Common questions about zolpidem

Zolpidem helps improve your sleep by boosting a chemical in your brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

GABA blocks some of the neurotransmitters that send messages in the brain. This has a calming effect on the brain, which helps you get to sleep.

Zolpidem takes around 30 minutes to work.

Zolpidem should only be used short term (usually up to 4 weeks) for sleep problems. This is because your body can become dependent on it.

See a doctor if you feel you need to take it for longer than 4 weeks. They will be able to discuss your sleep problems and recommend other things that may help.

If you just take it for up to 4 weeks, you're unlikely to become addicted to zolpidem.

However, you may become dependent on this medicine if you take it for longer than 4 weeks.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice about stopping zolpidem.

They can help you come off your medicine gradually if you have been taking it for a long time, or if you're worried about becoming dependent on it.

Zolpidem will make you feel sleepy (drowsy). It affects people in different ways and some people may feel sleepier than others.

When you first start taking this medicine, you may feel sleepy during the daytime for the first few days. Be aware that this can affect you being able to carry out everyday tasks.

Some people have reported doing things like sleepwalking, making food and making phone calls while they're asleep after taking zolpidem. They do not remember when they wake up.

This is more likely to happen if you take zolpidem with alcohol, or medicines for mental health problems like depression or anxiety.

If this happens to you, stop taking zolpidem and go back to your doctor for advice.

If you've been taking zolpidem for less than 4 weeks, you're unlikely to have any problems when you stop taking it.

If you've been taking zolpidem for longer than 4 weeks, do not stop taking this medicine suddenly. You may get withdrawal symptoms.

Your insomnia can come back and it may be worse than before. You may also feel anxious, restless and have mood changes. You may become very sensitive to light, noise and being touched.

Speak to your doctor first about coming off zolpidem. They may recommend reducing your dose slowly, over a few days or weeks. This will help prevent withdrawal symptoms if you've been taking it for more than 4 weeks.

Zolpidem does not stay in your system for more than about 12 hours.

But some people feel sleepy the next morning when they wake up.

If this happens to you, do not do any activities that need you to be fully alert, such as driving, cycling, or using tools or machinery.

Zolpidem does not affect how any type of contraception works, including the combined pill and emergency contraception.

However, if zolpidem makes you vomit, or have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet for more information.

Find out more:

• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the combined pill
• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the progestogen-only pill

Do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machinery if zolpidem makes you sleepy during the daytime, gives you blurred vision, or makes you feel dizzy, clumsy or unable to concentrate or make decisions.

This may be more likely when you first start taking zolpidem, but could happen at any time, for example, when starting another medicine.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking zolpidem. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

No. Do not drink alcohol while you're on zolpidem.

Alcohol and zolpidem together can make you sleep very deeply, so you do not breathe properly and can have difficulty waking up.

Do not have drinks that contain caffeine while you're on zolpidem. These include coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and hot chocolate.

Caffeine has the opposite effect of zolpidem on your body and stops it working.

Using cannabis with zolpidem will make its sleep-inducing (sedative) effects worse. You could go into a very deep sleep, where you have difficulty waking up.

Using heroin or methadone with zolpidem may also increase the sedative effects of both drugs. Again, you could go into a very deep sleep and have difficulty waking up.

Talk to a doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while you're taking zolpidem.

You can find out more about the side effects of some recreational drugs on the Frank website.

There are a number of things you can do to help with insomnia and getting to sleep:

• set regular times for going to bed and waking up
• relax before bedtime – try taking a warm bath or listening to calming music
• use thick curtains or blinds, an eye mask and earplugs to stop you being woken up by light and noise
• avoid caffeine, cigarettes, vaping, alcohol, heavy meals and exercise for a few hours before going to bed
• do not watch TV or use phones, tablets or computers just before going to bed
• do not nap during the day
• write a list of your worries, and any ideas about how to solve them, before you go to bed to help you forget about them until the morning

Some people find sleeping tablets you can buy in a pharmacy helpful, as an alternative to prescription medicines such as zolpidem. They cannot cure insomnia and they can have unwanted side effects, but they may help you sleep better for 1 to 2 weeks. Do not take them for any longer. Speak to a pharmacist for advice.