct or indirect impact on sleep and the waking state. In this article, we review the effects of commonly prescribed medications on the sleep-wake cycle.