Zaleplon is a sedative hypnotic, used to treat insomnia.
It significantly reduces the time required to fall asleep by improving sleep latency and may therefore facilitate sleep induction rather than sleep maintenance. Due to its ultrashort elimination half life, zaleplon may not be effective in reducing premature awakenings, however, it may be administered to alleviate middle of the night awakenings.
It may have advantages over benzodiazepines with fewer adverse effects.
Zaleplon has the potential to be a drug of recreational use, and has been found to have an addictive potential similar to benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine like hypnotics.
The mind and judgment altering effects of zaleplon are similar to those of many benzodiazepines, but the fast-acting nature and short half life of the chemical mean high doses set on much more quickly and last for short periods of time (usually from 45 to 60 minutes).
Some individuals use a different delivery method than prescribed, such as insufflation, to induce effects faster.
A common effect of recreational zaleplon use is the occurrence of (typically short lived) hallucinations. Fewer visual and auditory hallucinations/disruptions occur with the use of zaleplon than with other Z drugs, like zolpidem.
