Dr. Mendelson is a psychiatrist, sleep doctor, and author who works primarily in the field of sleep research and sleep medicine. He is perhaps best known for his research related to the properties of sleeping pills and the effect of medication on sleep.

He most recently worked at the University of Chicago as a professor of psychiatry and clinical pharmacology and was the director of the school's Sleep Research Laboratory. Two books authored by Dr. Mendelson that might be of particular interest to those listening to this podcast are Understanding Sleeping Pills and The Science of Sleep.

In this episode, Dr. Mendelson describes the evolution of sleeping pills, explains how they work, and shares information on their potential side-effects. We also talk about over-the-counter pills and supplements, and the evidence-based alternative to sleeping pills and recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia — cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).

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Martin Reed:
Welcome to the Insomnia Coach Podcast. My name is Martin Reed. I believe that nobody needs to live with chronic insomnia and that evidence-based cognitive and behavioral techniques can help you enjoy better sleep for the rest of your life.

Martin Reed:
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Martin Reed:
Okay, Dr. Mendelson, thank you so much for taking the time to come on to the podcast today.

Dr. Mendelson:
Well, thank you, Martin. I'm delighted to have a chance to chat with you.

Martin Reed:
I'm really excited to cover this whole topic of sleeping pills, but before we move on to that, specifically, can you tell us a little bit more about your own background and how you got interested in the field of sleep?

Dr. Mendelson:
Well, sure. I guess the best way to describe, it is that I was a student in the 1960s. And it was a remarkably exciting time. In the field of psychiatry, the 1950s and early 60s, saw a revolutionary kind of evolution, prior to that time, the dominant process in American Psychiatry had to do with psychoanalytic treatment and Freudian notions which involve things like understanding the unconscious and the very powerful influence of early childhood on adult life. Although this was a very interesting thing and still I believe a very important thing. It didn't fully address the range of psychiatric patients in my opinion. And then suddenly in the 50s, a whole new era opened up, and it began with a discovery of Thorazine which revolutionized the way hospitalized patients were taken care of, the two major kinds of antidepressants, anti-inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants came along.

Dr. Mendelson:
Probably a little more relevant to our today's talk, and 1961 the first benzodiazepine, Chlordiazepoxide, became available in the US and was seen as a very re...