Zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone for the management of insomnia

NICE has made the following recommendations about the use of zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone to treat insomnia.

• NICE recommends that doctors should consider using non-medicine treatments, and then, if they think that a hypnotic medicine is the appropriate way to treat severe insomnia that is interfering with normal daily life, they should prescribe one for only short periods of time and strictly according to the licence for the drug.
• Because there is no firm evidence of differences in the effects of zaleplon, zolpidem, zopiclone and the shorter-acting benzodiazepines, NICE recommends that doctors should prescribe the cheapest drug, taking into account the daily dose required and the cost for each dose.
• Treatment should only be changed from one of these hypnotics to another if side effects occur that are directly related to the medicine.
• If treatment with one of these hypnotic medicines does not work, the doctor should not prescribe one of the others.

• Other information

  • TA77 Insomnia - newer hypnotic drugs: guidance (web format)

  How this guidance was produced

  Background information

  • Insomnia - newer hypnotic drugs: review decision - August 2010
  • Review Proposal - May 2010
  • Assessment report: The clinical and cost-effectiveness of zaleplon, zolpidem and zopiclone for the management of insomnia
  • NICE issues guidance on the use of drugs for the management of insomnia
  • TA77 Insomnia - newer hypnotic drugs: distribution list
  • Review proposal - September 2007
  • Review decision - November 2007
  • Appendix A - Matrix of consultees and commentators.

Guidance formats

• Web format
• Quick reference guide (PDF)
• Full Guidance (PDF)
• Patient version (PDF)

Insomnia - newer hypnotic drugs

Guideline for patients and carers (PDF)