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Zolpidem

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Zolpidem does in the body

Insomnia when a middle-of-the-night awakening is followed by difficulty returning to sleep

From the FDA-approved label: Zolpidem, the active moiety of zolpidem tartrate, is a hypnotic agent with a chemical structure unrelated to benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or other drugs with known hypnotic properties. It interacts with a GABA-BZ receptor complex and shares some of the pharmacological properties of the benzodiazepines. In contrast to the benzodiazepines, which non-selectively bind to and activate all BZ receptor subtypes, zolpidem in vitro binds the BZ 1 receptor preferentially with a high affinity ratio of the α 1 /α 5 subunits.

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as chemical.

    FDA substance registry · 7K383OQI23 · read 2026-08-29

Where each sentence above came from

No recorded sentence describes the change this makes in a way that stands on its own. The page opens with what it is taken for instead, and the recorded explanation follows below.

Shown as the opening line on this page.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 108 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up one chemical change.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

An enzyme is like a machine on a production line doing one cut.

Where that stops being true. A machine is switched on and off by a person. Enzymes are controlled by the cell.

What people get wrong. Enzymes are thought to be used up. They are not; they work again and again.

A catalytic protein that lowers the activation energy of a specific reaction.

Receptor

A receptor is a part of a cell that a signal fits into.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A receptor is like a lock waiting for one key.

Where that stops being true. A lock either opens or does not. A receptor can be half-triggered, or worn out.

What people get wrong. Fitting a receptor is read as causing a benefit. It causes a step, and nothing more.

A protein that binds a specific ligand and converts that binding into a cellular response.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 40 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
SleepWaiting for a reviewer1 registered study measure of this kind. No reviewed result yet.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer5 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
FocusNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a symptom measure for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
EnergyNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
PainNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Sleep
sleep latency; pittsburgh sleep quality index; diary sleep efficiency; latency to persistent sleep measured by polysomnography; assessment of insomnia severity index; assessment of pittsburgh sleep quality index; latency to persistent sleep; sleep efficiency
Focus
memory; lapses of attention
Energy
assessment of fatigue
Pain
brief pain inventory

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Waiting for a reviewer
1 registered study measure of this kind. No reviewed result yet.
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

Relative treatment response rates during acute (1-month) treatment phase

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT07542756
How many people
1200
Study design
Phase 4
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

The primary efficacy variable is item 1 (which assessed sleep aid) of the Patient Global Impression (PGI) scale at week 12.

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00425243
How many people
1025
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Change From Baseline in Mean Latency to Persistent Sleep (LPS) of Lemborexant 10 mg and Lemborexant 5 mg Compared to Placebo on Days 29/30

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02783729
How many people
1006
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Mean wake time after sleep onset during the double-blind period

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00283946
How many people
876
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Change From Baseline to Day 1&2 in Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO)

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00608985
How many people
709
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Double-blind Period: Change in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Total Score From Baseline to Week 8

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT05693935
How many people
675
Study design
Phase 3
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event Evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.1 registered measure of this kind. No reviewed result.
  2. What a body can do day to day Evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.1 registered measure of this kind.
  3. Measured performance Evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.1 registered measure of this kind.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life Evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.8 registered measures of this kind.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.2 registered measures of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in Mouse, Rat. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish Evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.Stored mechanism abstracts describe steps measured in cells or tissue.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

  • pittsburgh sleep quality index
  • assessment of clinical global impression change
  • assessment of insomnia severity index
  • assessment of pittsburgh sleep quality index
  • assessment of fatigue
  • brief pain inventory
  • total of pittsburgh sleep quality index
  • sleep quality

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • cmax maximum observed concentration
  • maximum plasma concentration

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

  • who met remission as measured by the insomnia severity index
  • changes in motor function

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (28)
  • primary efficacy variable was the mean apnea hypopnea index
  • sleep latency
  • diary sleep efficiency
  • choice reaction time
  • digit symbol substitution test
  • latency to persistent sleep measured by polysomnography
  • assessment of sleepiness
  • polysomnography data
  • sensory organization test composite
  • bioequivalence
  • latency to persistent sleep
  • sleep efficiency
  • marijuana withdrawal
  • eeg power density in slow wave frequencies during nrem sleep
  • memory
  • blood oxygen level dependent signal as measured fmri
  • objective total sleep time
  • objective sleep onset latency
  • self reported total sleep time
  • self reported sleep onset latency

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How long anything takes

Nine different lengths of time that get confused with each other. None of them is worked out from another.

