Medications Drug therapy should be considered only after a nondrug approach has failed and reversible medical or environmental causes have been ruled out. For those people who do require medication, it is imperative to “begin low and go slow.” The risks of sleep-inducing medications for older people who are cognitively impaired are considerable. These include increased risk for falls and fractures, increased confusion, and decline in the ability to care for oneself. If sleep medications are used, an attempt should be made to discontinue them after a regular sleep pattern has been established. The table below lists some of the many different types of medications that can temporarily assist in sleep. The list includes drugs prescribed chiefly for sleep as well as some whose primary use is in treating psychiatric illnesses or behavioral symptoms. Although little is known about the safety and effectiveness of medications for treating chronic sleep disturbances in Alzheimer’s, all of these medications are commonly prescribed to treat insomnia and disruptive nighttime behaviors in Alzheimer’s disease.