Zolpidem
AmbienPubChem CID 5732 · 3D model
Drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
Boosts the effect of GABA, the brain's main natural 'slow down' chemical, at one specific type of receptor closely tied to falling asleep, without belonging to the older class of benzodiazepine sedatives.
How it works
Zolpidem boosts the effect of GABA, a chemical the brain naturally uses to quiet down nerve activity, but it does this at one particular kind of GABA receptor that's especially tied to falling asleep, rather than acting broadly the way older sleep and anxiety medicines (benzodiazepines) do. That selectivity is thought to be why it works well as a sleep aid without producing as much of the muscle-relaxing effect those older medicines can cause.
What it’s used for
Zolpidem is prescribed for short-term relief of trouble falling asleep. It's a controlled substance (Schedule IV) because of its potential for dependence. It carries a boxed warning — the FDA's strongest safety warning — because it can cause complex sleep behaviors like sleepwalking or even driving a car while not fully awake, with no memory of it afterward; some of these episodes have led to serious injury or death, so treatment should be stopped right away if this happens.
- Mechanism
- GABA-A receptor positive modulator (non-benzodiazepine hypnotic)
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- CNS / Sleep