EFFECT OF A SINGLE-DOSE (10 MG) OF ZOLPIDEM ON VISUAL-ANALYSIS AND SPECTRAL-ANALYSIS OF SLEEP IN YOUNG POOR SLEEPERS

Four non-consecutive nights of sleep were recorded in eight young volu nteers complaining of chronic poor sleep. The subjects received a plac ebo or a 10 mg zolpidem dose prior to bedtime according to a Latin squ are double-blind design. All-night spectral analyses of the Cz-Pz lead were associated to the standard polysomnography. According to the vis ual scoring performed with the Rechtschaffen and Kales criteria, zolpi dem significantly increased the stage 4 amount and reduced waking. Com pared to placebo no difference in sleep stages was observed when the s coring was based on the power in the 0.7 to 4-Hz band. In zolpidem nig hts power was significantly reduced in the 4 to 8-Hz band during NREM (stages 2, 3 and 4) and was increased in the 2 to 4-Hz band during REM sleep. A significant reduction of fast activities over 12 Hz was obse rved during the first 3 h of sleep. Concerning slow wave activity, the only change noted was a significant slowing of its buildup rate at th e beginning of cycle 1.