Insomnia is the most common of the sleeping disorders affecting around 5-10% of adults. The inability to fall and/or stay asleep is often distressing and can have significant negative impacts on daytime functioning and productivity. Behaviour therapy is the recommended first line treatment for insomnia with hypnotics* (e.g. benzodiazepine receptor antagonists, sedating antihistamines and tricyclic antidepressants) being used as adjunctive or alternative therapy. Dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) are a newer class of hypnotic. In December 2024, the Minister of Health consented to the distribution of the DORA lemborexant (Dayvigo®) in New Zealand for treatment of insomnia in adults. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of insomnia and evaluate how lemborexant compares to other insomnia treatments. This publication has been commissioned and funded by Eisai New Zealand Ltd.
*Not all medications discussed in this review are Medsafe registered in New Zealand
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