Z-Drugs
Which Drugs are “Z-drugs” or “Nonbenzodiazepines”?
The Z-drugs are typically prescribed for insomnia. In addition to carrying the same risks of physiological dependence and protracted withdrawal as benzodiazepines, these drugs have been shown to cause bizarre or dangerous sleep behavior, such as driving or cooking while asleep. The Z-drugs tend to be faster acting and have shorter half-lives than the benzos. Despite the problems noted with all Z-drugs, eszopiclone (Lunesta®, Valnoc®) has been approved by the FDA for use up to 6 months.
| Z-Drug | Onset of Action (min) | Half-life (hrs) | Comparative Oral Dose |
| Zolpidem (Ambien®, Edluar®, Intermezzo®, Ivadal®, Sanval®, Stilnoct®, Stilnox®, Zoplimist®) | 15-30 | 2.5 | 10mg |
| Zopiclone (Imovane®, Zimovane®, Somnol®, Imrest®) | 15-30 | 5 | 7.5mg |
| Eszopiclone (Lunesta®, Valnoc®) | 10-18 | 6 | 1mg |
| Zaleplon* (Sonata®, Starnoc®, Andante®) | 10-20 | 1 | 10mg |
* Zaleplon is available in 5mg and 10mg capsules, but the label states that the 5mg dose does not perform better than placebo.