  1. Before anything is noticed. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  2. Before a test result moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  3. Before performance moves. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  4. How long the result was watched. No finished study window is recorded for a study that tested this substance.

  5. How long people took it. How long people actually took it is not stored. The study window is not the same thing.

  6. How long people were followed. Follow-up length is not stored separately. It is never read off the study window, which would be a different thing.

  7. How fast the body clears it. 9.9 hr hours

    Read from the label, which states: “The mean half-life in cirrhotic patients of 9.9 hr (range: 4.1 to 25.8 hr) was greater than that observed in normal subjects of 2.2 hr (range: 1.6 to 2.4 hr) [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) , Warnings and Precautions (5.8) , Use in Specific Populations (8.7) ] .”

  8. How long effects linger. RNAWiki does not store this separately, and never works it out from another figure on this page.

  9. Beyond the studies. Nothing is recorded about the long term.

    The longest finished study sets the edge of what anyone measured.

A study window is not how long people took it, and neither is how long they were followed. Where RNAWiki holds only one of the three, it shows one.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets are indicated for use as needed for the treatment of insomnia when a middle-of-the-night awakening is followed by difficulty returning to sleep. Limitations of Us e: Zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablets are not indicated for the treatment of middle-of-the-night insomnia when the patient has fewer than 4 hours of bedtime remaining before the planned time of waking.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “Safety and effectiveness of zolpidem in pediatric patients below the age of 18 years have not been established.”

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

  • On older people, the label states: “A total of 154 patients in U.S. controlled clinical trials and 897 patients in non-U.S. clinical trials who received zolpidem were ≥60 years of age.”

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Risk Summary Neonates born to mothers using zolpidem late in the third trimester of pregnancy have been reported to experience symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation [see Clinical Considerations and Data ] .”

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Risk Summary Limited data from published literature report the presence of zolpidem in human milk.”

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people with reduced liver function, the label states: “The recommended dose of AMBIEN in patients with mild to moderate hepatic impairment is 5 mg once daily immediately before bedtime.”

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S6.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as tablet, tablet, extended release, spray, metered, capsule, given by the oral, sublingual route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Zolpidem appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 7468 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • drug abuse — 1142 reaction mentions
  • fall — 884 reaction mentions
  • somnolence — 862 reaction mentions
  • confusional state — 806 reaction mentions
  • suicide attempt — 722 reaction mentions
  • amnesia — 683 reaction mentions
  • drug dependence — 664 reaction mentions
  • toxicity to various agents — 632 reaction mentions
  • coma — 592 reaction mentions
  • insomnia — 481 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 159 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 159 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-913 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as capsule, powder, tablet, tablet, coated, tablet, extended release and tablet, film coated, taken oral and sublingual.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-913 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is central nervous system depression [pe], gaba a agonists [moa] and gaba a receptor positive modulators [moa].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-913 · read 2026-08-29

  • 117 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 117 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 7abb6898-223c-487b-856c-068ac04f7a5c · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 7abb6898-223c-487b-856c-068ac04f7a5c · read 2026-08-29

  • Ambien is oral at 3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS AMBIEN is available in 5 mg and 10 mg strength tablets for oral administration., recorded as fda label in effect 2025-02-07 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 747949c5-2c91-4909-8a07-71b6826f8e97 · read 2026-08-30

  • Recorded price in US: 0.03469–7.93327 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 28 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Zolpidem studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Zolpidem are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

How many documents were read

  • 117 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
7K383OQI23
CAS registry number
82626-48-0
PubChem compound
5732
ChEMBL
CHEMBL911
ChEBI
10125
WHO international nonproprietary name list entry
5741
RxNorm concept
39993
EMA substance identifier
100000078817
DrugBank
DB00425

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Written into the record, not signed off.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    Suppression classes recorded: S6.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • 43 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA019908, approved 19921216 to COSETTE.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA019908 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA019908 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19930401.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71610-913 · read 2026-08-29

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

Ordered by what would most change how you read this page, starting with what is easiest to misunderstand.

This order is fixed in code and does not count clicks or time on the page.

What is not here

5 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • The path through the body — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What it may clash with — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • Claims that go past the evidence — found nothing in the sources checked.
  • What changed on this page — found nothing in the sources checked.

The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

Recorded evidence blocks (13)

What did Zolpidem's largest trial (5000 people) and its longest (8.9 years) measure?


