Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Background: Insomnia is commonly encountered by physicians in the real-world setting. Insomnia leads to impaired functioning across several, treatment-seeking for insomnia remains low.
Aim: To understand clinicians’ perspectives on the management of insomnia in hypertensive patients in India.
Methodology: This insight study was a questionnaire-based survey conducted across India from December 2024 to February 2025 and involved 77 clinicians from the fields of internal medicine and cardiology across all zones of India.
Results: 77 clinicians participated in the survey. 86% clinicians opined that hypertension was the chief comorbid disorder associated with insomnia. For the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with insomnia, 60% clinicians preferred an approach of starting with both good sleep hygiene and pharmacotherapy. 78% clinicians preferred zolpidem instead of Benzodiazepines and lemborexant for managing insomnia in Indian patients. A high rating of 4 or 5 out of 5 were given by the clinicians for the key features of zolpidem such as fast and predicable onset of action (77%), preservation of sleep architecture (74%), low incidence of side effects (78%), lesser abuse/dependence potential as compared to BDZs (72%), and is recommended by guidelines. 87% clinicians preferred zolpidem for at least one month to treat insomnia in hypertensive patients.
Conclusion: Insomnia and hypertension have a bidirectional relationship. This survey provided invaluable insights from physicians regarding their approach to manage insomnia in hypertensive patients in India. Zolpidem may be the preferred treatment option instead of benzodiazepines and lemborexant for treating insomnia in hypertensive patients in a real-world setting.