What the trials found
Updated — new results
For clinicians
Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic: what the trials found
Pharmacological interventions demonstrate varied efficacy in managing sleep parameters. Eszopiclone 7 and Zolpidem 8 are established treatments. Specifically, Eszopiclone has been utilized in clinical settings 7, while Zolpidem is an established intervention for sleep disorders 8.
Esmirtazapine shows significant improvements in several sleep metrics; it significantly increased Total Sleep Time (TST) 18, reduced Wake Time After Sleep Onset (WASO) 18, and improved Alertness at Awakening, Feeling Full of Energy, and Ability to Work/Function 19. Polysomnography measurements with Eszopiclone showed significant improvements in WASO 17 and Latency to Persistent Sleep 17, alongside changes in Total Sleep Time 17.
Other pharmacological agents show specific effects: Pregabalin significantly reduced Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) and Wake Time During Sleep (WTDS) 22. Circadin showed significant improvements in Total Sleep Time 13 and Sleep Latency 13. Milnacipran showed a statistically significant improvement in Sleep Efficiency (SE) 9, though it did not significantly impact the Number of Awakenings After Sleep Onset (NAASO) 9 or Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) 9.
Non-pharmacological and other interventions include armodafinil, which showed a significant improvement in Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) 11 and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 11, though it did not significantly change Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) scores 11. Stribild was associated with improvements in Sleep Disorder Scores 6.
Other interventions, such as Mometasone furoate nasal spray 12 and Tamoxifen 15, did not show statistically significant changes in primary sleep metrics like Apnea-Hypopnea Index or cognitive function respectively.
Recent results — preliminary, needs further review
- Therapeutic touch was associated with improved Visual Analogue Scale scores (p=0.001) and improved Sleep Duration and Sleep Onset Difficulties (p=0.040) 2.
- Exercise intervention is currently being studied as a potential treatment 1.
- SunRay Light Boxes are under investigation for sleep disorders 3.
For the clinician treating this condition
- Esmirtazapine provides significant improvements in TST, WASO, and subjective measures of alertness and functionality [17, 18, 19].
- Pregabalin is effective for reducing Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO) and Wake Time During Sleep (WTDS) 22.
- Circadin significantly improves both Total Sleep Time and Sleep Latency 13.
- Armodafinil shows significant improvements in subjective sleepiness (ESS) and overall clinical impression of change 11.
AI synthesis of 15 cited trials,
updated Jun 23, 2026.
Informational only — not medical advice; trial data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov.
How we use AI.