5000 people in Zolpidem's largest registered study, 8.9 years in its longest registered window, measuring Changes in motor function. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

36 phase4, 24 phase1, 21 phase3, 18 na, 17 phase2, 5 early phase1, 4 na or unstated; NCT05746143; 2030-12-31. Last human test completed 2025, NCT06975514.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Zolpidem was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • phase4
    36
  • phase1
    24
  • phase3
    21
  • na
    18
  • phase2
    17
  • early phase1
    5
2 more recorded rows
  • na or unstated
    4
  • Last recorded human test NCT06975514
    2025-08-14

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From mouse to human: where has Zolpidem shown lifespan?


mouse: mechanism-only, rat: lifespan and human: healthspan (120): the rungs where Zolpidem has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

Interpretation Changes in motor function — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse mechanism-onlyRat lifespanDog Non-human primate Human healthspan
Show the evidence
  • mouse
    mechanism-only
  • rat
    lifespan
  • human NCT03621046
    healthspan; Changes in motor function; 120

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

7 of Zolpidem's trials stopped: accrual/recruitment, funding/business, other?


accrual/recruitment (3), funding/business (1) and other (3): Zolpidem's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Slow inclusion resulting in premature termination due to logistics"; 7 of 120 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00286936
    terminated; "Slow inclusion resulting in premature termination due to logistics"
  • NCT00781482
    withdrawn; "Sponsor elected not to conduct study at this time."
  • NCT00936598
    terminated; "Investigator-initiated termination of approval due to problems with recruitment."
  • NCT01351168
    withdrawn; "study not funded"
  • NCT02139098
    terminated; "Recruiting problems because of the time expenditure required for participating and the strict criteria of inclusion and exclusion"
  • NCT03436745
    terminated; "Slow/insufficient accrual"
  • 1 further recorded trial NCT03657212
    terminated; "Changed University from UCR to UCI. The new lab was not adequately equipped to handle the sleep research and it was too far from the main lab. Funding was running out."

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Zolpidem used zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet 3.5mg — over how long?


studies of Zolpidem used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

18 recorded entries; human; sublingual, tablet; also "zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet 3.5mg", "zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet 1.75mg", "Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg tablet"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT00380081
    sublingual; zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet 3.5mg
  • NCT00380081
    sublingual; zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet 1.75mg
  • NCT00658541
    tablet; Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg tablet
  • NCT00658541
    tablet; Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg tablet (Ambien®)
  • NCT00770510
    Zolpidem Tartrate 10 mg
  • NCT00779051
    Zolpidem 10mg tablets
12 more recorded rows
  • human NCT00833521
    Zolpidem 10 mg tablets
  • human NCT00833521
    AMBIEN® 10 mg tablets
  • human NCT00939367
    Zolpidem Tartrate Tablets 10 mg
  • human NCT00939367
    'Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc's Ambien® Tablets 10 mg
  • human NCT01243060
    Zolpidem 10mg
  • human NCT01463098
    Zolpidem 10 mg
  • human NCT01987739
    20 mg zolpidem
  • human NCT01987739
    40 mg zolpidem
  • human NCT02353299
    zolpidem 10 mg
  • human NCT03297944
    Zolpidem 10mg (ZOL/PLC)
  • human NCT07542756
    Zolpidem, 5 mg
  • human NCT07542756
    Zolpidem, 10 mg

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Zolpidem's half-life is 9.9 hr hours — which schedules were studied?


9.9 hr hours, the half-life Zolpidem's label states. openfda-label · cbda91f7-4411-4016-80d6-0a349931956d · 2026-08-30

Show the evidence
  • half life
    9.9 hr hours; The mean half-life in cirrhotic patients of 9.9 hr (range: 4.1 to 25.8 hr) was greater than that observed in normal subjects of 2.2 hr (range: 1.6 to 2.4 hr) [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) , Warnings and Precautions (5.8) , Use in Specific Populations (8.7) ] .
  • tmax
    Figure 1 Absorption Following administration of zolpidem tartrate extended-release tablets, administered as a single 12.5 mg dose in healthy male adult subjects, the mean peak concentration (C max ) of zolpidem was 134 ng/mL (range: 68.9 to 197 ng/ml) occurring at a median time (T max ) of 1.5 hours.
  • metabolism
    Distribution Total protein binding was found to be 92.5 ± 0.1% and remained constant, independent of concentration between 40 and 790 ng/mL. Metabolism Zolpidem is converted to inactive metabolites that are eliminated primarily by renal excretion.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of assessment of clinical global impression change, assessment of fatigue and assessment of frequency and severity of adverse events did Zolpidem's trials measure?


assessment of clinical global impression change, assessment of fatigue and assessment of frequency and severity of adverse events lead 40 outcome terms across Zolpidem's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Interpretation diary sleep efficiency, choice reaction time, digit symbol substitution test, latency to persistent sleep measured by polysomnography, assessment of clinical global impression change and assessment of insomnia severity index follow.

