Zopiclone

Zopiclone is a nonbenzodiazepine used to treat difficulty sleeping, It is sold under the brand name Imovane among others, Zopiclone is molecularly distinct from benzodiazepine drugs and is classed as a cyclopyrrolone for short-term treatment of insomnia, including difficulties in falling asleep, nocturnal awakening and early awakening, transient, situational or chronic insomnia, and insomnia secondary to psychiatric disturbances, in situations where the insomnia is debilitating or is causing severe distress for the patient.

What’s the recommended dose?

Zopiclone is licensed in the UK for adults with a bedtime dose of 7.5mg once daily for up to four weeks.

In the elderly, the initial dose is 3.75mg once daily, for up to four weeks. You can find more information about Zopiclone on our  website.

It’s usually prescribed for short-term use (2-4 weeks) to limit the risk of your body becoming used to it and the drug losing its effectiveness.

Short-term use is also advised to avoid you developing a dependency on it.

Zopiclone is available under the brand name Zimovane in the UK and Imovane or Rhovane in Canada. It’s not available for use in the United States although the related drug, eszopiclone, is on the US market.

How zopiclone affects sleep

Our sleep is made up of sleep cycles, which last for roughly 90 minutes and repeat several times throughout the night.

During each cycle, we pass through four different stages of sleep which are called N1, N2,  N3, and rapid eye movement sleep (REM). When we fall asleep, we enter N1, then pass through N2 and, N3, and finally into REM. The cycle then starts again at N1.

Research also shows that it can reduce stage N1 sleep.

However, many studies that have looked at sleeping brain activity in people who have taken zopiclone have shown every available result, so all we can say with any certainty is that zopiclone can affect all stages of sleep.

The side effects of taking zopiclone

The most frequently reported side effect of zopiclone, reported in about 10% of people, is a bitter or metallic taste.

Other frequently reported side effects of zopiclone include:

• nausea
• dizziness
• asthenia (abnormal physical weakness or lack of energy)
• increased sweating
• headaches
• sedation, somnolence, and tiredness.

A study in healthy volunteers found no residual effects of the drug on psychomotor performance (i.e. activities such as throwing a ball, using a pool, or driving a car) the day after a 7.5mg dose.

However other reports do show impairment as a measure of coordination and performance of skilled tasks.

There is however a concern that they may impair both balance and memory functions.

More adverse effects on how the drugs such as zopiclone tend to have more adverse effects in older people. These include cognitive processes such as being able to concentrate or remember things.

These drugs also tend to affect psychomotor functions more in the elderly too. This refers to carrying out everyday tests involving coordinated movement, such as driving a car, playing an instrument, swigging, or throwing a ball.

A study compared the effect of three hypnotics — including zopiclone 3.75mg and placebo — in 49 healthy volunteers aged 65 years and above.

What are the withdrawal symptoms associated with zopiclone?

One of the concerns surrounding the use of sleeping pills is the incidence of withdrawal symptoms after stopping taking the drugs.

A review of studies investigating discontinuation of zopiclone found no significant rebound effect on sleep and few withdrawal effects such as anxiety and vertigo.

Whereas another study found that withdrawal reactions like headache, anxiety, or agitation occurred in only 0.05% of the individuals studied.

While withdrawal symptoms are not common, they can include:

• sleep problems
• anxiety and depression
• confusion and agitation
• muscle aches and pains.

Can zopiclone cause road accidents?

However, research has also shown that a single night-time dose of zopiclone (7.5mg) caused marked residual impairment in a highway driving test and on tests of attention and memory.

These findings led the authors to conclude that patients should avoid driving the morning after taking zopiclone.

A further study by the same research group found that zopiclone impairs driving ability 10-11 hours after intake at a level that’s equivalent to the drink driving limits used in most European countries.

While these studies were all conducted with healthy volunteers, research that examined the effect of single and repeated doses of zopiclone on driving performance in 23 insomnia patients found impaired performance 9-11 hours after taking the drug.

 If the drug makes you feel dizzy or sleepy the following morning or affects you in any other way that you think may impair your ability to drive, then you should not drive until you feel fit to do so.

Zopiclone and other associated behaviors

Several reports have implicated zopiclone in causing sleepwalking and other typical nocturne behaviors including:

• sleep-driving
• preparing and eating food
• making phone calls. 
• Patients experiencing these events have no memory of their actions but it’s debatable whether zopiclone is the sole cause.

In some cases, zopiclone was used at levels exceeding the maximum recommended dose.

Variations of zopiclone

A six-month study focused on the use of zopiclone (3 mg daily) in 593 patients aged 21-69 with primary insomnia.

Results showed that zopiclone significantly improved all self-reported sleep measures by:

• reducing how long it took to get to sleep
• increasing total sleep time
• reducing the number of awakenings
• improving sleep quality.

This study also found no evidence of tolerance to the effects of zopiclone.

Patients’ rating of daytime alertness was better than with the placebo group and adverse event rates after discontinuation were not measurably different.

Should you take zopiclone to fix your sleep problems?

As a short-term treatment for insomnia, zopiclone does have some utility. It can help you to sleep, but it won’t get t the root of why you were sleeping badly in the first case. The most effective way of treating insomnia long-term is behavior therapy for insomnia.

This is what we use at Sleep station. It’s a program that equips you with all the tools you need to take control of your sleep and tackle any further sleep problems should they arise.

So while sleeping tablets can be useful, they are not a solution to a sleep problem. Starting a program sleep station is quick and easy. Answer a couple of short questions and you can find out how Sleep station can help you to overcome your sleep issues, drug-free, today.

Summary

• Zopiclone was created as a safer alternative to benzodiazepines.
• It’s used as a short-term treatment for insomnia and is usually prescribed for up to 4 weeks.
• Various hangover effects may occur with this drug, such as impairing your ability to drive the next day.
• It does not provide a long-term solution to insomnia but may offer some relief of symptoms in the short term.