Anxiety Medications Induce Sleep

Most antianxiety medications cause drowsiness, while other anxiety medications may produce insomnia. Learn more about anxiety medications and sleep.

Anxiety medications run the gamut from anti-anxiety drugs, to sedative-hypnotics, to antidepressants and beta-blockers. Most anti-anxiety medications will help with getting to sleep.

Anti-anxiety Drugs

Most of these drugs are considered light tranquilizers or sedatives. These medications relax the body and some are even specifically used to treat insomnia. It should be noted that some sedative drugs may cause rebound insomnia and an increase in anxiety during withdrawal.^ix

Common medications include:

• Alprazolam (Xanax) - known to be sedative
• Lorazepam (Ativan) - known to be sedative
• Buspirone (Buspar) - not typically associated with sedation

Sedative-hypnotics

The primary use of these drugs is to induce sleep and so these drugs are often used to treat insomnia. Common examples include:

• Eszopiclone (Lunesta)
• Zolpidem (Ambien)

Beta-Blockers

Beta-blockers are not known to be sedating and may have insomnia as a side-effect as they decrease the melatonin released in the brain.^x Beta-blockers include drugs like Atenolol (Tenormin).

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