Show the evidence
  • primary efficacy variable was the mean apnea hypopnea index
    1
  • sleep latency
    1
  • pittsburgh sleep quality index
    1
  • diary sleep efficiency
    1
  • choice reaction time
    1
  • digit symbol substitution test
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • latency to persistent sleep measured by polysomnography
    1
  • assessment of clinical global impression change
    1
  • assessment of insomnia severity index
    1
  • assessment of pittsburgh sleep quality index
    1
  • assessment of fatigue
    1
  • assessment of sleepiness
    1
  • polysomnography data
    1
  • sensory organization test composite
    1
  • bioequivalence
    1
  • latency to persistent sleep
    1
  • sleep efficiency
    1
  • cmax maximum observed concentration
    1
  • marijuana withdrawal
    1
  • brief pain inventory
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Zolpidem's 7 ongoing trials reports first?


7 registered trials of Zolpidem are open; earliest completion 2025-12-12. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

consolidation of episodic memory; Clearance (CL) or apparent oral clearance (CL/F) as measured by PK sampling; latest 2032-01-01

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT04273776
    "A Comparison of the Physiological and Behavioral Effects of Suvorexant and Zolpidem in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Study"; n 90; "consolidation of episodic memory"; 2025-12-12
  • NCT04278404
    "Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety Profile of Understudied Drugs Administered to Children Per Standard of Care (POPS)"; n 5000; "Clearance (CL) or apparent oral clearance (CL/F) as measured by PK sampling"; 2026-12
  • NCT05540574
    "Trial of Zolpidem for Sleep in Children With Autism"; n 26; "Change from baseline in sleep architecture as measured by polysomnography (PSG) and/or actigraphy, examples include sleep latency and non-rapid eye movement (NREM)"; 2028-04-30
  • NCT05746143
    "The Effect of Zolpidem on Outcomes Following Lumbar Spine Fusion"; n 140; "Visual analog scale (VAS)"; 2030-12-31
  • NCT06303076
    "Tizanidine vs. Zolpidem in Primary Insomnia: A Randomized Trial"; n 90; "Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index"; 2026-12
  • NCT07336277
    "Sleep Quality and the Efficacy of a Multimodal Sleep Pathway in Hospitalized Orthopedic Trauma Patients"; n 30; "Total Sleep Time"; 2027-07
  • 1 further recorded trial NCT07542756
    "A SMART Approach to Evaluating the Benefits of Common Prescription and OTC Medications for Insomnia"; n 1200; "Relative treatment response rates during acute (1-month) treatment phase"; 2032-01-01

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 50 trials of Zolpidem posted no result?


Posted no result
50 of 50 completed trials
Registrations
NCT00630175, NCT00494468, NCT00601666, NCT00602719, NCT00530556 and NCT00779051, and 44 more
Completion dates
oldest 2004-02; newest 2023-05-12
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00630175
    2004-02
  • NCT00494468
    2004-03
  • NCT00601666
    2004-03
  • NCT00602719
    2004-03
  • NCT00530556
    2004-06
  • NCT00779051
    2005-10
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00779441
    2005-11
  • NCT00425243
    2006-01
  • NCT00283790
    2006-04
  • NCT00292734
    2006-06
  • NCT00044629
    2006-08
  • NCT00318448
    2006-08
  • NCT00568789
    2006-09
  • NCT00296790
    2007-02
  • NCT00999219
    2007-07
  • NCT00440323
    2007-07-03
  • NCT00227942
    2007-11
  • NCT00283946
    2007-11
  • NCT00374777
    2008-06
  • NCT00716521
    2008-10

At the median, Zolpidem's trials enrolled 52 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
52
Largest enrolment
5000
Registered trials counted
120

What do 7468 spontaneous reports say about Zolpidem — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Zolpidem appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 7468 reaction mentions were counted: drug abuse 1142; fall 884; somnolence 862; confusional state 806. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL3989820 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • drug abuse
    1142
  • fall
    884
  • somnolence
    862
  • confusional state
    806
  • suicide attempt
    722
  • amnesia
    683
4 more recorded rows
  • drug dependence
    664
  • toxicity to various agents
    632
  • coma
    592
  • insomnia
    481

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Zolpidem and CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2C9: shared by which compounds?


