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Zolpidem

Medication non-benzodiazepine hypnotic mental healthother
Aka: Stilnox, Ambien
Brands seen in Singapore: Stilnox CR
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Short-term treatment of severe insomnia (NHS, HealthHub)
When to take
Just before bed · NHS: for 2 days to 4 weeks only
Take with
Water, tablet whole · HealthHub: faster on an empty stomach
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: falls asleep faster, less waking in the night
  • US label: one single dose a night, not repeated
  • HealthHub: intermittent use lowers the dependence risk
Cons
  • US label: boxed warning — complex sleep behaviours
  • NHS: the body gets used to it within a few weeks
  • HealthHub: habit-forming; abrupt stop risks withdrawal
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, full CSV pulled once via the datastore_search API and filtered locally) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Forensicclassification = 'Prescription Only' for both zolpidem products on the register: SIN13402P STILNOX CR 6.25mg Modified Release Tablet and SIN13403P STILNOX CR 12.5mg Modified Release Tablet (Zolpidem tartrate, oral, multilayer tablets)”
  2. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: about zolpidem (page dateModified 30 Apr 2024) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zolpidem is a sleeping pill that can be taken for short-term treatment of severe insomnia. It helps you fall asleep more quickly and makes you less likely to wake up during the night … only available on prescription.”
  3. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: dosage and strength · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zolpidem tablets come in 2 different strengths: 5mg and 10mg. The usual dose is one 10mg tablet, taken just before you go to bed … If you're 65 years old or over … a lower dose of 5mg.”
  4. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: how and when to take it · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water … You can take zolpidem with or without food … You'll usually be prescribed zolpidem for 2 days to 4 weeks … because your body gets used to this medicine quickly.”
  5. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Stop taking zolpidem and call a doctor … if you: develop memory loss (amnesia) · see or hear things that are not real (hallucinations) … Do not drink any alcohol as it will make you feel more tired.”
  6. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: who can and cannot take it · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zolpidem is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell a doctor if you: have liver or kidney problems · have myasthenia gravis · have breathing problems or sleep apnoea”
  7. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: taking it with other medicines and herbal supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Certain medicines may increase the drowsy (sedating) effects of zolpidem … drowsy antihistamines such as chlorphenamine or promethazine … ciprofloxacin … ketoconazole or itraconazole … ritonavir … strong painkillers such as codeine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, pethidine or tramadol”
  8. NHS Medicines A-Z — Zolpidem: pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zolpidem is not usually recommended in pregnancy because little is known about its effect on the baby.”
  9. HealthHub (MOH Singapore / Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore) — Zolpidem medication information leaflet, last reviewed 1 March 2025 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Zolpidem is used for short-term treatment of insomnia (difficulty sleeping). It helps you fall asleep faster and sleep through the night … This medication works faster if you take it on an empty stomach.”
  10. HealthHub — Zolpidem leaflet: dependence and withdrawal precautions · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “This medication may be habit-forming when taken excessively or for a prolonged duration (especially at high doses) … do not stop taking it abruptly as it may lead to withdrawal symptoms such as increased sweating, increased heart rate, tremors”
  11. HealthHub — Zolpidem leaflet: food and medicines to avoid, complex sleep behaviours · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Zolpidem as it can cause excessive sleepiness … Complex sleep behaviours (such as sleep walking, sleep driving and engaging in other activities while not fully awake) after taking Zolpidem”
  12. FDA DailyMed — AMBIEN (zolpidem tartrate) tablets, sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, SPL v26, effective 15 Apr 2025: section 2.1 Dosage in Adults · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The total dose of AMBIEN should not exceed 10 mg once daily immediately before bedtime. AMBIEN should be taken as a single dose and should not be readministered during the same night.”
  13. FDA DailyMed — AMBIEN prescribing information: boxed warning · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “WARNING: COMPLEX SLEEP BEHAVIORS — Complex sleep behaviors including sleep-walking, sleep-driving, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake may occur following use of AMBIEN. Some of these events may result in serious injuries, including death.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.