Seasonal and gender-specific patterns in prescriptions for hypnotic and sedative medications in primary care (opens in new tab)

IntroductionPopulation-level prevalence of sleep disorders can be assessed using prescription data for hypnotic and sedative medications. Such prescribing patterns exhibit seasonality that may be linked to variations in daylight exposure. The aim of this study was to analyze temporal trends in prescriptions for drugs with sedative-hypnotic properties.MethodsPrescription data for hypnotics and sedatives were analyzed retrospectively and stratified by month, year, and patient gender. Seasonal p...