

Occasional episodes of insomnia may come and go without causing any serious problems, but for some people it can last for months or even years at a time. feel tired and irritable during the day and have difficulty concentrating.find it hard to nap during the day, despite feeling tired.wake up early in the morning and not be able to get back to sleep.It's a common problem thought to regularly affect around one in every three people in the UK, and is particularly common in elderly people. Available at.Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning. Efficacy and Tolerability of Gabapentin in Adults with Sleep Disturbance in Medical Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Drugs for Insomnia beyond Benzodiazepines: Pharmacology, Clinical Applications, and Discovery. Gabapentin for Off-Label Use: Evidence-Based Cause for Concern? Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment. Peckham AM, Evoy KE, Ochs L, Covvey JR.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).Allergic reactions with swelling of the throat or face.Swelling, usually involving the legs and feet.The most common side effects with gabapentin include: The FDA has approved gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) - a long-acting gabapentin - as a treatment for RLS. RLS causes an uncontrollable and uncomfortable urge to move your legs, which is worse at night. Gabapentin may also be used to treat RLS, a disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. It takes about 2 to 3 hours for immediate-release gabapentin to reach its fullest effect, and it’s typically taken 3 times per day. Misuse and abuse of the drug has also been reported. Although positive sleep outcomes were reported, the researchers noted that gabapentin was not tolerated as well as placebo and some patients stopped taking it. In a large review of 26 studies on gabapentin and sleep in patients with other medical conditions, the average dose taken daily was about 1,800 mg. In other studies, it appears that gabapentin may improve sleep in people with other medical conditions that make it more difficult to sleep, such as alcohol dependence, hot flashes and bipolar disorder.Two small studies showed that gabapentin may help people with primary insomnia and occasional sleep disturbance improve total sleep time and wakefulness in the morning.

Most studies show that gabapentin improves slow wave sleep (“deep sleep”) and total sleep time. In people taking gabapentin for its approved conditions (certain epileptic seizures and postherpetic neuralgia), 19% of patients older than 12 years of age with epilepsy and 21% of patients with postherpetic neuralgia reported drowsiness as a side effect.One of the most common side effects of gabapentin is drowsiness.

However, gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a sleep disorder called restless legs syndrome (RLS). That may be why it has been prescribed for people with insomnia, even though it is not approved for that use. Gabapentin is a prescription medication that may help you sleep.
