2024年3月6日 · Prescription Z-drugs work by slowing activity in the brain. Used properly, they can help you sleep. Quality sleep can have a positive impact on physical and mental health. But the treatments also...

Nonbenzodiazepines (/ ˌnɒnˌbɛnzoʊdaɪˈæzɪpiːn, - ˈeɪ -/ [1][2]), sometimes referred to colloquially as Z-drugs (as many of their names begin with the letter "z"), are a class of psychoactive, depressant, sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic drugs that are benzodiazepine-like in uses, such as for treating insomnia [3] and anxiety. [4]

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.

Doctors may prescribe a group of drugs commonly called Z drugs for acute insomnia. These medicines can help you fall asleep faster and/or stay asleep longer. But they also carry risks that are important to know about. 2

2023年9月13日 · Z-drugs are often prescribed as a safer alternative to benzodiazepines, leading to less risk of drug tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal. Non-benzodiazepines act fast (within 30 minutes) and have a short half-life (about 1-7 hours), so they don’t stay in your system as long as other sleep medicines.

2022年2月1日 · Z-drugs are usually prescribed as first line pharmacological therapy for insomnia. However, the benefits and risks of Z-drugs may differ for older adults. This systematic review investigated the available evidence on the efficacy and safety of Z-drugs in the management of insomnia in older adults.

Considering Z-drugs separately from benzodiazepines, a meta-analysis of published studies and FDA randomized clinical trial data by Joya et al. found a 25–64% increased risk of infection (various types) in those exposed to Z-drugs (and oddly, ramelteon) over placebo .

2022年10月23日 · Z-drugs, otherwise known as benzodiazepine receptor agonists, are used to help patients with insomnia that is associated with difficulty falling asleep (sleep latency), difficulty staying asleep (sleep maintenance), or not feeling rested after a night’s sleep (sleep quality).

A Z-drug is a group of non-benzodiazepine drugs that act similarly to benzodiazepines but have faster onset and clearance, making them useful for maintenance insomnia without causing daytime sedation.

Steve Chaplin, Sue Wilson and Professor David Nutt provide an overview of the properties of Z drugs and how they compare in the short-term treatment of insomnia. BNF states that treatment with a hypnotic should be reserved for acutely distressed patients.