A Different Approach to Insomnia
The effects of sleep deprivation can linger through the day. But a good night’s rest isn’t out of reach.
nybody who’s ever had a terrible night of sleep—and who hasn’t?—knows those long, restless hours can have a profound impact on the following day. Maybe you’ve found yourself hazily wandering into a room, only to forget why you’ve just entered it. Or maybe you’ve felt your eyes glazing over as the text of an email blurs into an inscrutable fog.
Imagine just how draining it would be for that sleepless night to repeat itself regularly for weeks, months or even years.
Unfortunately, many people don’t have to imagine it. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall or stay asleep. Insomnia symptoms affect about 25% of Americans each year, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. And research shows individuals with insomnia typically experience daytime impairments, from reduced mental functioning to increased difficulty concentrating and socializing. Poor sleep has also been shown to limit short-term memory and cause accidents both at work and on the road.
Oftentimes, people who suffer from insomnia overlook the toll it’s taking on them.
“Interestingly, the research shows that we can continue to do common tasks—those that don’t require much thinking—when we’re not getting enough sleep,” says Dr. Christopher Lettieri, senior director of global medical affairs of Idorsia, a Swiss pharmaceutical research company. “But important things, like our ability to make decisions, to reason and to conceptualize, become impaired very quickly.”
While the triggers of sleep problems can vary widely, from mental stress to other health issues, insomnia is a distinct disorder and certain people are genetically more susceptible to it. Sleep problems must be chronic—ongoing or persistent—to be considered insomnia.
Its prevalence is worrisome because insomnia is not only associated with an increased risk of other health issues, including cardiovascular disease and weight gain, but it can also have a similarly pernicious toll on one’s ability to function during waking hours. And it often creates a vicious cycle, where lack of sleep at night leads to more stress during the day, which in turn makes it even harder to sleep at night.
Insomnia transcends all aspects of life, so it's incredibly important to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing sleep problems, Lettieri says.
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Sleeping on the Job
There’s been ample research showing how a sleep deficit affects our ability to function during the day. And when the majority of your time is occupied by work, the effects can be particularly harsh.
A survey of 1,001 adults who have trouble sleeping conducted by Harris Poll and sponsored by Idorsia, known as Wake Up America, found that 29% have experienced struggles at work and 10% have even experienced job loss. They lose, on average, eight hours of productivity a week due to their sleep issues.
Individual job performance may also suffer, says Dr. Jean-Paul Clozel, co-founder and chief executive officer of Idorsia. “Sleep is necessary for thinking clearly and making good decisions,” he says. “If you’re not sleeping well, it can affect your daytime, which may include your work.”
Sleep deprivation significantly reduces functioning of the prefrontal cortex and other parts of the brain that work together to process new information—including reasoning, attention to detail, cognitive flexibility and communication, Lettieri says. It’s what individuals need to use in the business world to make decisions, collaborate, manage people effectively and innovate.
Sleep helps the brain form connections between those various areas, and sleep deprivation essentially suppresses them, which may make it harder for the brain to mobilize and function.
“Lack of sleep can cause people to withdraw from social engagements,” Lettieri says. “There are all sorts of different ways it can affect how you perform work and interact with colleagues—which people may not tie to their sleep issues, but they should.”
Restless Nights…
Overactive wake signaling in the brain could prevent us from falling or staying asleep. One in 4 Americans experiences insomnia symptoms in any given year.
The effects of lost sleep can spill over into the day, making it harder for the brain to concentrate, make decisions and socialize—all critical to work performance.
…May Lead to Tired Days
Because sleep is important, we need to prioritize it, Clozel says. The first line of defense is to make sure your lifestyle, behaviors and environment are conducive to sleep. That can mean going to bed at a consistent time, limiting caffeine intake in the evening, turning down the lights and reducing screen time, and making sure your sleep space is quiet and dark.
However, Clozel explains, many adults with insomnia still have ongoing trouble sleeping even when they take these basic steps. Under their doctor’s supervision, these individuals can undergo sleep studies and, when needed, explore prescription medicines that can help improve sleep. Clozel and his wife spent more than two decades developing QUVIVIQ (daridorexant), which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in early 2022, as a prescription medicine to treat adults with trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia).
QUVIVIQ works differently than some other sleep medications, and is believed to target overactive wake signals in the brain, which are one of the underlying causes of insomnia. In clinical studies, QUVIVIQ was shown to help adults with insomnia get more sleep at night. The improvements were measured after one and three months of treatment.
The study participants taking QUVIVIQ also reported sleeping better after one week, and improvements continued to build over three to four weeks. The most common side effects were headaches and daytime sleepiness. Because of the potential for decreased alertness, patients should avoid driving or other activities that require complete mental alertness the morning after they take QUVIVIQ until they feel fully awake. See additional important safety information for QUVIVIQ below.
“A lot of people unfortunately don’t see insomnia for the chronic health problem it is, and so they don’t seek help for it,” Clozel says. “But insomnia is a chronic condition, and when you don’t sleep well many nights per week, month after month, it’s a real disease.”
People often don’t bring up sleep problems in doctor’s appointments, Lettieri says. Instead, they may turn to over-the-counter medicines that aren’t designed to treat sleep issues. Some people also self-medicate with alcohol, which may actually worsen sleep. “Insomnia is no longer viewed as either a primary or secondary symptom,” he notes. “It’s considered an independent disease and should be treated as such.”
