Zolpidem Dosage Guide

What is Zolpidem Available As?
You can buy zolpidem tablets, which should be administered through oral consumption. The tablets are available as immediate-release and extended-release formulations, these medications are named after the duration of time taken for the active ingredient to be released in the body. For example, immediate-release refers to the active component of the therapeutic being released within a short while, after administration.

In addition to the conventional tablets, this medicine comes as an oral spray as well as sublingual tablets. This is also to be administered via the oral route, specifically one to two sprays in the mouth and under the tongue, respectively. The Spray is only available in some countries.

How to Take the medication?
These tablets are to be used by anyone who requires assistance with sleep difficulties. They are to be taken prior to retiring to bed as the effects of the medication can cause drowsiness.

At least an hour before you intend on sleeping, you should swallow the tablet with a drink of water. The immediate-release form of the tablets are used if you require therapeutic benefits as soon as you take the tablets, whereas the extended-release formulations should be taken if you require assistance with sleep for a longer period of time. The active ingredient in the extended-release form is slowly released so as to prolong the therapeutic action of the medicine.

The sleeping pills should be taken on an empty stomach, which would be before a meal. Administering the tablets, with a meal or straight after a meal, can delay the effects of the therapeutic. The typical onset of action of this sleep medicine is approximately 30 minutes, however, if taken in conjunction with food, the onset of action may be prolonged.

What are Sleeping Tablets?

Recommended Dosage of Zolpidem

• The standard, advised dosage for zolpidem tartrate is 5 mg for women but for men, this dose may be doubled. The difference in the dosages for men and women are due to the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following a study of the effect of somnolence in women.
• Somnolence is the intense sense of wanting to sleep or sleeping for uncommon periods of time. This was an effect observed with the administration of these sleeping pills, which prompted the FDA to further investigate the dangers associated with this adverse event.
• Following the necessary research, women were shown to experience the effects of somnolence on a much greater scale than men. The study reported that females were particularly prone to impaired driving proficiencies and excess daytime sedation too.
• The advised dosages of this sleep medicine were then revised in 2013, for women. The previously recommended dosage for women was halved in attempt to reduce the severity of somnolence in females.
• Men are still allowed to use zolpidem 10 mg.

How do Sleeping Tablets Work?

Zolpidem Dosage for Insomnia

The dosage of this medication for insomnia depends on if the therapeutic is being used for:

• Sleep onset or maintenance
• Middle-of-the-night awakenings

Sleep Onset or Maintenance
Any form of this medication can be used to reduce the time to sleep onset or for the maintenance of sleep throughout the night. The recommended dosages are as follows:

Immediate-release: 5 mg for women, 10 mg for men

Extended-release: 6.25 mg for women, 12.5 mg for men

Sublingual tablets: 1.75 mg for women, 3.5 mg for men

Oral spray: 5 mg for women, 10 mg for men

Middle-of-the-Night Awakenings

Those using the medication for interruptions to their sleep, during the night, are advised to use the lower dosage formulations of this therapeutic. The sublingual tablets are available as 1.75 mg and 3.5 mg dosages, and are effective for the nightly awakenings where there is at least 4 hours of sleep time remaining for the night. The immediate-release, extended-release and oral spray formulations are not recommended for use for interruptions during the night.

How Does Zolpidem Work for Seniors?
These advised dosages are to be administered once a day, prior to bedtime. For geriatric patients, the lower dosage forms of the medication should be used, with regard to the immediate-release and sublingual tablets, as well as the oral spray. The extended-release form of these sleeping pills is not advised for the elderly.

Sleeping Tablets Side Effects

Zolpidem Dosage Strengths

You can buy zolpidem sleeping pills in the UK in the following strengths:

• 5 mg
• 10 mg

These sleeping tablets are unique in that they are available in dosages which are lower than the average sleeping pill. These low dosage sleeping pills are useful for when you find yourself awake in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep. A study, involving the use of the low zolpidem dosage formulation, was conducted to investigate the improvement of sleep disturbances in the trial patients with insomnia. The research subjects were awakened four hours after going to sleep, dosed with the sublingual tablets, kept awake for 30 minutes and then returned to sleep for an additional four hours.

The results of this study revealed that the sublingual sleeping tablets were effective for the middle-of-the-night awakenings, and were proven safe as well. The sublingual tablets have a small amount of the active ingredient incorporated into the medication. This reduces the risk of zolpidem side effects, which are often associated with high dosage strengths.

Which are the Best Sleeping Pills?

Zolpidem/ Ambien Contraindications

Contraindications are conditions which are considered an issue when taking certain medications. If you have any of the conditions listed as a contraindication, it would be advised that you do not take the medicine or use the therapeutic as recommended, this could mean possibly using a reduced dosage or taking the tablets for a shorter period of time etc. If you have a condition which is contraindicated and still use the medication against cautionary advice, you are at risk for serious health complications.

Some of the contraindications associated with Ambien sleeping tablets are for:

• Those with a prior history of complex sleep behaviours
• Those with a history of suicidal thoughts
• Those with a history of aggressive behaviour
• Those with attention deficit disorder (ADD)
• Those with myasthenia gravis (a musculoskeletal disorder)
• Those with a history of alcohol or drug abuse
• Those with depression

A zolpidem dosage is not advised for those with the above conditions.

Don't forget, at www.bestsleepingtablets.com, as well as strong sleeping pills, you can also buy a wide selection of anxiety medication and painkillers without a doctor's prescription!

CONTENT CHECKED: 09th AUG 2022
NEXT CHECK DUE: AUG 2023