2011 Theses Bachelor's

Sleep on It: A Literature Review of Zolpidem's Bizarre Side Effects

Hoffman, Katherine A.

This paper explores the controversy surrounding zolpidem's rarer side effects. Zolpidem has been known to trigger potentially dangerous nocturnal behaviors such as sleep-related eating disorder, somnambulism, and sleep driving. A review of recent and past literature suggests that zolpidem's adverse side effects are not as rare as previously thought. For patients with a history of mental disorders, brain injuries, parasomnia, and disorders that disrupt sleep, the risk presented by zolpidem may not be justifiable. Additionally, practitioners should closely monitor their patients when zolpidem is taken in conjunction with other drugs.