Effect of diazepam on sleep in patients with chronic airflow obstruction

Abstract

The effect of a single dose of diazepam on sleep and respiration was studied in nine patients with chronic airflow obstruction with moderate arterial hypoxaemia but no hypercapnia. Diazepam improved sleep duration without exacerbating nocturnal hypoxaemia and there was no change in the number of apnoeic events after a single 5 mg dose at night.