A patient reports, "The medicine prescribed to help me get to sleep worked well for about a month, but I don't have any more of those pills. Now my insomnia is worse than ever. I had nightmares the last 2 nights." Which type of medication did the health care provider most likely prescribe?

A) Benzodiazepine
B) Tricyclic antidepressant
C) Conventional antipsychotic
D) Central nervous system (CNS) stimulant

Benzodiazepines, members of the hypnotic's family of medications, can worsen existing sleep disturbances when they are discontinued. This class of medications produces tolerance. Once the drug is discontinued, the individual may have rebound insomnia and nightmares. CNS stimulants worsen insomnia while they are in use. Tricyclic antidepressants and atypical antipsychotics may help insomnia but would not be used for initial therapy.