Data are also limited into the long term effects of nonbenzodiazepines.

Nonbenzodiazepines are not generally recommended for older patients due to the increased risk of falls and fractures.

The risks for nonbenzodiazepines, newer hypnotic medications on the market, are even lower.

There are three primary groups of Z drugs, all of which can be labeled nonbenzodiazepines.

Nonbenzodiazepines have demonstrated efficacy in treating some sleep disorders.

Benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines have similar efficacy that is not significantly more than for antidepressants.

Currently, the major chemical classes of nonbenzodiazepines are:

Limited, inconclusive evidence suggests that tolerance to nonbenzodiazepines is slower to develop than with benzodiazepines.

Hypnotic medications, such as benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines, help you fall asleep or stay asleep.

Benzodiazepines and antidepressants are generally less expensive, but may not be as effective for some people as newer nonbenzodiazepines.

For treatment of insomnia, benzodiazepines are now less popular than nonbenzodiazepines, which include zolpidem, zaleplon and eszopiclone.

Nonbenzodiazepines are molecularly distinct, but nonetheless, they work on the same benzodiazepine receptors and produce similar sedative effects.

Initially the FDA was hesitant to approve some of the nonbenzodiazepines due to concerns regarding increases in cancers.

When compared with benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepines (including zaleplon) appear to offer few significant advantages in efficacy or tolerability among elderly individuals.

Some evidence suggests that zaleplon is not as chemically reenforcing and exhibits far less rebound effects when compared with other nonbenzodiazepines, or "Z-drugs".

Nonbenzodiazepines are contraindicated during benzodiazepine withdrawal as they are cross tolerant with benzodiazepines and can induce dependence.

These pills are still widely prescribed, but patients today have more choices: Similar medications called nonbenzodiazepines and an even newer drug that stands alone in its own class.

The sleep drugs Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta are newer sleep medicines called nonbenzodiazepines.

The nonbenzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators of the GABA-A receptor.

Alcohol itself is a sedative-hypnotic and is cross-tolerant with other sedative-hypnotics such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines.

The longer half-life of quazepam may have the advantage however, of causing less rebound insomnia than shorter acting subtype selective nonbenzodiazepines.

Nonbenzodiazepines such as zaleplon and zolpidem and low doses of sedating antidepressants are sometimes used as alternatives to benzodiazepines.

Further research into the safety of nonbenzodiazepines and long term effectiveness of nonbenzodiazepines has been recommended in a review of the literature.

Nitrazepam, similar to other benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines causes impairments in body balance and standing steadiness in individuals who wake up at night or the next morning.

This impact is shared by all GABAergics, whether nonbenzodiazepines, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, carbamates, quinazolines or alcohol.

One possible explanation for the increased cancer deaths is that the Z-drugs have an adverse effect on the immune system.

This has led to the Z-drugs becoming widely prescribed for the treatment of insomnia particularly in elderly patients.

Some differences exist between the Z-drugs, for example tolerance and rebound effects may not occur with zaleplon.

It is not clear as to whether the new nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics (Z-drugs) are better than the short-acting benzodiazepines.

The first three nonbenzodiazepine drugs to enter the market were the "Z-drugs", zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon.

The fact that clinical trial subjects taking other Z-drugs (zolpidem, zaleplon and eszopiclone) had an increased rate of infections seems to support this theory.

There have been no trials comparing short-acting Z-drugs with appropriate doses of short-acting benzodiazepines.

Some evidence suggests that zaleplon is not as chemically reenforcing and exhibits far less rebound effects when compared with other nonbenzodiazepines, or "Z-drugs".

Z-drugs (excluding Zaleplon (Sonata))

NICE review pointed out that short-acting Z-drugs were inappropriately compared in clinical trials with long-acting benzodiazepines.

It acts on the GABA system, but in a very different way from benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (zolpidem, zaleplon, etc.).

However, the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence did not find any convincing evidence in favor of Z-drugs.

Not only are benzodiazepines associated with an increased risk of cancer, the benzodiazepine receptor agonist Z-drugs also are associated with cancer in humans in these studies.

Z-drugs are a group of nonbenzodiazepine drugs with effects similar to benzodiazepines which are used in the treatment of insomnia, and whose names mostly start with the letter "Z".

The Z-drugs are not without disadvantages, and all three compounds are notable for producing side effects such as pronounced amnesia and more rarely hallucinations, especially when used in large doses.

The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine published a paper expressing concerns about benzodiazepine receptor agonist drugs, the benzodiazepines and the Z-drugs that are used as hypnotics in humans.

More recently, a range of non-sedating anxiolytic drugs derived from the same structural families as the Z-drugs have been developed, such as alpidem and pagoclone and are starting to be marketed.

Other Z-drugs include zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien and AmbienCR) and were initially thought to be less addictive and/or habit forming than benzodiazepines.

Use of prescription sedative-hypnotics e.g. the non-benzodiazepine Z-drugs often leads to a relapse back into substance misuse with one author stating this occurs in over a quarter of those who have achieved abstinence.

Zolpidem, along with the other benzodiazepine-like Z-drugs, is a Schedule IV controlled substance in the USA, according to the Controlled Substances Act, given its potential for abuse and dependence.

Initially U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewers did not want to approve the Z-drugs due to concerns of cancer but ultimately changed their mind and approved the drugs despite the concerns.

A recent analysis of both U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data and clinical trial data shows that nonbenzodiazepine Z-drugs at prescribed doses cause an increased risk of developing cancer in humans.

All sedative-hypnotics, e.g. alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and the nonbenzodiazepine Z-drugs have a similar mechanism of action, working on the GABA receptor complex and are cross tolerant with each other and also have abuse potential.

A meta-analysis of the randomised, controlled, clinical trials that compared benzodiazepines against Z-drugs such as zolpidem has shown few consistent differences between zolpidem and benzodiazepines in terms of sleep onset latency, total sleep duration, number of awakenings, quality of sleep, adverse events, tolerance, rebound insomnia, and daytime alertness.