Can Hypnotics Help Celiac Disease Patients Get a Good Night’s Sleep?

Sep 30, 2015 | Kanaaz Pereira, Connect Moderator | @kanaazpereira

Many people with celiac disease suffer from fatigue — it's one of the most common symptoms. Despite their fatigue, they report problems getting to sleep and staying asleep. Sleep disorders seem to be very common before people are diagnosed with celiac disease, but may persist following diagnosis, once they start a gluten-free diet. As a result, researchers are seeing a rise in the use of prescription hypnotics to help patients sleep.

Based on the results of a recent study, published in BMC Gastroenterology, Joseph Murray, M.D., explains the increasing use of prescription hypnotics such as benzodiazepines, melatonin receptor agonists, and other hypnotics among individuals with celiac disease as a proxy measure for poor sleep.

Read the full study online here.

For more information about celiac disease, visit mayoclinic.org/celiac disease.

Dr. Murray is a gastroenterologist and celiac disease expert at Mayo Clinic.