Question

Discuss the half-life of benzodiazepines and why this would make a typical benzodiazepine not an ideal drug for sleep.

Answer 1

Benzodiazepines are used for numerous indications like anxiety, insomnia, muscle relaxation, and relief from spasticity caused by central nervous system pathology and epilepsy .It also used intraoperatively because of their amnesic and anxiolytic properties. Intermediate and short acting benzodiazepines have half life values from 5 - 24 hours. Accumulation during multiple dosage is less extensive than with the long acting group and diminishes as the half life becomes shorter. Long term use of this drug for sleep disorder is not recommended however given the drug potential to be addictive .sudden withdrawal of drug cause seizure disorder. This is a very effective drug for occasional insomnia but continuous use of this drug cause physical dependence putting at risk for severe and possible life threatening withdrawals upon stopping.