Hypnotic Efficacy of Triazolam and Methyprylon in Insomniac In-Patients

The hypnotic effects of a new triazolobenzodiazepine, triazolam (Halcion) 0-5 mg and methyprylon 300 mg was compared in twenty oncologic in-patient volunteers with insomnia using the preference technique. On the first night of the two-night trial, or methyprylon was given on a double-blind basis and on the second night the patients received the alternate medication. Following each trial night the patients were interviewed in regard to their sleep. Of the seventeen patients who completed the study, eleven patients preferred triazolam, three preferred methyprylon and three had no preference (p=0-057). Analysis of the various sleep parameters showed that triazolam helped the patients sleep more than methyprylon (p=0-13), induced more rapid sleep onset (p=0-003), gave a longer duration of sleep (p=0-013). The treatment was considered a success if the patient went to sleep in thirty minutes or less and slept for at least six hours. Triazolam was more successful than methyprylon in this respect (p=0-012). There were no side-effects reported on either of the drugs.