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[Pharmacology](https://durgical.com/en/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)

## Key points

- Boxed warning: complex sleep behaviours (sleep-walking, sleep-driving) that can cause serious injury or death; the drug is stopped if one occurs.
- Next-morning impairment, including impaired driving, especially with less than a full night of sleep.
- Women clear zolpidem more slowly, so a lower starting dose is recommended for them.
- Bitter or metallic taste is typical of zopiclone and eszopiclone.

## Drugs in this class

- [**Zolpidem** A 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](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/zolpidem/)
- [**Eszopiclone** The 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](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/eszopiclone/)
- [**Zopiclone** A 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](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/zopiclone/)

## 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.

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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](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1584bad1-7bf4-4805-bdd9-7eb0fac92721) (DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); [DailyMed - ESZOPICLONE tablet, film coated](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=bb972d36-4b2c-45ae-8504-3a16d352dd8b) (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](https://atcddd.fhi.no/atc_ddd_index/?code=N05CF) (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/classes/z-drug-hypnotics/