your question seems confusing.. your stepdad has sleep disorder or anything else...as per your descriptions it seems, psychotic disorder and if for long duration then its possibly a schizophrenia.. i am shocked, why he is takin ritalin, which is methylphenidate which is a psychostimulant and used for ADHD in a children, its also habit forming and similar to MDMA.. in a sleep disorder it may be used to treat day time sleepiness in sleep apnoea and narcolepsy.. ritalin causes insomnia as well as increases the halluciantory behavior.. so first of all stop the drug if it not given by a expert for a treatment of his illness. why he was given a shot of dilaudid? he is suffering from severe kind of pain? dilaudid is narcotic pain killer..may cause sedation.. amytriptyline can cause sedation and induce sleep... but if only sleep is the problem then he can be given zolpidem [ambien] or its sustained release preparation.or other meds like zopiclone [imovane]. if not resolved then he can be given benzodiazepines like lorazepam, oxazepam, nitrazepam, clonazepam and diazepam.. adequate sleep hygiene shud be maintained.. 1.get regular sleep.. sleep and wake up at same time daily 2.sleep when sleepy 3. If you haven’t been able to get to sleep after about 20 minutes or more, get up and do something calming or boring until you feel sleepy, then return to bed and try again 4.It is best to avoid consuming any caffeine (in coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, and some medications) or nicotine (cigarettes) for at least 4-6 hours before going to bed 5.It is also best to avoid alcohol for at least 4-6 hours before going to bed. Many people believe that alcohol is relaxing and helps them to get to sleep at first, but it actually interrupts the quality of sleep. 6.Try not to use your bed for anything other than sleeping and sex, so that your body comes to associate bed with sleep. 7. It is best to avoid taking naps during the day, to make sure that you are tired at bedtime 8.You can develop your own rituals of things to remind your body that it is time to sleep - some people find it useful to do relaxing stretches or breathing exercises for 15 minutes before bed each night, or sit calmly with a cup of caffeine-free tea. 9. Having a hot bath 1-2 hours before bedtime can be useful, as it will raise your body temperature, causing you to feel sleepy as your body temperature drops again 10.Many people who struggle with sleep tend to watch the clock too much. avoid clock watching 11.Regular exercise is a good idea to help with good sleep, but try not to do strenuous exercise in the 4 hours before bedtime 12.A healthy, balanced diet will help you to sleep well, but timing is important 13.It is very important that your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable for sleeping. 14. Even if you have a bad night sleep and are tired it is important that you try to keep your daytime activities the same as you had planned. these are some points for sleep hygiene i hope thet u ll find it helpful..