Lack of residual sedation following middle-of-the-night zaleplon administration in sleep maintenance insomnia

The present randomized, double-blind, placebo and active-drug controlled, c rossover study assessed residual sedation after zaleplon 10 mg, flurazepam 30 mg (as an active control), and placebo, taken during a nocturnal awakeni ng in patients with sleep maintenance insomnia. Twenty-two healthy sleep ma intenance insomniacs (11 men; mean age, 42 y) received zaleplon, flurazepam , or placebo after an experimental awakening 3.5 hours after bedtime on two consecutive nights in each of three conditions. Residual sedation was meas ured with sleep latency testing (5 and 6.5 h postdrug), digit symbol substi tution, symbol copying, and subjective sleepiness by visual analog scale, e ach twice each morning. Zaleplon did not differ from placebo on any measure of residual sedation; flurazepam showed significant sedation on all measur es. No residual sedative effects were detected 5 or 6.5 hours after ingesti on of zaleplon during the middle of the night by sleep maintenance insomnia cs.