“So many people are still living with insomnia and not getting the treatment they need—or not getting treatment at all,” Clozel adds. “There shouldn’t be a stigma around suffering with insomnia, because we know millions of adults deal with it every year.” It’s important for anyone who’s dealing with ongoing and regular sleep problems to seek help.
A Path to Better Sleep
“
Insomnia is a chronic condition, and when you don’t sleep well many nights per week, month after month, it’s a real disease.
Dr. Jean-Paul Clozel
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Idorsia
Learn More
Important Safety Information
What is QUVIVIQ (daridorexant)?
QUVIVIQ (daridorexant) CIV 25 mg, 50 mg tablets, is a prescription medicine for adults who have trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia).
Important Safety Information:
Do not take QUVIVIQ if you fall asleep often at unexpected times (narcolepsy).
QUVIVIQ may cause serious side effects, including:
• Decreased awareness and alertness. The morning after you take QUVIVIQ, your ability to drive safely and think clearly may be decreased. You may also have sleepiness during the day.
• Do not take more QUVIVIQ than prescribed.
• Do not take QUVIVIQ unless you are able to stay in bed for at least 7 hours before you must be active again.
• Take QUVIVIQ at night within 30 minutes before going to bed.
QUVIVIQ is a federally controlled substance because it can be abused or lead to dependence.
Before taking QUVIVIQ, tell your health care provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
• have a history of depression, mental illness or suicidal thoughts or actions; drug or alcohol abuse or addiction; a sudden onset of muscle weakness (cataplexy); daytime sleepiness
• have lung or breathing problems, including sleep apnea
• have liver problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
Tell your health care provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.
• Taking QUVIVIQ with certain medicines can cause serious side effects. QUVIVIQ may affect the way other medicines work and other medicines may affect the way QUVIVIQ works.
• Do not take QUVIVIQ with other medicines that can make you sleepy unless instructed by your health care provider.
What should I avoid while taking QUVIVIQ?
• Do not drink alcohol while taking QUVIVIQ. It can increase the effects of alcohol, which can be dangerous.
• Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, do anything dangerous, or do other activities that require clear thinking if you do not feel fully awake, or you have taken QUVIVIQ and have less than a full night of sleep (at least seven hours), or if you have taken more QUVIVIQ than prescribed.
QUVIVIQ may cause other serious side effects, including:
• Worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. Call your health care provider right away if you have any worsening depression or thoughts of suicide or dying.
• Temporary inability to move or talk (sleep paralysis) for up to several minutes, or hallucinations while you are going to sleep or waking up.
• Complex sleep behaviors such as sleepwalking, sleep-driving, preparing and eating food, making phone calls, having sex or doing other activities while not fully awake that you may not remember the next morning. Stop taking QUVIVIQ and call your health care provider right away if you experience a complex sleep behavior.
The most common side effects of QUVIVIQ are headache and sleepiness.
These are not the only side effects of QUVIVIQ. Call your doctor for advice about side effects.
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.
Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide at QUVIVIQ.com.
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There’s been ample research showing how a sleep deficit affects our ability to function during the day. And when the majority of your time is occupied by work, the effects can be particularly harsh.
A survey of 1,001 adults who have trouble sleeping conducted by Harris Poll and sponsored by Idorsia, known as Wake Up America, found that 29% have experienced struggles at work and 10% have even experienced job loss. They lose, on average, eight hours of productivity a week due to their sleep issues.
Individual job performance may also suffer, says Dr. Jean-Paul Clozel, co-founder and chief executive officer of Idorsia. “Sleep is necessary for thinking clearly and making good decisions,” he says. “If you’re not sleeping well, it can affect your daytime, which may include your work.”
Sleep deprivation significantly reduces functioning of the prefrontal cortex and other parts of the brain that work together to process new information—including reasoning, attention to detail, cognitive flexibility and communication, Lettieri says. It’s what individuals need to use in the business world to make decisions, collaborate, manage people effectively and innovate.
Sleep helps the brain form connections between those various areas, and sleep deprivation essentially suppresses them, which may make it harder for the brain to mobilize and function.
“Lack of sleep can cause people to withdraw from social engagements,” Lettieri says. “There are all sorts of different ways it can affect how you perform work and interact with colleagues—which people may not tie to their sleep issues, but they should.”
Because sleep is important, we need to prioritize it, Clozel says. The first line of defense is to make sure your lifestyle, behaviors and environment are conducive to sleep. That can mean going to bed at a consistent time, limiting caffeine intake in the evening, turning down the lights and reducing screen time, and making sure your sleep space is quiet and dark.
However, Clozel explains, many adults with insomnia still have ongoing trouble sleeping even when they take these basic steps. Under their doctor’s supervision, these individuals can undergo sleep studies and, when needed, explore prescription medicines that can help improve sleep. Clozel and his wife spent more than two decades developing QUVIVIQ (daridorexant), which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in early 2022, as a prescription medicine to treat adults with trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia).
QUVIVIQ works differently than some other sleep medications, and is believed to target overactive wake signals in the brain, which are one of the underlying causes of insomnia. In clinical studies, QUVIVIQ was shown to help adults with insomnia get more sleep at night. The improvements were measured after one and three months of treatment.