Zolpidem (Ambien, Sanofi) is the most widely used prescription drug for insomnia and one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States. Treatment of insomnia, which has important effects on patients’ quality of life, may also have larger public health benefits. In its 2006 report, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research concluded that sleep deprivation and sleep disorders represent an unaddressed public health problem that has substantial health consequences and leads to high health care costs. The IOM noted that one of every five serious injuries from driving accidents can be attributed to driver sleepiness. Numerous sleep drugs are available for treating insomnia and are also used to reduce next-day somnolence. But it is widely recognized that these drugs themselves can sometimes contribute to next-day somnolence, depending on such factors as drug dose, dosage form, and individual patient characteristics. (Author/publisher)
Abstract