LUNESTA - Understanding Insomnia: How Insomnia Keeps You Awake

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HOW INSOMNIA KEEPS YOU AWAKE

In the simplest terms, insomnia is caused by your "awake chemicals" being more active than your "sleep chemicals." Awake chemicals include adrenaline and noradrenaline all the things that get you revved up.

The most important sleep chemical is one called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, for short). GABA works with your body, allowing you to fall asleep and stay asleep.

There are usually five phases of sleep: Stages 1-4 (Non-REM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Most of the time (about 80%) is spent in one of the four stages of non-REM sleep. Each stage has a specific function. This chart demonstrates what happens in each stage.

Effects of Insomnia

Lunesta^® (eszopiclone) is a prescription sleep medicine used in adults for the treatment of a sleep problem called insomnia. Symptoms of insomnia include trouble falling asleep and waking up often during the night.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
LUNESTA acts quickly, so take it right before bed, and only if you have 8 hours to devote to sleep. Until you know how you will react to LUNESTA, you should not drive or operate machinery. Call your doctor if your insomnia worsens or is not better within 7 to 10 days. This may mean that there is another condition causing your sleep problems. Walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. Other abnormal behaviors include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations and confusion. In depressed patients, worsening of depression including risk of suicide may occur. These risks may increase if you drink alcohol. Severe allergic reactions such as swelling of the tongue and throat occur rarely and may be fatal. Call your doctor if you experience these or any effects or reactions that concern you. LUNESTA, like most sleep medicines, carries some risk of dependency. Side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, morning drowsiness and dizziness. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. For more information, please see the LUNESTA Medication Guide.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient. LUNESTA is a medicine used to treat insomnia. Remember that no medicine is for everyone. Only your doctor can prescribe LUNESTA for you.

This site is intended for U.S. residents 18 years of age or older.