Methods of using low-dose doxepin for the improvement of sleep
View Patent ↗Methods of preventing early awakenings, and improving sleep efficiency in hours 7 and 8 of a period of sleep, by administration of low doses of doxepin (e.g., 1-6 mg).
1. A method for treating sleep maintenance insomnia characterized by fragmented sleep during the 8 th hour of sleep, the method comprising:
administering a dosage of doxepin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a patient having a sleep disorder in which, for a given 8 hour period of desired sleep, the patient experiences fragmented sleep during the final 60 minutes of said period, wherein the dosage of doxepin is between about 0.5 and about 6 mg and is administered prior to the start of the sleep period.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage is effective to improve the sleep maintenance insomnia while minimizing next day residual sedation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a chronic insomnia.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a non-chronic insomnia.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a transient insomnia.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient experiences a sleep period that terminates during the final 45 minutes of said period.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient experiences a sleep period that terminates during the final 30 minutes of said period.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 1 mg.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 3 mg.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 6 mg.
11. A method for treating sleep maintenance insomnia characterized by early awakenings during the 8 th hour of sleep, the method comprising:
administering a dosage of doxepin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a patient having a sleep disorder in which, for a given 8 hour period of desired sleep, the patient experiences early awakenings during the final 60 minutes of said period, wherein the dosage of doxepin is between about 0.5 and about 6 mg and is administered prior to the start of the sleep period.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage is effective to improve the sleep maintenance insomnia while minimizing next day residual sedation.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a chronic insomnia.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a non-chronic insomnia.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sleep maintenance insomnia is a transient insomnia.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 1 mg.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 3 mg.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dosage of doxepin is about 6 mg.