Acute zolpidem effects on noctural sleep and subsequent daytime performance of women complaining of severe and persistent insomnia.

Zolpidem is a new short- acting imidazopyridine hypnotic. Zolpidem had no effects on verbal memory or learning when tested 9.5h after drug administration. In contrast, flunitrazepam impaired both the ability to store information in memory and that of recalling information which should have been present. Neither zolpidem nor flunitrazepam was found to affect car driving performance measured 10.5- 11.5h after administration.