CYP3A4, CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 appear in Zolpidem's recorded interaction sentences, 6 in all. openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

Interpretation pharmacokinetics

Show the evidence
  • CYP1A2 pharmacokinetics
    Additionally, fluvoxamine (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a weak inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) and ciprofloxacin (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4) are also likely to inhibit zolpidem's metabolic pathways, potentially leading to an increase in zolpidem exposure.
  • CYP2C9 pharmacokinetics
    Additionally, fluvoxamine (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a weak inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) and ciprofloxacin (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4) are also likely to inhibit zolpidem's metabolic pathways, potentially leading to an increase in zolpidem exposure.

CYP3A4

  • pharmacokinetics
    Rifampin, a CYP3A4 inducer, significantly reduced the exposure to and the pharmacodynamic effects of zolpidem [see Drug Interactions (7.2) ] .
  • pharmacokinetics
    Similarly, St. John's wort, a CYP3A4 inducer, may also decrease the blood levels of zolpidem.
  • pharmacokinetics
    A single-dose interaction study with zolpidem tartrate 5 mg and ketoconazole, a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, given as 200 mg twice daily for 2 days increased C max of zolpidem (30%) and the total AUC of zolpidem (70%) compared to zolpidem alone and prolonged the elimination half-life (30%) along with an increase in the pharmacodynamic effects of zolpidem [see Drug Interactions (7.2) ] .
  • pharmacokinetics
    Additionally, fluvoxamine (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a weak inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9) and ciprofloxacin (a strong inhibitor of CYP1A2 and a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A4) are also likely to inhibit zolpidem's metabolic pathways, potentially leading to an increase in zolpidem exposure.

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Zolpidem studied with exercise?


exercise is named in Zolpidem's label sentences: "Exercise could provide a healthy alternative treatment for insomnia, particularly if it could be shown to have comparable efficacy to sleeping pills. <b>Objective</b> The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of acute exercise <i>versus</i> zolpidem on chronic insomnia. <b>Methods</b>…" openfda-label+europepmc · 2026-08-30

1 recorded statement; exercise

Show the evidence
  • exercise
    Exercise could provide a healthy alternative treatment for insomnia, particularly if it could be shown to have comparable efficacy to sleeping pills. <b>Objective</b> The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of acute exercise <i>versus</i> zolpidem on chronic insomnia. <b>Methods</b> Seventeen participants with chronic insomnia (recruited from advertisements) participated in a…

recorded 2026-08-30 · last checked 2026-09-04

What is recorded about Zolpidem and sirtuin?


"A total of 99 active ingredients, 389 drug targets, 187 PI-related targets, and 15 drug-PI common targets were screened.The core active ingredients were armepavine, sanjoinenine and mairin, and the core targets included ESR1, SIRT1, SERPINE1, COMT and CCL2, which were involved in the positive regulation of transcription from RNA…" — where Zolpidem and sirtuin appear together. Europe PMC · pathway abstract search · 2023-09-01

sirtuin; PMID 37814868

Show the evidence
  • sirtuin PMID 37814868
    "A total of 99 active ingredients, 389 drug targets, 187 PI-related targets, and 15 drug-PI common targets were screened.The core active ingredients were armepavine, sanjoinenine and mairin, and the core targets included ESR1, SIRT1, SERPINE1, COMT and CCL2, which were involved in the positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter, signal transduction, response to drug and…"

recorded 2023-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL3989820
PubChem CID
441338
CAS number
99294-93-6
RxCUI
221183
InChIKey
ZAFYATHCZYHLPB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Also called
ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE, Ivadal, Myslee, Niotal, Stilnox, Tovalt, Zolpidem hemitartrate, Zolpidem l-(+)-hemitartrate, Sanval, Zolpidem civ, fk199b, zol
Trade name
Ambien, Ambien cr, Edluar, Intermezzo, Stilnoct, Tovalt odt, Zolpimist
Development code
SL-80.0750, SL 80.0750-23N
Salt form
Zolpidem tartrate civ, ambien tablets, zolpidem mr tablet, zolpidem tartrate tablets, Zolpidem Tartrate Sublingual, Ambien / Edluar / Intermezzo / Tovalt / Zolpidem Tartrate Sublingual / Zolpimist
Sources (10)

Sources

4 more sources
  • open-targets-adr CHEMBL3989820 ·
  • openfda-label cbda91f7-4411-4016-80d6-0a349931956d ·
  • openfda-label+europepmc K1:7K383OQI23 ·
  • national registers US, CA ·

ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
  • identity passed: no open identity hold
  • required summary fields resolved: 5 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Most important common problem, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 10 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

This is a record of evidence. It is not medical advice, and it does not say this substance suits you. Nothing here says any substance on RNAWiki is appropriate for a child.