Pharmacology · Class
Z-drug hypnotics !
Sleeping medicines (zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone) that act at the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor but are not benzodiazepines.
Updated 2026-11-01
What they are
Non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, called «Z compounds», structurally unrelated to benzodiazepines and to each other. They are used for short-term insomnia. Eszopiclone is the S-enantiomer of zopiclone.
Mechanism of action
They are agonists at the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor and make GABA-gated chloride currents stronger. Zolpidem prefers receptors with the α1 subunit, which mediates sedation, so it has weak anxiolytic, muscle-relaxant and anticonvulsant effects.
Target: GABA-A receptor (benzodiazepine site, α1 preference)
Drugs in this class
- ZolpidemA short-acting Z-drug for trouble falling asleep. It can cause sleep-driving and next-morning impairment, more so in…GABA-A receptor (α1-containing), benzodiazepine site
- EszopicloneThe S-enantiomer of zopiclone, a Z-drug for falling and staying asleep. A bitter taste and next-day impairment are…GABA-A receptor (α1-containing), benzodiazepine site
- ZopicloneA Z-drug for short-term insomnia, used in many countries but not marketed in the United States. It often leaves a…GABA-A receptor (α1-containing), benzodiazepine site
Others in the class
- Zaleplon
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Where do Z-drugs bind?
At the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor, although they are not benzodiazepines.
What is the boxed warning for Z-drug hypnotics?
Complex sleep behaviours such as sleep-driving, which can cause serious injury or death.
What is the relation between eszopiclone and zopiclone?
Eszopiclone is the S-enantiomer of racemic zopiclone.
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: DailyMed - ZOLPIDEM TARTRATE tablet (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); DailyMed - ESZOPICLONE tablet, film coated (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 14th ed., ch. 22 (McGraw Hill, 2023); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.